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Flashcards · AP® English Language and Composition · Unit 6

Unit 6: Sources, Bias and Tone flashcards

24 cards on topics 6.1 to 6.6. Pick a topic or study the whole unit.

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6.1 Synthesising material from several sources

What does it mean to synthesise sources?
To combine ideas from several sources into your own argument, showing how they relate: agreeing, complementing or conflicting. You use them as evidence, not as the topic.
How do you group sources for a synthesis?
Sort them by the claim they support or challenge, not by their order. A paragraph may use two sources that agree and a third that qualifies them.
What are useful ways to show relationships between sources?
Say that one source supports, extends, qualifies or contradicts another, and explain why. Phrases such as "while Source B agrees, Source C complicates" show the link.
How can a visual or quantitative source be used?
Describe what the chart, table or image shows and treat it as evidence for a claim, noting its limits, such as the sample or time period.

6.2 Position and perspective

What is a writer's position?
The writer's stance on an issue, shaped by role and experience. It affects what the writer notices, what is stressed and how credible the writer appears.
What is perspective?
The angle from which a writer views the issue, shaped by background, interests and values. Two writers with the same facts may reach different conclusions because of different perspectives.
Why does recognising perspective matter when reading sources?
It helps you judge how much weight a claim deserves and what may be missing. A source from an involved party may be informed and also selective.
How do you describe position and perspective in an essay?
State who the writer is, how this relates to the issue and how it shapes the argument, then link it to specific choices in the text.

6.3 Bias and limitations in sources

What is bias in a source?
A tendency to favour one side. It may show in selective evidence, loaded words or ignoring counter-evidence. Bias does not make a source worthless, but it affects how you use it.
What are the limitations of a source?
Weaknesses in what it can show, such as a small sample, an old date, a narrow context or a lack of independent evidence. Name the limit and say how it affects the claim.
How can you use a biased source responsibly?
Acknowledge the source's position, compare it with other sources and rely on it for what it can show, such as the writer's view, rather than for neutral fact.
What makes a source reliable?
Independence, expertise, a clear method, openness about limits, and agreement with other sources. No single test is enough, so judge several features together.

6.4 Revising a thesis for new evidence

When should you revise your thesis?
When evidence you have found does not fit it, when sources complicate it or when you see that it is too broad. A good thesis can change as your understanding develops.
How can new sources change a thesis?
They may support it, narrow it or show that it needs a condition. Revising the thesis to account for them makes the argument more accurate and more credible.
What is a qualified thesis?
A position with a limit or condition, such as "only when" or "although". It claims what the evidence can support and is often easier to defend than an absolute.
How do you check that a revised thesis still matches the essay?
Reread each body paragraph and ask whether it supports the new wording. If not, change the paragraph, not just the thesis.

6.5 Tone and connotation

What is tone?
The writer's attitude towards the subject and audience, shown through diction, syntax, details and structure. Examples are conciliatory, ironic, urgent or measured.
How do you identify tone?
Look at specific word choices, sentence patterns and details, and describe the attitude with a precise word. Support it with two or three pieces of evidence.
Why do tones differ between writers with similar themes?
Tone is chosen to fit the purpose, audience and situation. A speaker who must rally and one who must reconcile will use different words and rhythms.
How is tone different from mood?
Tone is the writer's attitude; mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader. The two may match or differ.

6.6 Shifts in tone

What is a shift in tone?
A change in the writer's attitude within a text, such as from hopeful to grave or from praise to criticism. Shifts often mark the most important moment in a passage.
What signals a shift in tone?
Transition words such as but, yet and however, changes in sentence length or structure, changes in diction and a change in the kind of evidence.
Why does analysing a shift matter?
A shift often shows where the writer's real concern or turn of argument lies. Explaining it shows you understand how the whole text develops.
How do you write about a shift in an essay?
Describe the tone before and after, identify the marker of the change and explain what the turn does for the argument or audience.

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