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10256185017Cumulative (Loose) Sentencebegins with a main clause that is followed by phrases and/or clauses that modify the main clause. These phrases or clauses add information to the main or independent clause.0
10256185018Periodic Sentencea sentence that, by leaving the completion of its main clause to the end, produces an effect of suspense.1
10256185019Litotes/Understatementa figure of speech in which a negative statement is used to affirm a positive statement.2
10256185020Warrantexpresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience.3
10256185021Ethosan appeal to ethics and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader.4
10256185022Pathosan appeal to emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response.5
10256185023Logosan appeal to logic, and is a way of persuading an audience by reason.6
10256185024Concessionan acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable.7
10256185025SyllogismA logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion.8
10256185026Major premisecontains the term that is the predicate of the conclusion.9
10256185027Minor premisecontains the term that is the subject of the conclusion.10
10256185028Inductiona logical process wherein you reason from particulars to universal, using specific cases in order to draw a conclusion, which is also called a generalization.11
10256185029Deductiona logical process wherein you reach a conclusion by starting with a general principle or universal truth (a major premise).12
10256185030Equivocationa fallacy of argument in which a lie is given the appearance of truth, or in which the truth is misrepresented in deceptive language.13
10256185031Refutationa denial of the validity of an opposing argument.14
10256185032Dictiona speaker's choice of words. Analysis of diction looks at these choices and what they add to the speaker's message.15
10256185033Similea figure of speech used to explain or clarify an idea by comparing it explicitly to something else, using words like, as, or as though.16
10256185034Metaphorfigure of speech that compares two unlike things without using like or as.17
10256185035Anaphorathe intentional repetition of beginning clauses in order to create an artistic effect.18
10256185036Rhetoricit is the art of finding ways of persuading an audience.19
10256185037Rhetorical Trianglespeaker-subject-audience20
10256185038Allusionbrief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious) to to a work of art.21
10256185039Hyperboledeliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or ironic effect; an overstatement to make a point.22
10256185040Personificationattribution of a lifelike quality to an inanimate object or an idea.23
10256185041Asyndetonomission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.24
10256185042Polysyndetonthe deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses or words.25
10256185043Parallelismsimilarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.26
10256185044Antithesisopposition, or contrast or ideas or words in a parallel construction.27
10256185045Enumerationto mention separately as if in counting; name one by one; specify, as in list28
10256185046Rhetorical QuestionFigure of speech in the form of a question posed for the rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer. Ex.) Are you stupid?29
10256185047Chiasmusthe reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases. Ex.) He went to the country, the country went to him.30
10256185048RebuttalIn the Toulon model, a rebuttal gives voice to possible objections.31
10256185049Fallacy of Argumenta flaw in the structure of an argument that renders its conclusion invalid or suspect.32
10256185050Bandwagon Appeala fallacy of argument in which a course of action is recommended on the grounds that everyone else is following it.33
10256185051Begging the Questiona fallacy of argument in which a claim is based on the very grounds that are in doubt or dispute.34
10256185052Anecdotea brief story used to illustrate a point or claim.35
10256185053Modes of DisclosureExposition- illustrates a point Narration- tells a story Description- creates a sensory image Argumentation- takes a position on an issue and defends it.36
10256185054Examplea specific event, person, or detail of an idea cited and/or developed to support or illustrate a thesis or topic.37
10256185055Contrast/ Comparisona method of presenting similarities and differences between or among at least two persons, places, things, ideas, etc. may be organized by: Subject by subject Point by point Combination38
10256185056Cause and Effectestablishes a relationship: B is the result of A.39
10256185057Classificationseparates items into major categories and details the characteristics of each group is placed within the category.40
10256185058Processsimply "how to" do something is done. It can have one of two purposes. It can either give instructions or inform the reader about how something is done.41
10256185059Definitionidentifies the class to which a specific term belongs and those characteristics which make it different from all the other items in that class.42
10256185060Narrationis nothing more than storytelling. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end.43
10256185061Descriptionwriting that appeals to the senses. It can be objective, which is scientific or clinical, or it can be impressionistic, which tries to involve the reader's emotions or feelings.44
10256185062Dogmatism`a fallacy of argument in which a claim is supported on the grounds that it's the only conclusion acceptable within a given community.45
10256185063False Dilemma or Dichotomya fallacy of argument in which a complicated issue is misrepresented as offering only two possible alternatives, one of which is often made to seem vastly preferable to the other.46
10256185064False authoritya fallacy of argument in which a claim is based on the expertise of someone who lacks appropriate credentials.47
10256185065Faulty causalitya fallacy of argument making the unwarranted assumption that because one event follows another, the first event causes the second. Also called post hoc, ergo propter hoc, this forms the basis of many superstitions.48
10256185066Hasty generalizationa fallacy of argument in which an inference is drawn from insufficient data.49
10256185067Non sequitora fallacy of argument in which claims, reasons, or warrants fail to connect logically; one point doesn't follow from another.50
10256185091AllegoryThe device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. A story in which each aspect of the story has a symbolic meaning outside the tale itself.51
10256185092AlliterationThe repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells").52
10256185093AllusionA direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.53
10256185094AmbiguityThe multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.54
10256185095AnalogyA similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.55
10256185096AntecedentThe word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.56
10256185097Antithesisthe opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.57
10256185098AphorismA 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.)58
10256185099ApostropheA prayer like figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer.59
10256185100AtmosphereThe emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described.60
10256185101Caricaturea verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person's distinctive physical features or other characteristics.61
10256185102ClauseA grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.62
10256185103Colloquial/ColloquialismThe use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.63
10256185104Literary ConceitA fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects; displays intellectual cleverness through unusual comparisons that make good sense64
10256185105ConnotationThe non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.65
10256185106DenotationThe strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.66
10256185107DictionRelated to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.67
10256185108DidacticFrom the Greek, didactic literally means "teaching."68
10256185109EuphemismFrom the Greek for "good speech," euphemisms are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept - POLITICALLY CORRECT69
10256185110Extended MetaphorA metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.70
10256185111Figurative LanguageWriting or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid71
10256185112Figure of speechA device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Figures of speech include apotrophe hyperbole irony metaphor oxymoron paradox personification simile syneddoche understatement72
10256185113GenreThe major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.73
10256185114HomilyThis term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.74
10256185115HyperboleA figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. (The literal Greek meaning is "overshoot.")75
10256185116ImageryThe sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.76
10256185117Inference/inferTo draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.77
10256185118Invectivean emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.78
10256185119Irony/ironicThe contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true.79
10256185120Loose sentence/non-periodic sentenceA type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.80
10256185121MetaphorA figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.81
10256185122MetonymyA figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with82
10256185123MoodThe prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.83
10256185124NarrativeThe telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.84
10256185125onomatopoeiaA figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.85
10256185126OxymoronOxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.86
10256185127ParadoxA statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.87
10256185129ParodyA work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.88
10256185130PedanticAn adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as "show-offy"; using big words for the sake of using big words).89
10256185131Periodic sentenceThe opposite of loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end.90
10256185132PersonificationA figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.91
10256185133Point of viewIn literature, the perspective from which a story is told.92
10256185134Prosewritten or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.93
10256185135RepetitionThe duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.94
10256185137SarcasmInvolves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.95
10256185138SatireA work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.96
10256185139Subordinate clauseLike all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, this clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought.97
10256185140SyllogismA deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called "major" and the second called "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.98
10256185141Symbol/symbolismGenerally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else.99
10256185142SyntaxThe way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.100
10256185143ThemeThe central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.101
10256185144ThesisThe sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position.102
10256185145ToneDescribes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.103
10256185146TransitionA word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and argumentative writing, effectively signal a shift from one idea to another.104
10256185147Understatementthe ironic minimalizing of fact; presents something as less significant than it is.105
10256185148Witin modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.106
10256185149Slippery SlopeThis is the failure to provide evidence to support a claim that one event will lead to a catastrophic chain of events.107
10256185150straw manWhen a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak.108
10256185152JuxtapositionMaking on idea more dramatic by placing it next to its opposite.109
10256185153LogosAn appeal to reason.110
10256185154PathosAn appeal to emotion.111
10256185156SimileA critical figure of speech in an argument when what is unknown is compared to something that is known using the word "like," "as," or "than" in order to better perceive its importance.112
10256185157rhetorical appealthe persuasive devices by which a writer tries to sway an audience's attention and response to any given work. See logos, ethos, and pathos.113
10256185158descriptive detailWhen an essay uses this phrase, look for the writer's sensory description.114
10256185159devicesThe figures of speech, syntax, diction, and other stylistic elements that collectively produce a particular artistic effect.115
10256185160narrative devicesThis term describes the tools of the storyteller (also used in nonfiction), such as ordering events so that they build to a climactic moment or withholding information until a crucial or appropriate moment when revealing it creates a desired effect. On the essay portion of the exam, this term may also apply to biographical and autobiographical writing.116
10256185161narrative techniquesThe style of telling the "story," even if the passage is nonfiction. Concentrate on the order of events and on their detail in evaluating a writer's technique.117
10256185162Ad hominem argumentAn argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue118
10256185163AnaphoraFigure of repetition that occurs when the first word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases; repetition of the initial words over successive phrases or clauses119
10256185164AnecdoteA brief story that illustrates or makes a point120
10256185165Appeal to authorityA fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a famous person or institution.121
10256185166Argumentationone of the four forms of discourse which uses logic, ethics, and emotional appeals (logos, ethos, pathos) to develop an effective means to convince the reader to think or act in a certain way.122
10256185167AssonanceRepetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity123
10256185168AsyndetonA series of words separated by commas (with no conjunction).124
10256185169toneA speaker's, author's, or character's disposition toward or opinion of a subject.125
10256185170Balanced sentenceA sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast126
10256185171Begging the questionOften called circular reasoning, __ occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim.127
10256185068understatement"I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain." Holden Caulfield, Catcher in the Rye128
10256185069parallelism"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy129
10256185070allusionThe rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora's box of crimes.130
10256185071hyperbole"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you/Till China and Africa meet,/And the river jumps over the mountain"131
10256185072aphorism"Having nothing, nothing can he lose."132
10256185073metonymy"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act I133
10256185074invective"I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth." Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels134
10256185075antithesis"To err is human; to forgive divine." Alexander Pope "An Essay on Criticism"135
10256185076euphemism"I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs." William Shakespeare Othello136
10256185077periodic sentenceIn spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued.137
10256185078paradox"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." -Gandhi138
10256185079alliteration"His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead."139
10256185080chiasmus"he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling"140
10256185081oxymoron"Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. / Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, / That I shall say good night till it be morrow."141
10256185082personification"Pearl Button swung on the little gate in front of the House of Boxes. It was the early afternoon of a sunshiny day with little winds playing hide-and-seek in it."142
10256185083onomatopoeia"He saw nothing and heard nothing but he could feel his heart pounding and then he heard the clack on stone and the leaping, dropping clicks of a small rock falling."143
10256185084inverted syntax"Patience you must have, my young padawan."144
10256185085spatial description"In my pantry, coffee, tea powder, and sugar have been kept in the top shelf. Flour, canned food, and dry pasta are on the second shelf."145
10256185086synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in Cleveland won by six runs (meaning "Cleveland's baseball team").146
10256185087zeugmaa figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses (e.g., John and his license expired last week ) or to two others of which it semantically suits only one (e.g., with weeping eyes and hearts ).147
10256185088kairosRefers to the "timeliness" of an argument. Often, for an ad or an argument to be successful, it needs appropriate tone and structure and come at the right time.148
10256185089decorumetiquette; behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety.149
10256185090audiencethe assembled spectators or listeners at a public event, such as a play, movie, concert, or meeting.150
10618515739IdiomA common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.151
10618557772Dialecta particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.152

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