AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Language Flashcards

Terms needed for success on the AP Language and Composition Exam

Terms : Hide Images
10571747938PersonificationThe assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts. An example: Wordsworth's "the sea that bares her bosom to the moon."0
10571747939Antithesisthe presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by phrase, clause, or paragraphs. "To be or not to be . . ." "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times . . ." "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country . . ."1
10571747940OxymoronFrom the Greek for "pointedly foolish," ___ is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness."2
10571747941Sarcasmfrom the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," ___ involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device.3
10571747942Synecdoche. a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. "All hands on deck" is an example.4
10571747943Hyperbolea figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement5
10571747944Anaphorarepetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent.6
10571747945Euphonythe pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.7
10571747946ThemeThe central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually, __ is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the __ may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing.8
10571747947Metonomya term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name" __ 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"9
10571747948ParadoxA statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.10
10571747949Transitiona word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.11
10571747950Onomatopoeiaa figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum.12
10571747951Cacophonyharsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary word.13
10571747952Metaphora direct comparison between dissimilar things. "Your eyes are stars" is an example.14
10571747953Symbolgenerally, anything that represents, stands for, something else. Usually, a ___ is something concrete—such as an object, action, character, or scene—that represents something more abstract.15
10571747954Begging the QuestionOften called circular reasoning, __ occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim.16
10571747955Invectivean emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.17
10571747956Understatementthe opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.18
10571747957Either-or reasoningWhen the writer reduces an argument or issue to two polar opposites and ignores any alternatives.19
10571747958HomilyThis term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.20
10571747959PedanticAn adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.21
10571747960Causal RelationshipIn __, a writer asserts that one thing results from another. To show how one thing produces or brings about another is often relevant in establishing a logical argument.22
10571747961EquivocationWhen a writer uses the same term in two different senses in an argument.23
10571747962ImageryThe sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, __ uses terms related to the five senses; we refer to visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory. For example, a rose may present visual __ while also representing the color in a woman's cheeks.24
10571747963Euphemisma more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. "He went to his final reward" is a common __ for "he died." They are also used to obscure the reality of the situation.25
10571747964Figure of SpeechA device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Examples are apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonomy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.26
10571747965IronyThe contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears to be and what actually is true.27
10571747966SatireA work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and convention for reform or ridicule. Regardless of whether or not the work aims to reform humans or their society, ___ is best seen as a style of writing rather than a purpose for writing. The effect of __, often humorous, is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition.28
10571747967AlliterationThe repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."29
10571747968EpigraphThe use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two. One of them is "You are all a lost generation" by Gertrude Stein.30
10571747969Periodic SentenceA sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. The independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect is to add emphasis and structural variety.31
10571747970NarrativeThe telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.32
10571747971Ethosan appeal based on the character of the speaker. An __-driven document relies on the reputation of the author.33
10571747972Situational Ironya type of irony in which events turn out the opposite of what was expected.34
10571747973ConsonanceRepetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.35
10571747974Pathosan appeal based on emotion.36
10571747975SyllogismFrom the Greek for "reckoning together," a __ is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.37
10571747976Logosan appeal based on logic or reason38
10571747977Verbal IronyIn this type of irony, the words literally state the opposite of the writer's true meaning39
10571747978AnecdoteA story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point.40
10571747979Abstract LanguageLanguage describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places.41
10571747980Ad HominemIn an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."42
10571747981Denotationthe literal or dictionary meaning of a word43
10571747982CumulativeSentence which begins with the main idea and then expands on that idea with a series of details or other particulars44
10571747983Dramatic IronyIn this type of irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or a piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work45
10571747984ParodyA work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.46
10571747985Connotationthe interpretive level or a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.47
10571747986RepetitionThe duplication, either exact or approximate, or any element of language, such as sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.48
10571747987SyntaxThe grammatical structure of prose and poetry.49
10571747988AssonanceRepetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity50
10571747989Voicecan refer to two different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence's subject and verb (active and passive). The second refers to the total "sound" of the writer's style.51
10571747990InferTo draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.52
10571747991ArgumentA single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer53
10571747992AllusionA reference contained in a work54
10571747993GenreThe major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.55
10571747994Stream-of-consciousnessThis is a narrative technique that places the reader in the mind and thought process of the narrator, no matter how random and spontaneous that may be.56
10571747995AllegoryA work that functions on a symbolic level57
10571747996ExplicationThe act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. __ usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.58
10571747997Parallelismrefers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.59
10571747998SemanticsThe branch of linguistics that studies that meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.60
10571747999Rhetorical ModesThe flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing.61
10571748000Analogya literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items.62
10571748001Figurative LanguageWriting or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.63
10571748002Examplean individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern64
10571748003DescriptionThe purpose of this rhetorical mode is to re-create, 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.65
10571748004Narrative DeviceThis term describes the tools of the storyteller, such as ordering events to that they build to climatic movement or withholding information until a crucial or appropriate moment when revealing in creates a desired effect.66
10571748005Ethical AppealWhen a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text.67
10571748006ExpositionThe purpose of this rhetorical mode is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.68
10571748007Attitudethe relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience69
10571748008BackingSupport or evidence for a claim in an argument70
10571748009EllipsisIndicated by a series of three periods, the __ indicates that some material has been omitted from a given text.71
10571748010ArgumentationThe purpose of this rhetorical mode is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader.72
10571748011Didacticwriting whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A ___ work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns.73
10571748012Ambiguityan event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way.74
10571748013NarrationThe purpose of this type of rhetorical mode is to tell the story or narrate an event or series of events.75
10571748014Rhetoricfrom the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principle governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.76
10571748015Third Person Limited OmniscientThis type of point of view presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all remaining characters77
10571748016Third Person OmniscientIn ___, the narrator, with a godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters.78
10571748017Comic Reliefthe inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.79
10571748018Characterthose who carry out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static, and dynamic are the types.80
10571748019Colloquialthe use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone. Huckleberry Finn in written in a __ style.81
10571748020Antecedentthe word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.82
10571748021Stylean evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices.83
10571748022ThesisThe sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.84
10571748023AuthorityArguments that draw on recognized experts or persons with highly relevant experience.85
10571748024ChiasmusArrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of X Y Y X. It is often short and summarizes a main idea.86
10571748025Deconstructiona critical approach that debunks single definitions of meaning based on the instability of language. It "is not a dismantling of a structure of a text, but a demonstration that it has already dismantled itself."87
10571748026Balancea situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of a longer work.88
10571748027Conflicta clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. God; man vs. self89
10571748028ToneSimilar to mood, __ describes the author's attitude toward his or her material, the audience, or both.90
10571748029ProseOne of the major divisions of genre, ___ refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, because they are written in ordinary language and most closely resemble everyday speech.91
10571748030Dialectthe recreation of regional spoken language, such as a Southern one. Hurston uses this in Their Eyes Were Watching God.92
10571748031AsyndetonCommas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z.93
10571748032WitIn modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. Usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement.94
10571748033Point of ViewIn literature, the perspective from which a story is told.95
10571748034DeductionThe process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.96
10571748035Annotationexplanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.97
10571748036MoodThis term has two distinct technical meanings in English writing. The first meaning is grammatical and deals with verbal units and a speaker's attitude. The second meaning is literary, meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.98
10571748037Dictionthe author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning99

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!