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AP Language and Composition: The Language of Composition General Terms Flashcards

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7332817369rhetorical appealsRhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are the ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion).0
7332817370ethosGreek for "character." Speakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic. Ethos is established by both who you are and what you say.1
7332817371counterargumentAn opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward. Rather than ignoring a counterargument, a strong writer will usually address it through the process of concession and refutation.2
7332817372concession (concede)An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable. In a strong argument, a concession is usually accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument.3
7332817373refutation (refute)A denial of the validity of an opposing argument. In order to sound reasonable, refutations often follow a concession that acknowledges that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable.4
7332817374logosGreek for "embodied thought." Speakers appeal to logos or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back them up.5
7332817375connotationMeanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation. Connotations are usually positive or negative, and they can greatly affect the author's tone.6
7332817376pathosGreek for "suffering" or "experience." Speakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience. More specific appeals to pathos might play on the audience's values, desires, and hopes, on the one hand, or fears and prejudices, on the other.7
7332817377Rhetorical TriangleA diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and the subject in determining a text.8
7332817378audienceThe listener, viewer, or reader of a text. Most texts are likely to have multiple audiences9
7332817379contextThe circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.10
7332817380occasionThe time and place a speech is given or a piece is written.11
7332817381personaGreek for "mask." The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.12
7332817382polemicGreek for "hostile." An aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others. Polemics generally do not concede that opposing opinions have any merit.13
7332817383propagandaThe spread of ideas and information to further a cause. In its negative sense, propaganda is the use of rumors, lies, disinformation, and scare tactics in order to damage or promote a cause.14
7332817384purposeThe goal the speaker wants to achieve.15
7332817385rhetoricAs Aristotle defined the term, "The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." In other words, it is the art of finding ways to persuade an audience.16
7332817386SOAPSToneA mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, and Tone. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation.17
7332817387speakerThe person or group who creates a text. This might be a politician who delivers a speech, a commentator who writes an article, an artist who draws a political cartoon, or even a company that commissions an advertisement.18
7332817388subjectThe topic of a text; what the text is about.19
7332817389textWhile this terms generally means the written word, in the humanities it has come to mean any cultural product that can be "read"-meaning not just consumed and comprehended, but investigated. This includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, political cartoons, fine art, photography, performances, fashion, cultural trends, and much more.20
7332817390dictionThe speaker's choice of words21
7332817391syntaxHow the words are arranged22
7332817392toneThe speaker's attitude toward's the subject as revealed by his or her choice of language23
7332817393moodHow the work makes the reader feel.24
7332817394metaphorFigure of speech that compares two things without using like or as; says one thing IS another.25
7332817395similesFigure of speech that compares two things using like or as.26
7332817396personificationAttribution of a human quality to an inanimate object or idea.27
7332817397hyperboleExaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken seriously28
7332817398parallelismSimilarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.29
7332817399juxtapositionPlacement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences.30
7332817400antithesisOpposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction.31
7332817401compound sentenceA sentence with more than one subject or predicate32
7332817402complex sentenceA sentence containing a subordinate clause or clauses33
7332817403periodic sentenceSentence whose main clause is withheld until the end.34
7332817404cumulative sentenceSentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on.35
7332817405imperative sentenceSentence used to command or enjoin.36
7332817406pacingHow fast a story unfolds. Does the author reveal details quickly or slowly? How does he or she build suspense?37
7332817407figures of speechA word or phrase used in a nonliteral sense to add rhetorical force to a spoken or written passage38
7332817408zeugmaUse of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous meanings.39
7332817409satireThe use of irony or sarcasm to criticize40
7332817410anaphoraRepetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines.41
7332817411hortative sentenceSentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action.42
7332817412alliterationRepetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence.43
7332817413allusionBrief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art.44
7332817414antimetaboleRepetition of words in reverse order.45
7332817415archaic dictionOld-fashioned or outdated choice of words.46
7332817416AsyndetonOmission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.47
7332817417inversionInverted order of words in a sentence (variation of the subject-verb-object order).48
7332817418oxymoronParadoxical juxtaposition of words that seem to contradict one another.49
7332817419rhetorical questionFigure of speech in form of a question posed for the rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer.50
7332817420synedocheFigure of speech that uses a part to represent a whole.51
7332817421imageryWhen a writer describes something using language that appeals to our five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing)52
7332817422argumentA process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from claim to conclusion.53
7332817423Rogerian ArgumentsDeveloped by psychiatrist Carl Rogers, Rogerian arguments are based on the assumption that having a understanding of an opposing position is essential to responding to it persuasively and refuting it in a way that is accommodating rather than alienating.54
7332817424claimAlso called an assertion or a proposition, a claim states the argument's main idea or position. A claim differs from a topic or subject in that a claim has to be arguable.55
7332817425claim of factA claim of fact asserts that something is true or not true.56
7332817426claim of valueA claim of value argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong.57
7332817427claim of policyA claim of policy proposes a change.58
7332817428closed thesisA closed thesis is a statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make.59
7332817429open thesisAn open thesis statement is one that does not list all the points the writer intends to cover in an essay.60
7332817430counterargument thesisa summary of the counterargument, usually qualified by although or but, precedes the writer's opinion61
7332817431logical fallacy (fallacy)Logical fallacies are potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument. They often arise from a failure to make a logical connection between the claim and the evidence used to support it.62
7332817432red herringWhen a speaker skips to a new and irrelevant topic in order to avoid the topic of discussion63
7332817433ad hominemLatin for "to the man," this fallacy refers to the specific diversionary tactic of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker. If you argue that a park in your community should not be renovated because the person supporting it was arrested during a domestic dispute, then you are guilty of ad hominem.64
7332817434faulty analogyA fallacy that occurs when an analogy compares two things that are not comparable. For instance, to argue that because we put animals who are in irreversible pain out of their misery, we should do the same for people, asks the reader to ignore significant and profound differences between animals and people.65
7332817435straw manA fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea.66
7332817436either/or (false dilemma)A fallacy in which the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices.67
7332817437hasty generalizationA fallacy in which conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence.68
7332817438circular reasoningA fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence.69
7332817439first-hand evidenceEvidence based on something that the writer knows, whether it's from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of events.70
7332817440second-hand evidenceEvidence that is accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data.71
7332817441post hoc ergo propter hocThis fallacy is Latin for "after which therefore because of which," meaning that it is incorrect to always claim that something is a clause just because it happened earlier. One may loosely summarize this fallacy by saying that correlation does not simply imply causation.72
7332817442appeal to false authorityThis fallacy occurs when someone who has no expertise to speak on a issue is cited as an authority. A TV star, for instance, is not a medical expert, even though pharmaceutical advertisements often use celebrity endorsements.73
7332817443quantitative evidenceQuantitative evidence includes things that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers-for instance, statistics, surveys, polls, census information.74
7332817444ad populum (bandwagon appeal)This fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to "everybody's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do."75
7332817445introduction (exordium)Introduces the reader to the subject under discussion.76
7332817446narration (narratio)Provides factual information and background material on the subject at hand or establishes why the subject is a problem that needs addressing.77
7332817447confirmation (confirmatio)Usually the major part of the text, the confirmation includes the proof needed to make the writer's case.78
7332817448refutation (refutatio)Addresses the counterargument. It is a bridge between the writer's proof and conclusion.79
7332817449conclusion (peroratio)Brings the essay to a satisfying close.80
7332817450inductionFrom the Latin inducere, "to lead into"; a logical process whereby the writer reasons from particulars to universals, using specific cases in order to draw a conclusion, which is also called generalization.81
7332817451deductionDeduction is a logical process whereby one reaches a conclusion by starting with a general principal or universal truth (a major premise). The process of deduction usually demonstrated in the form of a syllogism.82
7332817452syllogismA logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion.83
7332817453Toulmin modelAn approach to analyzing and constructing arguments created by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin in his book The Uses of Argument (1985). The Toulmin model can be stated as a template: Because (evidence as support), therefore (claim), since (warrant or assumption), on account of (backing), unless (reservation).84
7332817454warrantIn the Toulmin model, the warrant expresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience.85
7332817455assumptionIn the Toulmin model, the warrant expresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience.86
7332817456backingIn the Toulmin model, backing consists of further assurances or data without which the assumption lacks authority.87
7332817457qualifierIn the Toulmin model, the qualifier uses words like usually, probably, maybe, in most cases, and most likely to temper the claim, making it less absolute.88
7332817458reservationIn the Toulmin model, a reservation explains the terms and conditions necessitated by the qualifier.89
7332817459rebuttalIn the Toulmin model, a rebuttal gives voice to possible objections.90
7332817460begging the questionA fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt. It "begs" a question whether the support itself is sound.91
7332817461the classical orationFive-part argument structure used by classical rhetoricians. The five parts are: -introduction (exordium) -narration (narratio) -confirmation (confirmatio) -refutation (refutatio) -conclusion (peroratio)92

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