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| 6688384514 | allusion | A reference to some famous literary work, historical figure, or event. For example, to say that a friend "has the patience of Job" means that he is as enduring as the Biblical figure of that name. | 0 | |
| 6688384515 | antithesis | The use of parallel structure to call attention to contrasts or opposites: some like it hot; some like it cold; Brutus: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar | 1 | |
| 6688384520 | figurative language | Said of a word or expression used in a nonliteral way. For example. The expression "to go the last mile" may have nothing at all to do with geographical distance, but may mean to complete an unfinished task or job. | 2 | |
| 6688384521 | hyperbole | A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. | 3 | |
| 6688384523 | irony | The use of language in such a way that apparent meaning contrasts sharply with the real meaning. One famous example (in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar) is Antony's description of Brutus as "an honorable man." Since Brutus was one of Caesar's assassins, Antony meant just the opposite. A softer form of sarcasm and shares with it the same contrast between apparent and real meaning. | 4 | |
| 6688384524 | verbal irony | The words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) true meaning. | 5 | |
| 6688384525 | situational irony | Events turn out the opposite of what was expected. What the characters and readers think ought to happen is what does happen. | 6 | |
| 6688384526 | dramatic irony | Facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work. Irony is used for many reasons, but frequently, it's used to create poignancy or humor. | 7 | |
| 6688384527 | juxtaposition (contrast) | The arrangement of two or more ideas, phrases, words, etc. side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, rhetorical effect, suspense, or character development. | 8 | |
| 6688384529 | mood | The pervading impression made on the feelings of the reader. Can be gloomy, sad, joyful, bitter, frightening, and so forth. | 9 | |
| 6688384530 | oxymoron " | From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness. | 10 | |
| 6688384532 | 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. The first scene of Macbeth, for example, closes with the witches' cryptic remark "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." | 11 | |
| 6688384533 | parallelism | The principle of coherent writing requiring that coordinating elements be given the same grammatical form, as in Daniel Webster's dictum, "I was born an American; I will live an American; I will die an American." In other words, it's use of similar grammatical structures or forms for pleasing effect | 12 | |
| 6688384538 | rhetoric | The art of using persuasive language. The art of analyzing all the choices involving language that a writer, speaker, reader, or listener might make in a situation so that the text becomes meaningful, purposeful, and effective; the specific features of texts, written or spoken, that cause them to be meaningful, purposeful, and effective for readers or listeners in a situation. | 13 | |
| 6688384539 | simile | A figure of speech which, like the metaphor, implies a similarity between things otherwise dissimilar. Uses like, as, than. | 14 | |
| 6688384540 | Juvenalian satire . | sharp and biting satire | 15 | |
| 6688384542 | ad hominem argument | An argument that attacks the integrity or character of an opponent rather than the merits of an issue. Latin for "to the man." It is also informally known as "mud-slinging." | 16 | |
| 6688384543 | alliteration | The repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables. | 17 | |
| 6688384544 | analogy | - comparison that attempts to explain one idea or thing by likening it to another for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one. | 18 | |
| 6688384545 | antimetabole | The repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast. | 19 | |
| 6688384546 | anecdote | A brief narrative offered in a text to capture the audience's attention or to support a generalization or claim. | 20 | |
| 6688384550 | causal relationship (cause-and-effect relationship) | The relationship expressing, "If X is the cause, then Y is the effect," or "If Y is the effect, then X caused it"—for example, "If the state builds larger highways, then traffic congestion will just get worse because more people will move to the newly accessible regions," or "If students plagiarize their papers, it must be because the Internet offers them such a wide array of materials from which to copy." | 21 | |
| 6688384551 | colloquialism | a word or expression acceptable in informal usage but inappropriate in formal discourse. A given word may have a standard as well a colloquial meaning. Bug, for example, is standard when used to refer to an insect; when used to designate a virus, i.e. "She's at home recovering from a bug," the word is one | 22 | |
| 6688384553 | denotation | The specific and literal meaning of the word as found in the dictionary. Opposite of connotation. | 23 | |
| 6688384554 | euphemism | From the Greek word for "good speech," a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. 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 euphemism. | 24 | |
| 6688384556 | logical fallacy | Errors in reasoning used by speakers or writers, sometimes in order to dupe their audiences. Most of them are based on insufficient evidence ("All redheads are passionate lovers"); or irrelevant information ("Don't let him do the surgery; he cheats on his wife"); or faulty logic ("If you don't quit smoking, you'll die of lung cancer"). | 25 | |
| 6688384558 | qualification | The act of limiting an argument through certain expressions, such as few, it is possible, rarely, most, perhaps, often. | 26 | |
| 6688384562 | slanting | The characteristic of selecting facts, words, or emphasis to achieve a preconceived intent: Favorable intent: "Although the Senator looks bored, when it comes time to vote he is on the right side of the issue." Unfavorable intent: "The Senator may vote on the right side of the issues, but he always looks bored." | 27 | |
| 6688384563 | subordination | Expressing in a dependent clause, phrase, or single word any idea that is not significant enough to be expressed in a main clause or an independent sentence. | 28 | |
| 6688384567 | ad populem argument | A fallacious argument that appeals to the passions and prejudices of a group rather than its reason. An appeal for instance, to support an issue because it's the "American Way" is one | 29 | |
| 6688384568 | 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 symbolic meaning usually deals with moral truth or generalization about human existence. | 30 | |
| 6688384569 | anaphora | the repetition of a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses | 31 | |
| 6688384570 | 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.) Can be a memorable summation of the author's point. "Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise." Alice Walker | 32 | |
| 6688384571 | apostrophe | A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. 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." | 33 | |
| 6688384575 | complex sentence | A sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. | 34 | |
| 6688384577 | epistrophe | The repetition of the same word or group of wards at the ends of successive clauses. | 35 | |
| 6688384578 | evidence | The logical bases or supports for an assertion or idea. | 36 | |
| 6688384581 | 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 of these often seems informal, relaxed, and conversational. | 37 | |
| 6688384582 | metonymy (mi-TAWN-a-me) | A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. A news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" is it | 38 | |
| 6688384583 | periodic sentence | A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase of clause that cannot stand alone. For example: "Ecstatic with my AP scores, I let out a loud shout of joy!" The effect is to add emphasis and structural variety. | 39 | |
| 6688384584 | rhetorical question | A question posed with no expectation of receiving an answer. This device is often used in public speaking in order to launch or further discussion: "Do you know what one of the greatest pains is? One of the greatest pains in human nature is the pain of a new idea." | 40 | |
| 6688384585 | synecdoche (suh-NEK-duh-kee) | A part of something used to refer to the whole—for example, "50 head of cattle" referring to 50 complete animals | 41 | |
| 6688384586 | syntax | The ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns such as phrases, clauses, and sentences. Requires correct grammar as well as effective sentence patters, including unity, coherence, and emphasis. | 42 | |
| 6688420551 | analogy | 43 |
