Terms : Hide Images
| 2828978860 | Connotation | the secondary, implied, or suggested meaning of a word. The word "weasel" suggests negativity—a tendency to lie or cheat or steal. | 0 | |
| 2828982567 | Denotation | the actual, literal meaning of the word. Weasel simply means a slender, carnivorous mammal. | 1 | |
| 2828991049 | Diction | (word choice) a writer or speaker's choice of words. Synonymous with style. Choosing the words "lied about" rather than "mistakenly stated" is a choice in diction. | 2 | |
| 2828992589 | Syntax | The grammatical order in which words are placed. It might be broken for effect. | 3 | |
| 2828993246 | Tone | The attitude the writer takes towards her subject, or in her writing. When describing tone, we use adjectives: angry, sarcastic, solemn, playful, timid, etc. | 4 | |
| 2828996243 | Explicit | Directly stated. Leaving no question about the meaning. | 5 | |
| 2828996244 | Implicit | implied, but not directly stated. Hinted at. | 6 | |
| 2828996532 | Infer | To deduce or conclude information based on facts or evidence—rather than being explicitly told. | 7 | |
| 2828997275 | Parallelism | similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases or clauses. "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more." | 8 | |
| 2829006175 | Periodic Sentence | One in which the writer builds suspense by beginning with subordinate elements and postponing the main clause. "His composure shaken, his confidence broken, his limbs twitching, his walrus angry, he wondered if he would ever ask out another girl." | 9 | |
| 2829006755 | Cumulative sentence | one in which the subordinate elements come at the end to call attention to them. "He learned to fix cars from Alice McMahon, an elderly spinster who used to party with Volvo mechanics." | 10 | |
| 2829009573 | Balanced Sentence | one in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale. Both parts of the sentence have the same form. "If a liberated society will not help the weak, a liberated society cannot save the strong." | 11 | |
| 2829009574 | Interrupted Sentence | 12 | ||
| 2829012116 | Antithesis | Opposition or contrast of words or ideas within a balanced sentence. "Many are called, but few are chosen." These words much be truly opposites: night/day, hot/cold, life/death, etc. | 13 | |
| 2829013135 | Inversion | The reversal of normal, grammatical word order—often for emphasis. "Never should you forget who your boss is." "The platypus is more important/What is more important is the platypus." "Smart are you." --Yoda. | 14 | |
| 2829014120 | Analogy | a comparison of similar things—usually using something familiar to explain something unfamiliar. Water pipes for electrical circuits. | 15 | |
| 2829016574 | Metaphor | comparison not using like or as. Or, a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, esp. something abstract | 16 | |
| 2829016575 | Simile | comparison using like or as | 17 | |
| 2829020737 | Logical Fallacy | Incorrect reasoning (often intentional) in argument. Fallacies often exploit emotional triggers in the anticipated audience. (There are many different logical fallacies; we will learn many by name this year.) EX. Argument: Cutting people is a crime. Surgeons cut people. Therefore, surgeons are criminals. | 18 | |
| 2829022642 | apostrophe | A dramatic address to someone not present. "Oh, Charles Dickens, where are you now?" | 19 | |
| 2829023343 | Allusion | an indirect reference to something outside the text—usually another work of art. "Don't be a scrooge." (Notice there's no mention of Charles Dickens or the title, A Christmas Carol? An allusion is an indirect reference.) | 20 | |
| 2829201073 | Qualification | (in argument or logic): A restriction in meaning or application. "Subject A's premise would work very well under a totalitarian government, but in a democratic government, the premise seems unlikely to succeed." | 21 | |
| 2829023968 | Hyperbole | Obvious and intentional exaggeration—for rhetoric | 22 | |
| 2829197931 | understatement | Where the speaker deliberately portrays the situation as less serious or important than it really is. "It's just a flesh wound." (Black Knight, after having both arms cut off, in Monty Python's the Holy Grail) | 23 | |
| 2829200568 | Paradox | a seemingly contradictory assertion that may have some truth in it. Ex. "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young" (George Bernard Shaw). Ex. War is peace; Freedom is slavery; Ignorance is strength. (George Orwell, 1984) | 24 | |
| 2829202544 | Epithet | a descriptive word, phrase or title: ex. "Frederick the Great," It can also mean name calling. | 25 | |
| 2829203141 | Euphemism | using a more polite term for a coarse or unpleasant term | 26 | |
| 2829203858 | Conceit | an extended metaphor—often the basis for an entire poem. "Love is a rose... blush as petals...steadfast as the stem...spiteful as thorns...enduring as roots...." | 27 | |
| 2829398747 | Metonymy/ Synecdoche | a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another with which it is associated ("The white house said today"—meaning, the press secretary of the current administration said); The use of a part of something to represent the whole.("Ten sails crossed the sea" -meaning, ten ships crossed the ocean). Note: The College Board has announced that Synecdoche and metonymy are the same thing. Alliteration: repetition of initial sounds | 28 | |
| 2829399008 | Alliteration | repetition of initial sounds | 29 | |
| 2829400224 | Onomatopoeia | the use of a word whose sound imitates the act or thing it names. The "buzzing" of a bee, for example, or the sound, "boom." | 30 | |
| 2829400679 | Objective | An objective statement is completely unbiased. It is not affected by the speaker's previous experiences or tastes. It is verifiable by looking up facts. Generally, one cannot argue with an objective statement. | 31 | |
| 2829401221 | Subjective | A subjective statement has been colored by the character of the speaker or writer. A subjective statement is an opinion; it often has a bias. Subjective statements are often the root of arguments and are "subject" to personal opinion. | 32 | |
| 2829402821 | Cliché | an overused statement or idea | 33 | |
| 2829402822 | Satire | corrective ridicule | 34 | |
| 2829402823 | Irony | when the literal meaning is opposite the actual meaning. | 35 | |
| 2829402824 | Parody | mocking imitation | 36 | |
| 2829403053 | Archetype | the original pattern or model of a character or idea that is frequently copied or repeated. Merlin, Gandolf, Dumbledore, obi wan kenobi: same guy, different names—Archetype. | 37 | |
| 2829404337 | Histrionic | deliberately dramatic or theatrical. | 38 | |
| 2829404338 | Wry | cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous. It technically means "bent," like the smile of an ironic, clever person. | 39 | |
| 2870765992 | Juxtapose/juxtaposition | an act or instance of placing things/words/concepts close together or side by side for comparison or contrast. A horrible troll holding a | 40 | |
| 2829404572 | deductive | Reasoning that moves from the general (rule or law) to the specific (instance). "Teachers at Amador are generally mammals. Mr. Thayer must be a mammal." | 41 | |
| 2829404573 | inductive | reasoning that moves from the specific (instance) to the general (presumed rule or law). "Mr. Thayer is 44 years old. Teachers must all be 44 years old." (Note: inductive reasoning is often faulty reasoning. It's the kind of reasoning that leads to stereotypes and overgeneralizations. We usually want to recognize, but avoid inductive reasoning.) | 42 | |
| 2829404884 | anaphora | repetition of the initial word or phrase in a series of clauses or phrases for emphasis and rhythm. "War is the enemy. War is the murder of children. War is the ravager of marriages. War is the destroyer of culture." | 43 | |
| 2870768850 | Epistrophe | The repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases or clauses. This is the counterpart to anaphora. | 44 | |
| 2829406981 | aphorism | A pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." (almost synonymous with epigram—but not paradoxical or necessarily poetic) | 45 | |
| 2829406166 | Epigram | a terse, sage, or witty and often paradoxical saying—sometimes a concise poem elucidating a single idea. (almost synonymous with aphorism—put paradoxical and poetic) (note: "epi" means "over" or "upon." "Gram" means "thing written." So, an epigram is generally something written over or upon a book—an inscription.) What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole, Its body brevity, and wit its soul. | 46 | |
| 2829406589 | Analysis | the separating of material into its constituent elements and determining its essential features and their relations | 47 | |
| 2829408491 | argumentation | the act of using reasons to justify claims. | 48 | |
| 2829409062 | Syllogism | a logical argument in which one proposition (the conclusion) in inferred from two others (the premises). It's a form of deductive reasoning. It goes like this: (1)All dogs are mammals. (2) Mingo is a dog. (3) Therefore, Mingo is a mammal | 49 | |
| 2829409634 | Enthymeme | a syllogism with one part of the argument missing. Thus one or more of the major premise, the minor premise or the conclusion is omitted. Note: this makes for fallacious or problematic arguments. A syllogism is strong; an ethymeme is often weak. | 50 | |
| 2829409635 | Chiasmus | A rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form. EX."Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds." EX. "Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure" (Byron). EX. "He was wise and compassionate as a counselor, but as a teacher inefficient and ineffectual." EX. "It's not the men in my life, it's the life in my men" (Mae West). | 51 | |
| 2829409637 | Ellipsis | omission of one or more words for conciseness and effect. Ex. "Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret." (The word "is" is omitted after the t clause). | 52 | |
| 2829409964 | anadiplosis | technique whereby the final word of a sentence or clause becomes the first word of the next. It is used partly for emphasis, but mostly to secure a sense of continuity from thought to thought. Ex. "He talked at length about war games. Games, however, seems an inappropriate term for strategies that lead to death." | 53 | |
| 2829411083 | Epanalepsis | Opening and closing a sentence with the same word or phrase for surprise and emphasis. Ex. "Buster is deeply concerned with promoting the well-being of Buster" | 54 | |
| 2829411084 | Allegory | a story in which things and people represent something entirely other—an idea or a philosophy. Allegories typically contain within a moral or lesson. | 55 | |
| 2829411085 | Simple sentence | subject-verb (I went to the store.) | 56 | |
| 2829411303 | Compound Sentence | 2 independent clauses joined by a conjunction (I went to the store, and I bought candy.) | 57 | |
| 2870772601 | Complex Sentence | independent clause and dependent clause (While traveling to the store, I saw my friend.) | 58 | |
| 2829411304 | Compound-Complex Sentece | 2 independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses (While traveling to the store, I saw my friend, and she gave me money for candy.) Antecedents: a word, phrase, clause, or sentence, to which another word (especially a pronoun) | 59 | |
| 2829414221 | Antecedent | a word, phrase, clause, or sentence, to which another word (especially a pronoun) refers. "Mike lost his penguin and he can't find it." | 60 | |
| 2829414450 | Nostalgia | a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. | 61 | |
| 2829414451 | Enumeration | the listing of things; to list one thing after another in prose. | 62 | |
| 2829414452 | Dichotomy | a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different. "There doesn't need to be a dichotomy between religion a | 63 | |
| 2829414801 | Paradigm Shift | a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. | 64 | |
| 2829404571 | asyndeton | omission of conjunction before the last item in a series. Ex. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people..." | 65 |
