AP map · Writing & Grammar Ladder
AP English Language and Composition
A college writing course in reading and writing arguments: the rhetorical situation, claims and evidence, lines of reasoning, and style, practiced through rhetorical analysis, argument and synthesis essays.
Unit names: AP English Language and Composition course page and Course at a Glance (College Board): nine units, each built on the four big ideas, read October 25, 2026.
Unit 1 Unit 1 (Rhetorical Situation; Claims and Evidence)
The units have no official titles. This one starts with the writer, audience, purpose and context, and with claims supported by evidence.
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 2 Unit 2 (Rhetorical Situation; Claims and Evidence)
- Ethos: The Speaker’s Character
- Pathos: The Audience’s Emotions
- Logos: The Reasoning
- Identifying Appeals
- Judging Sources
- Using Quotations
- Weighing Evidence
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 3 Unit 3 (Claims and Evidence; Reasoning and Organization)
- Patterns of Reasoning
- The Toulmin Model
- Finding Unstated Warrants
- A Defensible Thesis
- Line of Reasoning and Commentary
- Reading Sources Together
- Working Sources into Your Sentences
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 4 Unit 4 (Rhetorical Situation; Claims and Evidence; Reasoning and Organization)
- Rhetorical Analysis
- Choices and Effects
- Introductions and Hooks
- Conclusions
- A Thesis for Rhetorical Analysis
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 5 Unit 5 (Reasoning and Organization; Style)
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 6 Unit 6 (Claims and Evidence; Style)
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 7 Unit 7 (Rhetorical Situation; Claims and Evidence; Style)
- Qualifiers and Limits
- Counterarguments
- Sentence Variety
- Emphasis and Word Order
- Active and Passive Voice, Used Well
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 8 Unit 8 (Rhetorical Situation; Style)
8 mixed questions, with the steps after eachUnit 9 Unit 9 (Claims and Evidence)
The exam's three essays (synthesis, rhetorical analysis, argument) are practiced across units 3–9. Ladder practice is our own, checked by choosing and labeling; essays themselves are written and self-checked with the checklists.
8 mixed questions, with the steps after each