<p>I’ve been asking around and AP Language and Comp has listed novels (short stories too) that you’re supposed to read. Will the ap test have questions based on the books you were supposed to read? I thought that was mainly for Literature, not for Language. Can you self study Language, since the test is mostly about writing and multiple choice about stuff like rhetorical devices, if you just bought a Barron’s book and a 5 steps to a 5? I plan to get writing help and feedback from my honors english teacher.</p>
<p>The English Language exam only tests your ability to comprehend and analyze texts that you haven’t seen before, just like on SAT reading passages. While reading books will help you do that, you could easily complete the test without reading a single book on their list (assuming that you are decent in English and understand how to write the specific essays).</p>
<p>They will not ask you questions on specific books. The reading list is suggested reading to help hone your skills. They’re not going to ask what the weather represents in King Lear or anything like that.</p>
<p>No questions on specific books. The MC section is just like SAT/ACT reading on steroids, no specific book knowledge required. Essay #3 for the free response requires you to come up with examples, so having a few books you know well really helps (literary examples are a lot of more persuasive than personal examples), but it’s not required (and any book is fine, I tended to use books I read sophomore year). My class only read two books and I got a 5 on the exam.</p>
<p>Alright, thanks guys! I plan on reading a few books, couldn’t kill me. Who knows, it might help.</p>
<p>Although no books are required, I STRONGLY recommend Thank You For Arguing. It’s redundant and boring, but a lot of the things it teaches you can be helpful both on MC and on your essays. My teacher required we read it.</p>
<p>A common misconception is that as far as English AP/SATII tests are concerned, you either know it or you don’t. In other words, you can’t really practice for it.</p>
<p>That’s wrong. English is not only possible to study for, but it also has unique quality of rendering the process of doing so actually “pleasurable”. A few years ago English was the last subject I wanted to study. Well, coming from South Korea, as I’m an international, I barely knew how to read English in the first place. But I kept trying, trying, and trying, and someday I was able to cultivate a profound love of English – and since then have read numerous works of English literature, mostly for pleasure and partly for test prep/vocab/schoolwork/etc. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that it takes continued efforts and preparation to become a good English student. But once you get over the notion that you’re “studying” for it, only then can you truly master the subject. </p>
<p>Seriously, in history you memorize facts, relate events, do a complex synthetic analysis linking the past and the present, but you nonetheless “study” for it.
In English, what I’m suggesting is that you’re not deliberately studying it, but enjoying it. It is an art, not a science; that means when you’re reading the most famous line of Hamlet, “To be or Not to be, that is the question,” you’re not memorizing who said it, though you should have known by now, but you’re thinking of how this relates to your philosophy, your life, and your character – For instance, whenever I reread the line by Hamlet, I remind myself of the endless agony or pain that life brings, but nonetheless the realization that life is still better than death. It brings hope. It is more about how you feel, not what you study. Ironically, therefore, the less you study for it, the better you’ll do. </p>
<p>*Don’t get tricked into thinking that no study is necessary. In fact, a good english student tends to spend a great deal not only reading, but also memorizing vocabs, doing composition exercises, writing literary analysis, keeping a journal, learning literary terms, etc. They help, but not decisively.</p>
<p>Just as a scientifically gifted student spends hours and hours doing independent problems relating to different math or science subjects, a good English student will likely spend the same amount of time doing independent reading and thinking. Speaking of which, don’t neglect math or science subjects. Even if you end up liking literature the most, studying calculus will make your mind more capable even for doing English and literature.</p>
<p>I’m sorry if this sounds too didactic. I am still a HS student open to many different ways of learning. Nonetheless these are some of the thoughts I wanted to share with anybody interested in becoming a good English student.</p>
<p>don’t waste your time reading it is no help at all</p>