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AP English Language terms "K" - "P" Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
9637135468litoteUnderstatement (often you will see "understatement" on the AP exam instead of "litote").0
9637135469metaphorA figure of speech that refers or compares, for rhetorical effect, to one thing by mentioning another thing.1
9637135470metonymyA figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated (such as "crown" for "royalty").2
9637135471oxymoronA figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms.3
9637135472onomatopoeiaA word that imitates the sound it represents.4
9637135473paradoxA statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth (Ex: She lifted herself up by her bootstraps - physically this is impossible, but we understand the truth in it).5
9637135474parallelismThe repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns; also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.6
9637135475parodyA work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.7
9637135476pathosAppeal to emotion.8
9637135477personificationA figure of speech in which an object is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes.9
9637135478proseAny writing that is not poetry.10
9637135479pronounA word that replaces and refers to a noun.11
9637135480logosAppeal to logic.12
9637135481purposeOne's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing.13
9637135482polysyndetonDeliberate use of many conjunctions.14
9637135483motifA recurring subject, theme, or idea in a text.15
9637135485malapropismThe unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar.16
9637135486periodic sentenceA sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main thought only at the end.17
9637135487loose sentence (aka cumulative sentence)The most common type of sentence in which the main idea comes first, followed by dependent phrases.18
9637135488monologueA long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group.19
9637135489punA play on words; created by using a word with two meanings.20
9637163779proverbA simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or experience.21

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