AP® English Language and Composition 2024 Free-Response Questions Set 1 - Section II (3 Questions)

Sep 20, 2026

AP English Language and Composition 2024 Free-Response Questions Set 1, Section II, provides three essay prompts and guidance on timing and response expectations. Question 1 focuses on the value of historic preservation laws, weighing arguments that such laws protect buildings of historic, cultural, or architectural importance against claims that they hinder progress and development. Students synthesize evidence from six listed sources, selecting at least three and using thesis-driven reasoning with clear citation and discussion of how evidence supports the argument.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Section II

Question 1

Source A

Source B

Source C

Source D

Source E

Source F

2024 AP® English Language and Composition Free-Response Questions Set 1 © 2024 College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of College Board. Visit College Board on the web: [collegeboard.org](collegeboard.org). [AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org](AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org). AP® English Language and Composition 2024 Free-Response Questions ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SECTION II Total time—2 hours and 15 minutes 3 Questions Question 1 Suggested reading and writing time—55 minutes It is suggested that you spend 15 minutes reading the question, analyzing and evaluating the sources, and 40 minutes writing your response. Note: You may begin writing your response before the reading period is over. (This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.) Historic preservation laws are intended to protect buildings deemed to be of historic, cultural, or architectural value. The laws affect both government buildings and private property, putting constraints on how and to what extent the structures can be altered, renovated, or replaced. Proponents of these laws claim they are necessary for the preservation of history and culture and the architectural integrity of a neighborhood. Opponents of the laws argue that such laws prevent progress and negatively impact real estate development, building renovation, and building design. Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Write an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources and develops your position on the value, if any, of laws designed to preserve buildings deemed to be of historic importance. Source A (National Park Service Web site) Source B (Merlino book) Source C (Appelbaum opinion article) Source D (Webb graph) Source E (Martin article) Source F (Rosen cartoon) In your response you should do the following: • Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position. • Select and use evidence from at least three of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sources may be cited as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the description in parentheses. • Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument. © 2024 College Board. Visit College Board on the web: [collegeboard.org](collegeboard.org). 2 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. AP® English Language and Composition 2024 Free-Response Questions Source A “National Historic Preservation Act.” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2 Dec. 2018, [nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/national-historic-preservation-act.htm](nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/national-historic-preservation-act.htm). The following is excerptedfrom a Web site maintained by the United States National Park Service. After World War II, the United States seemed poised at the edge of a limitless future, and its vision of progress was characterized by the sleek and the new. Urban renewal was seen as a way to clear out the slums, get rid of“obsolete” buildings, make space for an exploding population, and accommodate the burgeoning car culture. Wide swaths were demolished: entire blocks, neighborhoods, business districts, all razed to make way for the new. By the 1960s, urban renewal had altered the face of the nation’s cities. But out of this wholesale erasure of the old grew the most important law governing how we treat those places that define our past: the National Historic Preservation Act. It was the first national policy governing preservation and it would shape the fate of many of our historic and cultural sites over the ne

FAQs

What is the task for Question 1 in this free-response set?

Develop a position on the value of laws meant to preserve buildings of historic importance by synthesizing material from at least three of the six provided sources.

How should students use the sources in their essay?

Use evidence from at least three sources to support the line of reasoning, and indicate sources clearly through quotation, paraphrase, or summary.

What timing guidance is given for the essay in Question 1?

The suggested reading and writing time is 55 minutes: 15 minutes for reading, analyzing, and evaluating sources, and 40 minutes for writing the response.

Sep 20, 2026

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