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AP Language Glossary of Terms Flashcards

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12202849845The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.allegory0
12202849846The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words.alliteration1
12202849847A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known.allusion2
12202849848The multiple meanings of a word, phrase, sentence, or passageambiguity3
12202849849The repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause.anadiplosis4
12202849850A similarity or comparison between two different things.analogy5
12202849851One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.anaphora6
12202849852Inversion of the natural or usual word orderanastrophe7
12202849853A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event.anecdote8
12202849854The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.antecedent9
12202849855A figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by the parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other, such as "speech is silver, but silence is golden."antithesis10
12202849856a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principleaphorism11
12202849857A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction. (cannot answer)apostrophe12
12202849858The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work.atmosphere13
12202849859a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phraseschiasmus14
12202849860A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.clause15
12202849861The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.colloquial/colloquialism16
12202849862The principle demanding the arrangement of composition so that the meaning of the whole may be clear and intelligible.coherence17
12202849863A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly different objects.conceit18
12202849864The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word that may involve ideas, emotions, or attitude.connotation19
12202849865The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.denotation20
12202849866Refers to the writer's word choice.diction21
12202849867Teaching of moral or ethical principles (Greek word)didactic22
12202849868The opposite of anaphora, repetition at the end of successive clauses.epistrophe23
12202849869A persuasive device by which the writer tries to sway the audience's attention to any given work by establishing credibility in the reader.ethos24
12202849870A less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.euphemism25
12202849871In essays, one of the four chief types of composition whose purpose is to explain something.exposition26
12202849872A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently throughout a work.extended metaphor27
12202849873Writing or speech that is meant to be imaginative and vivid, not literal.figurative language28
12202849874A device used to produce figurative language. Includes apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonymy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.figure of speech29
12202849875Describe traditions for each genre and help to classify writing into a particular genre.generic conventions30
12202849876The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama but many subdivisions exist as genres themselves.genre31
12202849877This term literally means "sermon", but can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.homily32
12202849878A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.hyperbole33
12202849879A figure of speech in which the speaker poses a question and then answers the question.hypophora34
12202849880The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstraction.imagery35
12202849881To draw a reasonable conclusion from given information.inference/infer36
12202849882A verbal attack using strong, abusive language.invective37
12202849883The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. (1) Verbal irony: The words literally state the opposite of the writer's true meaning. (2) Situational irony: Events turn out the opposite of what was expected. (3) Dramatic irony: Facts or events are unknown to a character in a story or play, but known to the reader or audience.irony/ironic38
12202849884Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison and contrast.juxtaposition39
12202849885A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its oppositelitotes40
12202849886A persuasive device by which the writer tries to sway the audience's attention to any given work by employing logical reasoning along with clear, well-thought out examples and details.logos41
12202849887A type of sentence in which the main idea comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.loose sentence42
12202849888A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution for one another, suggesting some similarity.metaphor43
12202849889A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.metonymy44
122028498901. Deals with verbal units and the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.mood45
12202849891The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.narrative46
12202849892A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.onomatopoeia47
12202849893A figure of speech wherein the author groups contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.oxymoron48
12202849894A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth.paradox49
12202849895Refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.parallelism50
12202849896A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.parody51
12202849897A persuasive device in which the writer tries to sway the audience's attention to any given work by playing on the reader's emotions.pathos52
12202849898An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.pedantic53
12202849899A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end and is followed by a dependent clause.periodic sentence54
12202849900A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.personification55
12202849901The perspective from which a story is told. (1) 1st person narrator: tells the story with the first person pronoun, "I", and is a character in the story (protagonist or observer). (2) 3rd person narrative: tells the story with the third person pronouns, "he", "she", and "it". (Omniscient: presents the thoughts and actions of all characters. Limited omniscient: presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character.point of view56
12202849902One type of subject complement - an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that describes the subject.predicate adjective57
12202849903A second type of subject complement - a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject.predicate nominative58
12202849904One of the major divisions of genre which refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms.prose59
12202849905A play on words, either on different senses of the same word or on the similar sense or sound of different words.pun60
12202849906The duplication of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.repetition61
12202849907The speaker who uses elements of rhetoric effectively in oral or written test.rhetor62
12202849908Describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively. (Greek: "orator")rhetoric63
12202849909Describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing. The four most common: (1) Exposition: to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion. (2) Argumentation: to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader. Persuasion: a type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action. (3) Description: to re-create, invent, or visually present a person, place, event, or action so that the reader can picture that being described. (4) Narration: to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events.rhetorical modes64
12202849910Bitter language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. (Greek: "tear to flesh")sarcasm65
12202849911A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.satire66
12202849912The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.semantics67
12202849913A comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as.simile68
122028499141. An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. 2. Classification of authors to a group and comparison of similar authors.style69
12202849915The word or clause that follows a linking verb and complements the subject of the sentence by either renaming it or describing it.subject complement70
12202849916A clause that cannot stand alone. (dependent clause)subordinate clause71
12202849917A deductive system of formal logic that presents two statements, one "major" and one "minor", that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.syllogism72
12202849918Anything that represents itself and stands for something else. (1) Natural symbols: objects and occurrences from nature to represent ideas commonly associated with them. (2) Conventional symbols: those that have been invested with meaning by a group. (3) Literary symbols: found in a variety of works and are generally recognized.symbol/symbolism73
12202849919A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, the whole of a part, the specific for the general, the general for the specific, or the material for the thing made from it.synecdoche74
12202849920The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.syntax75
12202849921The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.theme76
12202849922In expository writing, the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position.thesis77
12202849923Describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.tone78
12202849924A word or phrase that links different things.transition79
12202849925A figure of speech involving a change of sense - a use of the word in a sense other than its proper or literal one.trope80
12202849926A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.understatement81
12202849927An attitude that may lie under the apparent tone of the piece.undertone82
12202849928An untrustworthy or naive commentator on events and characters in a story.unreliable narrator83
12202849929Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.wit84
12202849930A word that governs two other words not related in meaning.zeugma85

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