CliffsNotes AP English Language and Composition: 4th Edition 4th Edition

I used this book to review for the exam, and I managed to scored a 5. I did not, however, use any competing English review books, so keep that in mind. In summary, I really enjoyed the information and practice in the book, and I felt much better about the exam after going through the practice tests.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Strengths:1. The book has 4 complete practice exams, each with extremely in-depth answer explanations and essay examples. By completing 4 exams, you should have much needed experience with the format, question types, passages, and essay prompts that you will experience in May. I found the answer explanations to be really useful—a rare trait in review books, which usually have next-to-useless information.2. The reading passages and writing prompts are perfectly matched to those of the actual exam. In fact, the passages in this book I found to be much harder than the real ones, especially because they often include more obscure language from earlier eras. Along with great passages are great questions, which are certainly more challenging than the real ones. And on top of all that, the essay prompts are varied and realistic, giving you useful experience analyzing and writing about prose.3. The book has an appendix of must-know terms, which you can use liberally in your writing. Also, the phrases employed in the multiple-choice questions introduce you to new words that widen your vocabulary. If you don't know a lot of the English language going in, it may be a bit of a struggle, but you will come out with much better comprehension.Weaknesses:1. None... Well, mostly none. The only real issue I can think of is that the book does not teach you rhetoric, but you can't expect a review book to be your teacher. If you solely used this book to self study, you will probably be able to score a 5, but the rhetorical skills you can learn with a teacher in the classroom come in handy.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conclusion:This book is fantastic, just fantastic! I did not expect it to be so useful in preparing, and after taking the exam, I fully realize how great of a book it is. If you are worried about purchasing this, don't be; purchase it and go through all 4 of the tests, and you will do just fine. Swovelin's tips and strategies are straight-to-the-point, and the extra details she includes—such as the glossary of common terms and table of past essay topics—put it over the edge. A must buy.Good luck on your exam!

What I love about this particular guide for the AP Language and Composition is that the readings and explanations are very representative of the AP Language test.The readings cover not only modern non-fiction, but more archaic essays from the 17th and 18th century that students might see on the exam. There are various practice tests that cover many of the aspects of the AP test, such as explanations and models for both passages and essay prompts.I liked how the explanations on the multiple choice detailed why an answer was correct as well as giving information as to why the other options were not correct. Also, what I liked particularly is that there are model sample "low" and "high" scoring essay responses for the various prompts (Argumentative, Prose, Synthesis). The readings and sample questions are very representative of the actual test, so this is a good resource for any AP Language student who just wants to brush up, see some practice questions, see some practice prompts, etc. Overall, this a very useful guide.

I purchased this book for my daughter, who is currently taking AP English Language and Composition. Because her teacher is new to AP and still going through the teacher training, I was looking for a source that would explain the concepts in detail, as opposed to a book of practice tests. This was the closest I found, based on the description, and it does consist of mostly practice tests. At the back of the book are several appendixes which define terms and provide past essay topics, but would be better suited to a student who is reviewing, not learning it from the book. It would probably be a wonderful book for a student who has learned, but needs to review, the concepts.

Good to assist in preparing for the AP English tests. However, this book doesn't really teach the course so much as how to study for and pass the test. This may be the easiest way to supplement learning the material, but it isn't a way to actually learn it.

good!!!!

If you are taking the AP Language test, you really need this book. It helps you prepare to take the test. My daughter used the AP Literature book and received a perfect score of 5. This book is worth the cost, but realize you need to put in the effort and use this book to succeed on the test.

Book came in great condition! No marks! Hopefully it helps me pass my next year AP Exam. I’ll review this review in maybe a year to let y’all know!

Was a little unnecessary for the AP Lang test. Good if you really don't know what the test will be like, but some of the suggestions were obvious and essay tips were not as helpful as asking around and getting advice from others.

It's very informative