Crash Course AP Literature

SUGGESTED SYMBOLS FOR ANNOTATING

Whether you use the suggested symbols below or create your own, it is important to keep it simple (use
only a few symbols) and stay consistent.

Circle unfamiliar words. You won’t be allowed to use a dictionary on the AP Lit

exam, but just circling unfamiliar words reminds you to try to understand them by

using context clues. When you do have a dictionary available, look up the word if

you cannot fully grasp its meaning from the context. Add these unfamiliar words to

your list of words (see Chapter 9).

_____________ Underline words in close proximity that share connotative or denotative

associations.

! An exclamation point in the margin near a group of lines indicates a key idea; pair

with brackets around specific text

? A question mark in the margin means “I don’t understand.” Noting questionsprompts you to answer them later.

text

Write brief notes in the margins to make your thinking visually accessible and easy

to connect with when you take a second look at the text. Your notes can be about

anything, but should include conclusions you’ve drawn about the text so far.

Use brackets around phrases or chunks of text (or enclose in a rectangle) to mark

significant literary elements, such as symbols, motifs (keep a count also),

figurative language, etc. Label the element in the margin. Make corresponding

notes about what these might mean. For example, don’t simply mark that water is a

symbol, but write a note about it being a symbol for purity that reinforces the

innocence of the main character.