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| 9871877917 | Allegory | The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence. | 0 | |
| 9871877918 | Alliteration | The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not frequently in the multiple choice section, you can look for this device in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage. | 1 | |
| 9871877919 | Allusion | A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. They can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. | 2 | |
| 9871877920 | Ambiguity | The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage. | 3 | |
| 9871877921 | Anadiplosis | The repetitionof the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. "Fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering" -Yoda | 4 | |
| 9871877922 | Analogy | A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. They can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging. | 5 | |
| 9871877923 | Anaphora | One of the devices of repetition in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences. "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." | 6 | |
| 9871877924 | Anecdotes | A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person. | 7 | |
| 9871877925 | Antecedent | The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. (The AP language exam occasionally asks for this of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.) | 8 | |
| 9871877926 | Aphorism | A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) It can be a memorable summation of the author's point. | 9 | |
| 9871877927 | Apostrophe | A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, "Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee." | 10 | |
| 9871877928 | Atmosphere | The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently it foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood. | 11 | |
| 9871877929 | Clause | A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate _________, cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent _________. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing. | 12 | |
| 9871877930 | Colloquial/ colloquialism | The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, it give a work a conversational, familiar tone. The expressions in writing include local or regional dialects. | 13 | |
| 9871877931 | Coherence | A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligble | 14 | |
| 9871877932 | Conceit | A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. It displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made. | 15 | |
| 9871877933 | Connotation | The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. It may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes. | 16 | |
| 9871877934 | Denotation | The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude or color. | 17 | |
| 9871877935 | Diction | Related to style, it refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. | 18 | |
| 9871877936 | Didactic | From the Greek, this descriptor literally means "teaching." The words have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles. | 19 | |
| 9871877937 | Epistrophe | The opposite of anaphora, repetition at the end of successive clauses. "They saw no evil, they spoke no evil, and they heard no evil." | 20 | |
| 9871877938 | Euphemism | From the Greek for "good speech," they are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. They may be used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement. Saying "earthly remains" rather than "corpse" is an example of this device. | 21 | |
| 9871877939 | Exposition | One of the four chief types of composition, the others being argumentation, description, and narration. It's main purpose is to explain something. | 22 | |
| 9871877940 | Extended Metaphor | A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. | 23 | |
| 9871877941 | Figurative Language | Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid. | 24 | |
| 9871877942 | Figure of speech | A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. They include apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement. | 25 | |
| 9871877943 | Generic Conventions | This term describes traditions for each genre. These help to define each genre; for example, they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing. On the AP language exam, try to distinguish the unique features of a writer's work from those dictated by convention. | 26 | |
| 9871877944 | Genre | The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, it is a flexible term; within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called genres themselves. For example, prose can be divided into fiction (novels and short stories) or nonfiction (essays, biographies, autobiographies, etc.). Poetry can be divided into lyric, dramatic, narrative, epic, etc. Drama can be divided into tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, etc. | 27 | |
| 9871877946 | Hyperbole | A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. (The literal Greek meaning is "overshoot.") They often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, they produce irony. The opposite of it is understatement. | 28 | |
| 9871877947 | Imagery | The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, this term uses terms related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory. | 29 | |
| 9871877948 | Inference/To Infer | To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. | 30 | |
| 9871877949 | Invective | an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language. | 31 | |
| 9871877950 | Irony/Ironic | The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. It is often used to create poignancy or humor. | 32 | |
| 9871877951 | Loose sentence | A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many many of these is often seems informal, relaxed, or conversational. Generally, it creates a loose style. | 33 | |
| 9871877952 | Metaphor | A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. It makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful | 34 | |
| 9871877953 | Metonymy | A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," it is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example, a news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" is using the device; Shakespeare uses it to signify the male and female sexes in As You Like It: "doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat." The substituted term generally carries a more potent emotional impact. | 35 | |
| 9871877954 | Narrative | The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events. | 36 | |
| 9871877955 | Onomatopoeia | A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur. | 37 | |
| 9871877956 | Oxymoron | From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," it is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness." This term does not usually appear in the multiple-choice questions, but there is a chance that you might find it in an essay. | 38 | |
| 9871877957 | Paradox | A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. | 39 | |
| 9871877958 | Parallelism | 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. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase. (Again, the opening of Dickens' Tale of Two Cities is an example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of believe, it was the epoch of incredulity....") The effects of this device are numerous, but frequently they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm. | 40 | |
| 9871877959 | Parody | A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. It exploits peculiarities of an author's expression (propensity to use too many parentheses, certain favorite words, etc.) Well-written parody offers enlightenment about the original, but poorly written it offers only ineffectual imitation. Usually an audience must grasp literary allusion and understand the work being mirrored in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the newer work. Occasionally, however, the take on a life of their own and don't require knowledge of the original. | 41 | |
| 9871877960 | Pedantic | An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as "show-offy"; using big words for the sake of using big words). | 42 | |
| 9871877961 | Periodic sentence | The opposite of loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect of this sentence is to add emphasis and structural variety. | 43 | |
| 9871877962 | Personification | A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions. It is used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects appear more vivid to the reader. | 44 | |
| 9871877963 | Point of view | In literature, the perspective from which a story is told. There are two general divisions of point of view, and many subdivisions within those. (1) first person narrator tells the story with the first person pronoun, "I," and is a character in the story. This narrator can be the protagonist, a secondary character, or an observing character. (2) third person narrator relates the events with the third person pronouns, "he," "she," and "it." There are two main subdivisions to be aware of: a. third person omniscient, in which the narrator, with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters b. third person limited omniscient, in which the narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all the remaining characters. In addition, be aware that the term point of view carries an additional meaning. When you are asked to analyze the author's point of view, the appropriate point for you to address is the author's attitude. | 45 | |
| 9871877966 | Prose | One of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. In this device the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the poet determines the length of the line. | 46 | |
| 9871877967 | Repetition | The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern. | 47 | |
| 9871877969 | Rhetoric | From the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively. | 48 | |
| 9871877970 | Rhetorical modes | This flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing. The four most common rhetorical modes (often referred to as "modes of discourse") are as follows: (1) The purpose of exposition (or expository writing) is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion. The AP language exam essay questions are frequently expository topics. (2) The purpose of argumentation is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader. Persuasive writing is a type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action. (3) The purpose of description is to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described. Sometimes an author engages all five senses in description; good descriptive writing can be sensuous and picturesque. Descriptive writing may be straightforward and objective or highly emotional an subjective. (4) The purpose of narration is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events. This writing mode frequently uses the tools of descriptive writing. | 49 | |
| 9871877971 | Sarcasm | From the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," it involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device, but not all ironic statements are sarcastic (that is, intended to ridicule). When well done, it can be witty and insightful; when poorly done, it is simply cruel. | 50 | |
| 9871877972 | Satire | work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. Regardless of whether or not the work aims to reform human behavior, it is best seen as a style of writing rather than a purpose for writing. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively by the satirist: irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm. The effects of it are varied, depending on the writer's goal, but good satire, often humorous, is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition. | 51 | |
| 9871877973 | Semantics | The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another. | 52 | |
| 9871877974 | Style | The consideration of style has two purposes: (1) An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. Some authors' styles are so idiosyncratic that we can quickly recognize works by the same author. We can analyze and describe an author's personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the author's purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace, incisive, laconic, etc. (2) Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, we can see how an author's style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance or the Victorian period, or a literary movement, such as the romantic, transcendental, or realist movement. | 53 | |
| 9871877976 | Subordinate clause | Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, the clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, it depends on a main clause (or independent clause) to complete its meaning. Easily recognized key words and phrases usually begin these clauses. For example: although, because, unless, if, even though, since, as soon as, while, who, when, where, how and that. | 54 | |
| 9871877977 | Syllogism | From the Greek for "reckoning together," it is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called "major" and the second called "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion. A frequently cited example proceeds as follows: major premise: All men are mortal. minor premise: Socrates is a man. conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is a mortal. The conclusion of the device is valid only if each of the two premises is valid. It may also present the specific idea first ("Socrates") and the general second ("all men"). | 55 | |
| 9871877978 | Syntax | The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. It is similar to diction, but you can differentiate them by thinking of it as groups of words, while diction refers to the individual words. In the multiple- choice section of the AP exam, expect to be asked some questions about how an author manipulates it. In the essay section, you will need to analyze how it produces effects. | 56 | |
| 9871877979 | Synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or, occasionally, the whole is used to represent a part. Examples: To refer to a boat as a "sail"; to refer to a car as "wheels"; to refer to the violins, violas, etc. in an orchestra as "the strings." | 57 | |
| 9871877980 | Theme | The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually it is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the theme may be directly state, especially in expository or argumentative writing. | 58 | |
| 9871877981 | Thesis | In expository writing, this is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position. Expository writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proven it. | 59 | |
| 9871877982 | Tone | Similar to mood, it describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both. It is easier to determine in spoken language than in written language. Considering how a work would sound if it were read aloud can help in identifying an author's tone. Some words describing it are playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, ornate, sardonic, somber, etc. | 60 | |
| 9871877983 | Transition | A word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and argumentative writing, these effectively signal a shift from one idea to another. A few commonly used words or phrases are furthermore, consequently, nevertheless, for example, in addition, likewise, similarly, on the contrary, etc. More sophisticated writers use more subtle means. | 61 | |
| 9871877984 | Trope | An artful variation from expected modes of expression of thoughts and ideas, a figure of speech involving a "turn" or chafe of sense- a use of the word in a sense other than its proper or literal one. | 62 | |
| 9871877985 | Understatement | the ironic minimalizing of fact, it presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic. It is the opposite of hyperbole | 63 | |
| 9871877986 | Undertone | An attitude that may lay under the ostensible tone of the piece. | 64 | |
| 9871877988 | Wit | in modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. It usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement. Historically, it originally meant basic understanding. Its meaning evolved to include speed of understanding, and finally, it grew to mean quick perception including creative fancy and a quick tongue to articulate an answer that demanded the same quick perception. | 65 | |
| 9871877989 | Zeugma | A trope, one word (usually a noun or main verb) governs two words not related in meaning. "He maintained a business and his innocence." | 66 | |
| 9871933241 | Jargon | The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity. Lawyers speak using particular jargon, as do soccer players. | 67 | |
| 9871941156 | Vernacular | 1. Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional clan or group. 3. Plain everyday speech | 68 | |
| 9871950542 | Ellipsis | The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author. "The whole day, rain, torrents of rain." | 69 | |
| 9871957516 | Idiom | A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally. "I got chewed out by my coach." | 70 | |
| 9871962766 | Synesthesia | a description involving a "crossing of the senses." Examples: "A purplish scent filled the room." "I was deafened by his brightly-colored clothing." | 71 | |
| 9871986039 | Juxtaposition | Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. Authors often use juxtaposition of ideas or examples in order to make a point.(For example, an author my juxtapose the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world in order to make a point of social commentary). | 72 | |
| 9871987886 | Mood | The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). Syntax is often a creator of this since word order, sentence length and strength and complexity also affect pacing and therefore mood. Setting, tone, and events can all affect the mood. | 73 | |
| 9871999704 | Pacing | The speed or tempo of an author's writing. Writers can use a variety of devices (syntax, polysyndeton, anaphora, meter) to change the pacing of their words. An author's pacing can be fast, sluggish, stabbing, vibrato, staccato, measured, etc. | 74 | |
| 9872008849 | Chiasmus | When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed. "Fair is foul and foul is fair." "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Also called antimetabole. | 75 | |
| 9872015465 | Parenthetical Idea | Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence. It is almost considered an aside...a whisper, and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly. "In a short time (and the time is getting shorter by the gallon) America will be out of oil." | 76 | |
| 9872024982 | Polysyndeton | When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions. Normally, a conjunction is used only before the last item in a list. "I walked the dog, and fed the cat, and milked the cows." "Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcass of an unclean beast, or a carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things...he also shall be unclean." Often used to slow down the pace of the writing and/or add an authoritative tone. | 77 | |
| 9872036668 | Appositive | A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning. "Bob, the lumber yard worker, spoke with Judy, an accountant from the city." | 78 | |
| 9872050274 | Litotes | a particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used. Depending on the tone and context of the usage, these either retains the effect of understatement (Hitting that telephone pole certainly didn't do your car any good) or becomes an intensifying expression (The flavors of the mushrooms, herbs, and spices combine to make the dish not at all disagreeable). | 79 | |
| 9872149560 | Aposiopesis | Derived from a Greek word that means "becoming silent." It is a rhetorical device that can be defined as a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer breaks off abruptly, and leaves the statement incomplete. It is as if the speaker is not willing to state what is present in his mind, due to being overcome by passion, excitement, or fear. In a piece of literature, it means to leave a sentence unfinished, so that the reader can determine his own meanings. | 80 | |
| 9872160085 | Asyndeton | Derived from the Greek word which means "unconnected." It is a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases, and in the sentence, yet maintain grammatical accuracy. This literary tool helps in reducing the indirect meaning of the phrase, and presents it in a concise form. | 81 | |
| 9872169611 | Paralipsis | From the Greek word paraleipein, which means "to omit," or "to leave something on one side." It is defined as a rhetorical device in which an idea is deliberately suggested through a brief treatment of a subject, while most of the significant points are omitted. It is explained through the use of this device that some points are too obvious to mention. Also, paralipsis is a way of emphasizing a subject by apparently passing over it. | 82 | |
| 9872192527 | Verisimilitude | Likeness to the truth, such as the resemblance of a fictitious work to a real event, even if it is a far-fetched one. Often ensures that even a fantasy must be rooted in reality, which means that events should be plausible to the extent that readers consider them credible enough to be able to relate them somehow to their experiences of real life. | 83 |
