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

Ap Language Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4738899758AlliterationThe repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables.0
4738899759AllusionAn indirect reference, often to another text or an historic even1
4738899973AnalogyAn extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things.2
4738900045AnaphoraThe repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses.3
4757159577AnecdoteA short account of an interesting event.4
4757159578AnnotationExplanatory or critical notes added to a text.5
4757159706AntecedentThe noun to which a later pronoun refers.6
4757159707AntimetaboleThe repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast.7
4757160646AntithesisParallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas.8
4757160732AphorismA short, astute statement of a general truth.9
4757160733AppositiveA word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun.10
4757160887Archaic dictionThe use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language.11
4757161225ArgumentA statement put forth and supported by evidence.12
4757161226Aristotelian triangleA diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience (see rhetorical triangle).13
4757161445AssertionAn emphatic statement; declaration. An assertion supported by evidence becomes an argument.14
4757161675AssumptionA belief or statement taken for granted without proof.15
4757161676AsyndetonLeaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses.16
4757161815AttitudeThe speaker's position on a subject as revealed through his or her tone.17
4757161955AudienceOne's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed.18
4757161956AuthorityA reliable, respected source—someone with knowledge.19
4757162121BiasPrejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue.20
4757162330CiteIdentifying a part of a piece of writing as being derived from a source.21
4757162331ClaimAn assertion, usually supported by evidence.22
4757162497Close readingA careful reading that is attentive to organization, figurative language,23
4757162737Colloquial/ismAn informal or conversational use of language.24
4757162738Common groundShared beliefs, values, or positions.25
4757163149Complex sentenceA sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.26
4757164961ConcessionA reluctant acknowledgment or yielding.27
4757165227ConnotationThat which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word's literal meaning (see denotation).28
4757165228ContextWords, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning.29
4757165405CoordinationGrammatical equivalence between parts of a sentence, often through a coordinating conjunction such as and, or but.30
4757165658CounterargumentA challenge to a position; an opposing argument. Cumulative sentence An independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional detail.31
4757165836Declarative sentenceA sentence that makes a statement.32
4757165989DeductionReasoning from general to specific.33
4757166172DenotationThe literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition.34
4757166173DictionWord choice.35
4757166436DocumentationBibliographic information about the sources used in a piece of writing.36
4757166558ElegiacMournful over what has passed or been lost; often used to describe tone.37
4757166559EpigramA brief witty statement.38
4757166673EthosA Greek term referring to the character of a person; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see logos and pathos).39
4757166674Figurative languageThe use of tropes or figures of speech; going beyond literal meaning to achieve literary effect40
4757166848Figure of speechAn expression that strives for literary effect rather than conveying a literal meaning.41
4757167071HyperboleExaggeration for the purpose of emphasis.42
4757167072ImageryVivid use of language that evokes a reader's senses (sight, smell, taste,touch, hearing).43
4757167232Imperative sentenceA sentence that requests or commands.44
4757167233InductionReasoning from specific to general.45
4757167422InversionA sentence in which the verb precedes the subject.46
4757167589IronyA contradiction between what is said and what is meant; incongruity between action and result.47
4757167590JuxtapositionPlacement of two things side by side for emphasis.48
4757167856LogosA Greek term that means "word"; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see ethos and pathos) .49
4757168114MetaphorA figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison.50
4757168115MetonymyUse of an aspect of something to represent the whole.51
4757168468OccasionAn aspect of context; the cause or reason for writing.52
4757168469OxymoronA figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms.53
4757168698ParadoxA statement that seems contradictory but is actually true.54
4757168831ParallelismThe repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns.55
4757168832ParodyA piece that imitates and exaggerates the prominent features of another; used for comic effect or ridicule.56
4757168970PathosA 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).57
4757168971PersonaThe speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing.58
4757169256PersonificationAssigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects.59
4757169257PolemicAn argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion.60
4757169450PolysyndetonThe deliberate use of a series of conjunctions.61
4757169817Premise: major, minorTwo parts of a syllogism. The concluding sentence of asyllogism takes its predicate from the major premise and its subject from the minor premise.62
4757170139Major premiseAll mammals are warm-blooded.63
4757170140Minor premiseAll horses are mammals.64
4757170250ConclusionAll horses are warm-blooded (see syllogism).65
4757170251PropagandaA negative term for writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information.66
4757170451PurposeOne's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing.67
4757170452RefuteTo discredit an argument, particularly a counterargument.68
4757170634RhetoricThe study of effective, persuasive language use; according to Aristotle,use of the "available means of persuasion."69
4757170635Rhetorical 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.70
4757170918Rhetorical questionA question asked more to produce an effect than to summon an answer.71
4757170919Rhetorical triangleA diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience (see Aristotelian triangle).72
4757171171SatireAn ironic, sarcastic, or witty composition that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it.73
4757171172SchemeA pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect.74
4757171461Sentence patternsThe arrangement of independent and dependent clauses into known sentence constructions—such as simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex.75
4757171740Sentence varietyUsing a variety of sentence patterns to create a desired effect.76
4757171894SimileA figure of speech that uses "like" or "as" to compare two things.77
4757171895Simple sentenceA statement containing a subject and predicate; an independent clause.78
4757172758SourceA book, article, person, or other resource consulted for information.79
4757172759SpeakerA term used for the author, speaker, or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing.80
4757173093Straw manA logical fallacy that involves the creation of an easily refutable position; misrepresenting, then attacking an opponent's position.81
4757173094StyleThe distinctive quality of speech or writing created by the selection and arrangement of words and figures of speech.82
4757173253SubjectIn rhetoric, the topic addressed in a piece of writing.83
4757173676Subordinate clauseCreated by a subordinating conjunction, a clause that modifies an independent clause.84
4757173677SubordinationThe dependence of one syntactical element on another in a sentence.85
4757173887SyllogismA form of deductive reasoning in which the conclusion is supported by a major and minor premise (see premise; major, and minor).86
4757173893SyntaxSentence structure.87
4757174064SynthesizeCombining or bringing together two or more elements to produce something more complex.88
4757174330ThesisThe central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer.89
4757174331Thesis statementA statement of the central idea in a work, may be explicit or implicit.90
4757174677ToneThe speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience.91
4757174678Topic 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.92
4757174866TropeArtful diction; the use of language in a nonliteral way; also called a figure of speech.93
4757174867UnderstatementLack of emphasis in a statement or point; restraint in language often used for ironic effect.94
4757175404VoiceIn grammar, 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.95
4757175586ZeugmaA construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs—often in different, sometimes incongruent ways—two or more words in a sentence.96

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!