12350303661 | alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, "sally sells seashells" | 0 | |
12350303662 | allusion | a direct or indirect reference to something that is assumed to be commonly known | 1 | |
12350303663 | ad hominem argument | an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather than intellect, "against the man not the data" | 2 | |
12350303664 | allegory | a work that functions on a symbolic level, a type of extended symbolism | 3 | |
12350303665 | ambiguity | the multiple meanings, intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage; or the sense of uncertainty that the work presents | 4 | |
12350303666 | analogy | drawing a comparison to another situation that applies to the original circumstance in order to show a similarity in some respect | 5 | |
12350303667 | anaphora | repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row | 6 | |
12350303668 | antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers to | 7 | |
12350303669 | antithesis | a sentence or group of sentences that directly opposes or states the complete opposite of a given opinion; a figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within balanced grammatical structure | 8 | |
12350303670 | apostrophe | when a speaker addresses someone or something that is either not present or inanimate | 9 | |
12350303671 | argumentation | writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments | 10 | |
12350303672 | assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in successive words | 11 | |
12350303673 | asyndeton | the absence of conjunctions when separating a series of words or clauses (A, B, C rather than A, B, and C) | 12 | |
12350303674 | begging the question | a logical fallacy in which the asserted conclusion is based on a prior question that is only presumed settled | 13 | |
12350303675 | amplification | the repetition of a word or phrase, followed by additional information; it is used both to clarify and intensify the meaning of the original word | 14 | |
12350303676 | colloquialism | slang in writing, used often to create local color and to provide an informal tone | 15 | |
12350303677 | connotation | the feelings or emotions associated with a word, beyond its literal meaning | 16 | |
12350303678 | consonance | repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity | 17 | |
12350303679 | contrast | a manner of distinguishing two things or ideas by emphasizing their differences | 18 | |
12350303680 | deductive reasoning | a reasoning from general ideas and principles to particular, detailed facts | 19 | |
12350303681 | denotation | the literal or dictionary meaning of a word | 20 | |
12350303682 | description | writing that intends to recreate, invert, or visually present a person, place event, or action so that the reader can picture what is being described | 21 | |
12350303683 | diction | the author's choice of words in creating tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning | 22 | |
12350303684 | didactic | fiction or nonfiction that is excessively instructive | 23 | |
12350303685 | dramatic irony | a type of irony in which 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 work | 24 | |
12350303686 | ethos | an appeal based on the character, reputation, or credibility of the speaker | 25 | |
12350303687 | euphemism | a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable | 26 | |
12350303688 | exposition | writing that intends to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion | 27 | |
12350303689 | extended metaphor | a comparison introduced and then further developed throughout a literary work | 28 | |
12350303690 | enumeratio | specific examples clarify and illustrate the point being established | 29 | |
12350303691 | extended allusion | a direct or indirect reference to something that is assumed to be commonly known that is repeated throughout a literary work | 30 | |
12350303692 | extended symbolism | a device in literature where the connection between an object and an idea is developed or recurring throughout a literary work | 31 | |
12350303693 | false dichotomy | presenting two alternatives that are not necessarily mutually exclusive as if they were, often ignoring other alternatives, an ultimatum | 32 | |
12350303694 | figure of speech | a device used to produce figurative language | 33 | |
12350303695 | genre | the major category into which a literary work is sorted | 34 | |
12350303696 | hyperbole | deliberate exaggeration or overstatement | 35 | |
12350303697 | hypophora | figure of speech in which a speaker answers his own otherwise-rhetorical question | 36 | |
12350303698 | imagery | descriptive language that appeals to the the sense | 37 | |
12350303699 | inductive reasoning | reasoning from detailed facts to general principles | 38 | |
12350303700 | infer | to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented | 39 | |
12350303701 | juxtaposition | placing two elements side-by-side to present a comparison or contrast | 40 | |
12350303702 | litotes | a figure of speech in which the use of a double negative to generate a positive understatement, "the test was not bad" | 41 | |
12350303703 | logical fallacy | a mistake in verbal reasoning that may seem to be sound | 42 | |
12350303704 | logos | an appeal based on logic or reason | 43 | |
12350303705 | metaphor | a comparison of two unlike things, not necessarily using "like" or "as" | 44 | |
12350303706 | metonymy | a type of metaphor in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it | 45 | |
12350303707 | modes of discourse | the variety, conventions, and purpose of the major kinds of writing | 46 | |
12350303708 | mood | the emotional context or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader, also called atmostphere | 47 | |
12350303709 | narrative | the telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events | 48 | |
12350303710 | narrative device | a tool of the storyteller, used most often in fiction but also in biographies and other narratives | 49 | |
12350303711 | narrative technique | the style of telling the story, used in both fiction and nonfiction | 50 | |
12350303712 | 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 | 51 | |
12350303713 | parallelism | similarity in structure and syntax in a series of related words, phrases, clauses, sentences, or paragraphs that develops balance | 52 | |
12350303714 | parody | a work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule | 53 | |
12350303715 | pathos | an appeal based on emotion | 54 | |
12350303716 | personification | the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas or inanimate objects | 55 | |
12350303717 | point of view | the style of narration: first person, second person, third person limited, or third person omniscient | 56 | |
12350303718 | polysyndeton | use of many conjunctions in close succession, with or without commas ("A and B and C and D" or "A, and B, and C, and D" rather than "A, B, C, and D") | 57 | |
12350303719 | procatalepsis | predicts the most likely, common, or troubling objections to ones argument, then offers strong answers to those objections | 58 | |
12350303720 | prose | the literary genre that is written in ordinary language and most closely resembles everyday speech; any writing that is not poetry | 59 | |
12350303721 | purpose | an author's reason for writing; what the author is attempting to achieve by writing | 60 | |
12350303722 | qualified negative | a limited negative that is used or described in such a way that it is partially positive or could be positive under certain circumstances | 61 | |
12350303723 | audience | the persons reached by a book or other form of literature | 62 | |
12350303724 | qualified positive | a limited positive; a positive that is used or described in such a way that it is partially negative or could be negative under certain circumstances | 63 | |
12350303725 | refrain | a phrase that is repeated throughout a work | 64 | |
12350303726 | repetition | the exact or approximate duplication of any element of language, such as word, phrase, sentence, or structure | 65 | |
12350303727 | resources of language | all devices of composition available to a writer, such as diction, syntax, sentence structure, and figures of speech | 66 | |
12350303728 | rhetoric | the techniques and rules for using language effectively, eloquently, and persuasively | 67 | |
12350303729 | rhetorical appeal | rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling, including appeals to character, emotion, or logic | 68 | |
12350303730 | rhetorical features | how a passage is constructed; its organization and the combination of images, details, or arguments in relation to the author's purpose | 69 | |
12350303731 | rhetorical question | a question in which does not need or expect an answer | 70 | |
12350303732 | rhetorical strategies | a general term encompassing the devices that creates style, reveal purpose, and establish structure | 71 | |
12350303733 | sarcasm | bitter, caustic language designed to hurt or ridicule someone or something, often satirical or verbally ironic | 72 | |
12350303734 | satire | a work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and convention for reform or ridicule, often uses imitation, irony, and/or sarcasm | 73 | |
12350303735 | simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" | 74 | |
12350303736 | situational irony | a type of irony in which events turn out the opposite of what was expected | 75 | |
12350303737 | slippery slope | a logical fallacy that claims a series of intensifying consequences will inevitably follow a seemingly safe incident | 76 | |
12350303738 | scesis onomaton | create emphasis by repeating the same idea in a series of essentially synonymous statements | 77 | |
12350303739 | style | a manner of expression that is characteristic of a particular person or time period | 78 | |
12350303740 | stylistic devices | the elements of a work that contribute to style | 79 | |
12350303741 | syllogism | from the Greek words for "reckoning together," a form of deductive argument which presents two premises, major and minor, followed by a conclusion, (Major: all men are mortal. Minor: Socrates is a man. Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.) | 80 | |
12350303742 | synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, the whole for apart, the specific for the general, the general for the specific, or the material for the thing made from it | 81 | |
12350303743 | syntax | the grammatical structure of prose and poetry | 82 | |
12350303744 | synthesis | the combination of two or more elements (thesis and antithesis) onto a unified whole | 83 | |
12350303745 | theme | the central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life, may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing | 84 | |
12350303746 | thesis | the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition | 85 | |
12350303747 | tone | attitudes and presuppositions of the author that are revealed by their linguistic choices (diction, syntax, rhetorical devices) | 86 | |
12350303748 | understatement | the opposite of exaggeration, it is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended | 87 | |
12350303749 | verbal irony | a type of irony in which the words literally state the opposite of the writer's true meaning | 88 | |
12350303750 | voice | the personality of a character as seen through their narration | 89 | |
12350303751 | irony | the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect | 90 |
AP Language Terms Flashcards
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