Grade 8 Argumentative Essay Examples


, widely known as AP Lang, is a popular and engaging Advanced Placement course taken by over half a million high school students each year. The course is designed to hone essential skills such as analyzing written works, synthesizing information, constructing rhetorical essays, and writing compelling arguments. While the course presents a rigorous challenge, with just over 60% of students achieving a passing score of three or higher on the AP exam, the rewards of mastering these skills are significant.


We’ll dig into what a synthesis essay entails and its structure, and we’ll furnish you with actionable strategies to approach the task with confidence. We’ll also provide insights into selecting and integrating sources effectively, constructing a compelling argument, and polishing your writing to perfection.

The AP Lang exam is a comprehensive assessment consisting of two distinct sections. The first section, a one-hour multiple-choice segment, assesses your ability to analyze written passages and answer questions based solely on the provided text. This section comprises approximately 45% of the total exam score. The second section is a two-hour and fifteen-minute free-response segment. It evaluates your writing skills through three distinct essays. This section accounts for the remaining 55% of the exam score.

Argumentative Essay Examples for high school pdf

Are you a high school student preparing for the AP Language and Composition exam? Or perhaps you are a teacher looking to help your students with the skills to ace the synthesis essay? Either way, you’ve landed in the right place. This blog will serve as your comprehensive guide to mastering this challenging yet rewarding component of the AP Language exam.

If you're planning to take the , you might already know that 55% of your overall exam score will be based on three essays. The first of the three essays you'll have to write on the AP Language exam is called the "synthesis essay." If you want to earn full points on this portion of the AP Lang Exam, you need to know what a synthesis essay is and what skills are assessed by the AP Lang synthesis essay.

Next I ask them to write the topic sentence for body paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Argumentative Essay, and to choose one quote that will go with that paragraph. I remind them in the instructions of their work that they must use a quote from each of the 3 sources. I check these as they go or all 3 at once. It depends on my class size that year! I encourage them to have a topic sentence to help them to stay on message. Some students can go off on tangents within their body paragraphs. They won’t have time to finish if they do that, and they won’t be as persuasive either.

In this article, we'll explain the different aspects of the AP Lang synthesis essay, including what skills you need to demonstrate in your synthesis essay response in order to achieve a good score. We'll also give you a full breakdown of a real AP Lang Synthesis Essay prompt, provide an analysis of an AP Lang synthesis essay example, and give you four tips for how to write a synthesis essay.


Argumentative Essay Examples - 5 Paragraph

Mastering the synthesis essay is a crucial aspect of performing well on the AP Lang exam. Example packets provide students with the tools they need to understand the format, identify effective strategies, and practice their writing. By actively engaging with example packets and applying the lessons learned, students can improve their synthesis essay skills and increase their chances of success. With consistent practice, a clear understanding of the synthesis process, and an ability to avoid common mistakes, students will be well on their way to mastering the AP Lang synthesis essay.

AP Lang Argumentative Essay Examples

The three essays within the free-response section target specific writing skills. The synthesis essay challenges you to develop an argument by incorporating information from multiple provided sources. The rhetorical analysis essay requires you to dissect how an author uses language to convey meaning and achieve specific effects. Finally, the argumentative essay prompts you to take a stance on a debatable issue and construct a persuasive argument based on evidence.

Aristotelian Argumentative Essay Example

A disorganized essay can confuse the reader and weaken the argument. Students should ensure that their essays are well-structured, with logical transitions between paragraphs and clear connections between sources.

Rogerian Argumentative Essay Example

The AP Language and Composition exam’s first free-response task is the synthesis essay. It is a one-hour exercise during which you read six to seven sources on a specific topic and compose a well-developed essay. These sources include a mix of print texts, approximately 500 words each, and visual elements like graphs or charts. You are advised to allocate 15 minutes to reading and analyzing these sources, followed by 40 minutes for writing and 5 minutes for review, but the time distribution can be adjusted as needed.

Toulmin Argumentative Essay Example

After showing students what the Argumentative Essay entails, I give them the 3 sources from the AP Training book (Does everyone take that course for New AP Spanish Teachers? If not, any practice essay will do! Leave me a comment below if you need names of resources!)