AP® English Language and Composition Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary Set 1 - Free-Response Question 2 - Rhetorical Analysis Scoring Guidelines

Sep 22, 2026

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2023 AP® English Language and Composition scoring guidelines for Free-Response Question 2 (Rhetorical Analysis) define what earns points for thesis, evidence, and commentary. The prompt centers on analyzing Michelle Obama’s rhetorical choices in her final First Lady speech excerpt, conveying expectations and hope for young people in the United States. The document specifies scoring rules, decision notes, and examples of theses that either fail or meet requirements, including guidance on rhetorical situation understanding and effective use of grammar and punctuation.

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Free-Response Question 2 Scoring Guidelines

Reporting Category and Scoring Criteria (Row A: Thesis)

Reporting Category and Scoring Criteria (Row B: Evidence and Commentary)

2023 AP® English Language and Composition Sample Student Responsesand Scoring Commentary Set 1 Inside: Free-Response Question 2 5 Scoring Guidelines 5 Student Samples 5 Scoring Commentary © 2023 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). Rhetorical Analysis 6 points Michelle Obama was the First Lady of the United States during the presidential administration of her husband, Barack Obama (2009–2017) . During that administration, she led programs including the Reach Higher Initiative, which encourages students to continue their education after high school. Oneway it does so is by supporting high school counselors’ efforts to get students into college. On January 6, 2017, Obama gave her final speech as First Lady at an event honoring outstanding school counselors. The following passage is an excerpt from that speech. Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people in the United States. In your response you should do the following: • Respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices. • Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning. • Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. • Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation. • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument. | Reporting Category | Scoring Criteria | | | --- | --- | --- | | Row A
Thesis
(0–1 points) | 0 points
For any of the following:
• There is no defensible thesis.
• The intended thesis only restates the prompt.
• The intended thesis provides a summary of the issue with no apparent or coherent claim.
• There is a thesis, but it does not respond to the prompt. | 1 point
Responds to the prompt with a defensible thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices. | | | Decision Rules and Scoring Notes | | | | Responses that do not earn this point:
• Only restate the prompt.
• Fail to address the rhetorical choices the writer of the passage makes.
• Describe or repeat the passage rather than making a claim that requires a defense. | Responses that earn this point:
• Respond to the prompt rather than restating or rephrasing the prompt and clearly articulate a defensible thesis about the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people in the United States. | | | Examples that do not earn this point:
Restate the prompt
• “In 2017, then First Lady Michelle Obama delivered her final speech as First Lady at an event honoring school counselors.”
Make a claim, but do not address the writer’s rhetorical choices
• “In her 2017 speech to school counselors, Michelle Obama set high expectations for her audience, the young people of America.”
Repeat provided information from the passage
• “Michelle Obama claims in her speech that ‘our glorious diversity’ is what‘makes us who we are.’” | Examples that earn this point:
Present a defensible thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices
• “Michelle Obama uses a friendly tone, inspirational diction, and examples from her own family to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people in America.”
• “In her last speech as First Lady, Michelle Obama adopts the persona of a mentor or parental figure, using second person pronouns and giving direct advice, to inspire her audience of young people to ‘rise to their best possible selves.’”
• “In her inspirational 2017 speech, First Lady Michelle Obama provides multiple examples of h

FAQs

What is the focus of Free-Response Question 2 in this scoring document?

It asks students to analyze the rhetorical choices Michelle Obama makes to convey her message about expectations and hope for young people in the United States.

What characteristics earn 1 point for the thesis (Row A)?

A defensible thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices rather than merely restating the prompt or summarizing without a coherent claim.

How does the thesis scoring guidance treat evidence and line of reasoning?

A thesis can be awarded even if the rest of the response does not fully support the line of reasoning, though a defensible thesis must include at least minimal evidence the passage could support.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Riley