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AP English Language Study Set Flashcards

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5855612114AbstractRefers to language that describes concepts (ideas) rather than concrete images0
5855612115Ad HominemIn an argument, an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against man."1
5855612116Allegorya work that functions on a symbolic level2
5855612117AlliterationThe repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as the "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers"3
5855612118AllusionA reference to another literary work.4
5855612119AnalogyA literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items.5
5855612120AnecdoteA story or brief example told by the writer or character to illustrate a point.6
5855612121AntecedantThe word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers (he, it, she, them, they, etc). The AP English Language and Composition exam often expects you to identify the antecedent in a passage.7
5855612122AntithesisThe presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by words, phrase, clause or paragraph. "To be or not to be..." "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for you country..."8
5855612124AttitudeThe relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience.9
5855612125BalanceA situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of a longer work.10
5855612126CacophonyHarsh or discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.11
5855612128ColloquialThe use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone.12
5855612130ConflictA clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. god, man vs. self.13
5855612131ConnotationThe interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.14
5855612132DeductionThe process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.15
5855612133DenotationThe literal or dictionary meaning of a word.16
5855612134DialectThe re-creation of regional spoken language, such as a Souther dialect. Zora Neal Hurston uses this in such works as Their Eyes Were Watching God.17
5855612135DidacticWriting whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns.18
5855612136EllipsisAn indication by a series of three periods that some material has been omitted from a given text. It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or a whole section. Be wary of the ellipsis; it could obscure the real meaning of the piece of writing.19
5855612137EpigraphThe use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is "You are all a lost generation" by Gertude Stein.20
5855612138EuphemismA more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. "He went to his final reward" is a common euphemis for "he died." These phrases are also often used to obscure the reality of a situation. The military uses "collateral damage" to indicate civil deaths in a military operation.21
5855612139EuphonyThe pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.22
5855612140ExpositionBackground information presented in a literary work.23
5855612141Extended MetaphorA sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit. The extended metaphor is developed throughout a piece of writing.24
5855612142Figurative LanguageThe body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. It includes metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, etc.25
5855612144HyperboleExtreme exaggeration, often humorous, it can also be ironic; the opposite of an understatement.26
5855612145ImageryA verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion (description using any of the 5 senses).27
5855612146InductionThe process that moves from a given series of specifics to a broad generalization.28
5855612147InferenceA conclusion one can draw from the presented details.29
5855612148InvectiveVerbally abusive attack30
5855612149IronyAn unexpected twist or contract between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It involves dialog and situation and can be intentional or unplanned. Dramatic irony centers around the ignorance of those involved; whereas, the audience is aware of the circumstances.31
5855612150LogicThe process of reasoning32
5855612151Logical FallacyA mistake in reasoning33
5855612152MetaphorA direct comparison between dissimilar things (Your eyes are stars).34
5855612153MetonymyA figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea ("The pen is mightier than the sword")35
5855612154MonologueA speech given by a one character36
5855612155NarratorThe speaker of a literary work.37
5855612156OnomatopoeiaWords that sound like the sound they represent (gurgle, hiss, pop).38
5855612157OxymoronAn image of contradictory terms (bitter-sweet, pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp).39
5855612158PacingThe movement of a literary piece from one point or section to another.40
5855612159ParableA story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson.41
5855612160ParodyA comic situation of a work that ridicules the original It can be utterly mocking or gently humorous. It depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the original style and content.42
5855612161Pathos43

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