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AP Language Flashcards

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4785598149AnalogyAn extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things. Example: "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get"0
4785605268AnaphoraThe repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses. Example: "He came to the party. He ate a lot. He talked a lot. He met new friends."1
4785610208AnecdoteA short account of an interesting event. Example: "We went to the Jersey Shore and spent time swimming and spending time with my mom and friends. We went to dinner and shopped on the Boardwalk and had a great time."2
4785611472AnnotationExplanatory or critical notes added to a text. Example: A student quoting a source or adding a note to remind themselves of something.3
4785616927AntecedentThe noun to which a later pronoun refers. Example: "My Aunt likes to shop, she spends a lot of money."4
4785621681AntimetaboleA repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast. Example: "I go where I like and I like where I go."5
4785625859AntithesisParallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas. Example: "Promise nothing, give everything."6
4785629629AphorismA short, astute statement of general truth. Example: "Forgive and forget."7
4785632176AppositiveA word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun. Example: "My cousin Austin loves basketball."8
4785638453Archaic dictionThe use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language. Example: "Do unto others as you would have done to you."9
4785642622ArgumentA statement put forth and supported by evidence. Example: "Soccer is a very physical sport. You must be able to run for long periods of time while "dribbling" the ball all over the field."10
4785651385Aristotelian triangleA diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience (see rhetorical triangle). Example: You apply three different aspects. Rational such as facts, emotional such as your feelings towards the subject and ethical how you convince reader you are credible.11
4785665273AssertionAn empathetic statement; declaration. An assertion supported by evidence becomes an argument. Example: "I know you are busy but could you help me for a few minutes?"12
4785672843AssumptionA belief or statement taken for granted without proof. Example: "He will be here later today, he always stops by on Tuesdays."13
4785676241AsyndetonLeaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses. Example: "Go wake him. Tell him he will be late for school. Tell him to be safe."14
4785683913AttitudeThe speaker's position on a subject as revealed through his or her tone. Example: "Who cares who wins? Both teams are terrible."15
4785691908AudienceOne's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed. Example: You deliver a message at your youth group, the group is your audience.16
4785697735AuthorityA reliable, respected source-someone with knowledge. Example: When researching for a paper you use an encyclopedia as a source because you know it is reliable and accurate.17
4785708681BiasPrejudice or predisposition toward one side or a subject or issue. Example: " Pit bulls are a bad breed of dog."18
4785713666CiteIdentifying a part of a piece of writing as being derived from a source. Example: When writing, you quote the source where you found the information.19
4785718447ClaimAn assertion, usually supported by evidence. Example: When writer makes a statement and presents evidence to support it and make you believe it.20
4785720022Close readingA careful reading that is attentive to organization, figurative language, sentence structure, vocabulary, and other literary and structural elements of a text. Example: When you read something and pay very close attention to everything about the piece you are reading.21
4785732331ColloquialismAn informal or conversational use of language. Example: "Wanna go? Gonna go."22
4785734273Common groundShared beliefs, values or positions. Example: When you and person or persons you are talking to are have something they agree upon.23
4785735768Complex sentenceA sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Example: "When we were younger, we played outside a lot."24
4785739755ConcessionA reluctant acknowledgment or yielding. Example: "It is true it is hot outside but it is better than frigid cold and snow."25
4785741976ConnotationThat which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word's literal meaning (see denotation) Example: When a word can have other implied meanings than the literal one.26
4785748934ContextWords, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning. Example: Putting something in a sentence to help reader or audience to understand the meaning.27
4785751554CoordinationGrammatical equivalence between parts of a sentence, often through a coordinating conjunction such as and, or but. Example: "It was a good game but I am tired of football."28
4785803159CounterargumentA challenge to a position; an opposing argument. Example: When you provide an alternate opinion to the one you have taken.29
4785804881Cumulative sentenceAn independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional detail. Example: "The beach is full of kids swimming, people sunbathing, college kids playing volleyball and older people walking."30
4785807709Declarative sentenceA sentence that makes a statement. Example: "It is 95 degrees outside."31
4785809249DeductionReasoning from general to specific. Example: "It must not be raining, the pavement is dry."32
4785810293DenotationThe literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition. Example: Denotation is the actual meaning of the word instead of an implied meaning.33
4785812884DictionWord choice Example: Words you chose to show your style of speaking.34
4785814069DocumentationBibliographic information about the sources used in a piece of writing. Example: When you research and find facts about what you are writing.35
4785816496ElegiacMournful over what has passed or been lost; often used to describe one. Example: Using words to express feelings about losing someone.36
4785823545EpigramA brief witty statement. Example: "No pain, no gain."37
4785824626EthosA Greek term referring to the character of a person; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see logos or pathos) Example: Trying to convince listener or audience of speaker's credibility.38
4785830263Figurative languageThe use of tropes or figures of speech; going beyond literal meaning to achieve literary effect. Example: "Her room is a disaster area."39
4785838864Figure of speechAn expression that strives for literary effect rather than conveying a literal meaning. Example: "The clouds are like huge cotton balls floating in the sky."40
4785844981HyperboleExaggeration for the purpose of emphasis. Example: "I have a million things to do today."41
4785846675ImageryVivid use of language that evokes a reader's senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing. Example: "I woke up to the smell of hot coffee."42
4785851434Imperative sentenceA sentence that requests or commands. Example; "I have to have an answer today."43
4785867544InductionReasoning from specific to general. Example: "Five people have walked through the door carrying umbrellas. It must be raining outside."44
4785871809InversionA sentence in which the verb precedes the subject. Example: "The angry client."45
4785877296IronyA contradiction between what is said and what is meant; incongruity between action and result. Example: The bread is as hard as a rock."46
4785883359JuxtapositionPlacement of two things side by side for emphasis. Example: "They are like day and night."47
4785885184LogosA Greek term that means "word"; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see ethos and pathos) Example: When writer or speaker used logic to convince audience.48
4785888985MetaphorA figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison. Example: "My homework was a breeze."49
4785893606MetonymyUse of an aspect of something to represent the whole. Example: The Dallas Cowboys football team, they play football but they are not Cowboys.50
4785894715OccasionAn aspect of context; the cause or reason for writing. Example: Why you are writing51
4785918273OxymoronA figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms. Example: "That guy is pretty ugly."52
4785919455ParadoxA statement that seems contradictory but is actually true. Example: "I am no one."53
4785920790ParallelismThe repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns. Example: "Easy come, easy go."54
4785927569ParodyA piece that imitates and exaggerates the prominent features of another, used for comic effect or ridicule. Example: When you mimic a person or a song to make fun of it or them.55
4785930354PathosA Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see ethos and logos) Example: When you are trying to convince someone of what your are saying, you use emotions to convince them.56
4785938808PersonaThe speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing. Example: When an actor is acting in a movie, they take on a different persona by acting like their character.57
4785945178PersonificationAssigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects. Example: "The wind whistles through the trees."58
4785947694PolemicAn argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion. Example: When a writer argues a position about politics or religion.59
4785954198PolysyndetonThe deliberate use of a series of conjunctions. Example: "We are ready for vacation. The flight and hotel is booked."60
4785956974PremiseMajor, minor two parts of a syllogism. The concluding sentence of a syllogism takes its predicate from the major premise and its subject from the minor premise. Major premise: All mammals are warm-blooded. Minor premise: All horses are mammals. Conclusion: All horses are warm-blooded (see syllogism) Example: What the argument or message is about.61
4786008277PropagandaA negative term for writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information. Example: When writer/speaker tried to change someone's opinion without using facts.62
4786012310PurposeOne's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing. Example: What the writer or speaker hopes to achieve.63
4786014459RefuteTo discredit an argument, particularly a counterargument. Example: When writer tried to make audience doubt an argument.64
4786018753RhetoricThe study of effective, persuasive language use, according to Aristotle, use of the "available means of persuasion." Example: Using any style of language to persuade the audience.65
4786023606Rhetorical modesPatterns of organization developed to achieve a specific purpose; modes include but are not limited to narration, description, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, definition, exemplification, classification and division, process analysis, and argumentation. Example: Different patterns in which the writer writes to achieve their purpose.66
4786032854Rhetorical questionA question asked more to produce an effect than to summon an answer. Example: "Who knows?"67
4786036611Rhetorical triangleA diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience (see Aristotelian triangle). Example: Writing to appeal to emotions of audience to deliver message.68
4786040981SatireAn ironic, sarcastic, or witty composition that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it. Example: Writing or speaking of something to convince audience of the opposite of what you say you are trying to convince them of.69
4786046813SchemeA pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect. Example: Helps the writers organize their relationship with readers.70
4786054110Sentence patternsThe arrangement of independent and dependent clauses into known sentence constructions-such as simple, compound, complex or compound-complex. Example: The arrangement of sentences to make the message more effective.71
4786062421Sentence varietyUsing a variety of sentence patterns to create desired effect. Example: When you use different types of sentences to create the message.72
4786063865SimileA figure of speech that uses "like" or "as" to compare two things. Example: "She acts like a child."73
4786069824Simple sentenceA statement containing a subject and predicate; an independent clause. Example: "The sky is blue."74
4786072489SourceA book, article, person or other resource consulted for information. Example: A book, newspaper, magazine or person can be a source.75
4786073856SpeakerA term used for the author, speaker, or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing. Example: The person giving the speech or writing the book.76
4786083424Straw manA logical fallacy that involves the creation of an easily refutable position; misrepresenting, then attacking an opponent's position. Example: Someone is talking about another persons position on something and mis represents it intentionally.77
4786086268StyleThe distinctive quality of speech or writing created by the selection and arrangement of words and figures of speech. Example: The way in which a writer or speaker selects how to write or speak.78
4786088854SubjectIn rhetoric, the topic addressed in a piece of writing. Example: What the speaker or writer is talking about.79
4786090542Subordinate clauseCreated by a subordinating conjunction, a clause that modifies an independent clause.80
4786092991SubordinationThe dependence of one syntactical element on another in a sentence. Example: "Although it was cold, I walked to the store."81
4786094828SyllogismA form of deductive reasoning in which the conclusion is supported by a major and minor premise (see premise; major and minor). Example: Saying all black birds are crows because a crow is a black bird.82
4786102096SyntaxSentence structure. Example: How words are put together to describe a complete thought.83
4786103142SynthesizeCombining or bringing together two or more elements to produce something more complex. Example: Using different elements to create something for the reader or audience that is more interesting.84
4786105938ThesisThe central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer. Example: What the writer intends to prove or support.85
4786109094Thesis statementA statement of the central idea in a work, may be explicit or implicit. Example: An introduction of what the writer intends to prove or support.86
4786109101ToneThe speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience. Example: The words and phrases used when speaking which tells listener how you feel.87
4786110574Topic sentenceA sentence, most often appearing at the beginning of a paragraph, that announces the paragraph's idea and often unites it with the work's thesis. Example: The sentence in the beginning that tells the audience the idea.88
4786114289TropeArtful diction; the use of language in a nonliteral way; also called a figure of speech. Example: When you a word in any form other than it was intended.89
4786117503UnderstatementLack of emphasis in a statement or point; restraint in language often used in ironic effect. Example: Not giving enough emphasis to the point.90
4786121246VoiceIn grammer, a term for the relationship between a verb and a noun (active or passive voice). In rhetoric, a distinctive quality in the style and tone of writing. Example: The way a writer choses to tell his or her story.91
4786124723ZeugmaA construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs-often in different, sometimes incongruent ways-two or more words in a sentence. Example: Using a word that relates two different words in a sentence that wouldn't normally be used together.92

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