TYPICAL PROBLEMS
If you were to ask an AP reader to list some typical mistakes students make in writing their essays, he
or she would most likely mention the following:
no discernible thesis (therefore, no controlling idea)
a failure to analyze (the writer summarized or paraphrased instead)
a failure to move from “what” to “how” and “why”
a failure to support generalizations or claims with evidence from the text
only poorly developed ideas, with perhaps one or two ideas repeated over and over
an inability to integrate and embed quotations from the text in complete sentences
a wordy introduction that was mostly a restatement of the prompt
a “boring” conclusion that simply restated the thesis or prompt
some loosely constructed paragraphs that were not unified
a reliance on the five-paragraph essay, with no real analysis. (Organization without content is not an
essay)
imprecise use of language. (Never use big words to impress—use the exact right word for the job.)