A Methodology for Analyzing Prose Passages on the AP Language Exam Read the prompt and the passage once to get the gist. Try to hear the voice of tt speaker and get a sense of the personality of the individual who wrote this piece and the circumstances under which he or she wrote it, but withhold judgment fo now, Study the prompt closely, What is the overarching issue you are asked to address? Does it have more than one aspect to which you must respond? Draw an arch, Write the issue or issues you must address below the arch. You should now understand your task, though you may n&t knew what your response will br . Read the passage again. As you move through the passage, make notes in the margins about both the specific uses of language and the overarching issue. Above the arch, write your response to the overarching issue. This step will require critical thinking on your part. . Now is the time to craft a bold 2-3 sentence introduction in which you answer th overarching question in such a way that lets the reader know that your essay is well-focused on the task at hand. Write the introduction on a separate sheet of paper, fine tune it, and rewrite it on the paper you will turn in. Now that you're off to a strong start, move through the piece chronologically as ‘you discuss the specific uses of language that develop your thesis. Do not write perfunctory five-paragraph essay. When you are out of time, end your paper on a strong final note. Do not restate what you have already said in a formulaic conclusion,