AP English Language & Composition 2023 Sample Paper
Can you spot the rhetorical move that makes a reader believe something they didn't think possible? This sample paper trains you to do exactly that—to identify how writers use claims, evidence, and structure to persuade. You'll analyze passages from essays, articles, and speeches across three core competencies: recognizing rhetorical claims and evidence, understanding how writers organize and reason through arguments, and pinpointing shifts in style and tone to detect purpose and audience. This is the kind of multiple-choice practice that directly mirrors the real AP English Language exam structure, covering the skills you'll need on test day. By the time you finish, you'll develop an instinct for predicting how a paragraph functions before you even finish reading it—that's the confidence that turns a 4 into a 5.
Questions in this quiz
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- Question 1
In the passage, the author makes the claim that 'automation has fundamentally reshaped the nature of human labor.' Which of the following best describes the type of claim being made?
- Question 2
The author supports the main argument with statistics about job displacement, interviews with factory workers, and a case study of one manufacturing plant's transition. Which form of evidence is weakest in supporting the broader claim?
- Question 3
True or False: A piece of evidence is strong simply because it comes from a credible source, regardless of its relevance to the claim.
- Question 4
The author begins with a personal anecdote about a retired welder, then transitions to statistical analysis, and concludes with a philosophical reflection on human purpose. This organizational choice primarily serves to:
- Question 5
Which of the following best explains why the author includes a counterargument about the job-creation potential of automation before refuting it?
- Question 6
The author uses short, emphatic sentences when discussing the urgency of retraining programs, then shifts to longer, more complex sentence structures when explaining economic theory. This syntactic variation functions to:
- Question 7
True or False: The author's use of the phrase 'workers deserve dignity and agency in the age of machines' is primarily a logical argument about economic necessity.
- Question 8
The author describes displaced factory workers not as 'unemployed' but as 'people facing unexpected life transitions.' This word choice primarily reveals:
- Question 9
In this passage, the author's primary purpose is to:
- Question 10
Fill in the blank: When a writer addresses the reader directly using 'you' to discuss shared values or concerns, they are employing ________ to create a sense of common ground and connection.
- Question 11
The author's assertion that 'without policy intervention, economic inequality will worsen' serves what function in the broader argument?
- Question 12
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the author's tone in the opening paragraph (empathetic, urgent) and in the policy discussion section (measured, analytical)?
- Question 13
The author supports the argument for retraining investment by citing successful workforce transition programs in other countries. What assumption about the author's intended audience does this choice reveal?
- Question 14
Fill in the blank: The rhetorical move of presenting a specific human story before introducing broad statistics is known as moving from ________ to ________ in support of an argument.
- Question 15
True or False: If an author's evidence is factually accurate, the argument is necessarily strong and will persuade most readers.
- Question 16
The author's phrase 'machines do not weep, and yet we must' employs what rhetorical device?