4762838250 | Alliteration | The repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in a poem. Ex. Curiosity killed the cat. | 0 | |
4762849062 | Ambiguity | A vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings or interpretations Ex. I have never tasted pizza quite like that before! | 1 | |
4762855271 | Analogy | A comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things; a passage that points out several similarities between two unlike things is called an extended analogy. Ex. Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer. | 2 | |
4762869589 | Anaphora | A repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences Ex. Every day, every night, in every way, I get better and better. | 3 | |
4762876013 | Anecdote | A brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point Ex. A mother tells her son the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf to teach him not to lie or else people won't believe him. | 4 | |
4762879531 | Antecedent | A word to which a pronoun refers Ex. When children are happy, they clap their hands to express it. | 5 | |
4762883195 | Antithesis | A rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement or words, clauses, or sentences Ex. Speech is silver, but silence is gold. | 6 | |
4762889009 | Apostrophe | A locution that addresses a person or personified thing not present Ex. "Welcome, o life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race."-James Joyce-'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' | 7 | |
4762900209 | Assonance | The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words in prose or poetry Ex. I feel depressed and restless. | 8 | |
4762941543 | Clause | A structural element of a sentence, consisting of a grammatical subject and a predicate. Independent clauses (main clauses) may stand as complete sentences Dependent clauses (subordinate clauses): used as nouns or modifier, not complete Adjective, noun, and adverbial clauses: function as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs, dependent Ex. Than his sister can-dependent The girl writes a letter-independent | 9 | |
4762949857 | Conceit | A witty or ingenious thought; a diverting or highly fanciful idea, often stated in figurative language Ex. The broken heart is a damaged china pot. | 10 | |
4763148977 | Connotation | The suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase. Contrast with figurative language Ex. A dove connotes peace or gentility | 11 | |
4763154547 | Consonance | The repetition of two or more consonant sounds in a group of words or a unit of speech or writing Ex. She sells seashells by the seashore. | 12 | |
4763168977 | Deductive Reasoning | A method of reasoning by which specific definitions, conclusions, and theorems are drawn from general principles. Contrasts with inductive reasoning. Ex. All apples are fruit. A Granny Smith is an apple; therefore, the Granny Smith is a fruit. | 13 | |
4763176216 | Denotation | The dictionary definition of a word. Contrast with connotation. Ex. Dove (n); a small, white bird with a round body, small head, and short legs that make cooing sounds. | 14 | |
4763186015 | Diction | The choice of words in oral or written discourse Ex. "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on." -Keats, "Ode to the Grecian urn" (formality: "ye") | 15 | |
4763190136 | Euphemism | A mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term Ex. He is a special child. (Instead of saying disabled or slow) | 16 | |
4763193294 | Exposition | The background and events that lead to the presentation of the main idea or purpose of an essay or other work; setting forth the meaning of purpose of a piece of writing or discourse Ex. "A long time ago in a galaxy far away..." | 17 | |
4763201204 | Explication | The interpretation or analysis of a text | 18 | |
4763203811 | Extended Metaphor | A series of comparisons between two unlike objects Ex. "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts." -Shakespeare's As You Like It | 19 | |
4766043249 | Fallacy | Fallacious reasoning, an incorrect belief of supposition based on faulty data, defective evidence, or false information Ex. Appeal to Popular Opinion-something is deemed correct because it is generally excepted | 20 | |
4766070370 | Figure of Speech | Figurative language, In contrast to literal language, implied meanings. Figures of speech include, among many others, metaphor, simile, and personification Ex. You have a chip on your shoulder. | 21 | |
4766134328 | Genre | A term used to describe literacy forms, such as novel, play, and essay Ex. Drama-a form of text performed in front of an audience | 22 | |
4766136389 | Hyperbole | Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect Ex. I am dying of shame. | 23 | |
4766142091 | Image | A word or phrase representing that which can be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or felt; imagery is the use of images in speech and writing Ex. It was dark and dim in the forest. | 24 | |
4766146441 | Inductive Reasoning | A method of reasoning in which a number of specific facts or examples are used to make a generalization. Its opposite is deductive reasoning. Ex. This marble from the bag is black. That marble from the bag is black. A third marble from the bag is black. Therefore all the marbles in the bag are black. | 25 | |
4766160061 | Irony | A mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is reverse of what might have been expected Ex. Someone posted a video on YouTube about how awful YouTube is. | 26 | |
4766200605 | Metaphor | A figure of speech that compares unlike objects. When several characteristics of the same objects are compared, the device is called an extended metaphor. A metaphor referring to a particular person, place, or thing is called a metaphorical allusion. Ex. The assignment was a breeze. | 27 | |
4766208376 | Metonymy | A figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which its associated. Ex. England decides to keep check on immigration. England=the government | 28 | |
4766210114 | Mood | The emotional tone or prevailing atmosphere in a work of literature or discourse. In grammar, mood refers to the intent of a particular sentence. Indicative mood: used for statement of facts Subjunctive mood: Used to express doubt or a conditional attitude; sentences in imperative command Ex. "The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky..." -Dickens "Pickwick Papers" (Non-violent mood) | 29 | |
4766220442 | Narrative | A form of verse or prose (both fiction and nonfiction) that tells a story Narrative devices: Storyteller uses, skipping back and forth in time, ordering events chronologically, and ordering events to lead up to a suspenseful climax. Ex. Poetry written in the style of a narrative is known as narrative verse. | 30 | |
4766228996 | Onomatopoeia | The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning Ex. The rustling leaves kept me awake. The cat meows loudly. | 31 | |
4766231588 | Oxymoron | A term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect. Ex. That movie was a tragic comedy. | 32 | |
4766234733 | Paradox | A statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true. Ex. "I can resist anything but temptation." -Oscar Wilde | 33 | |
4766248119 | Parallel Structure | The structure required for expressing two or more grammatical elements of equal rank. Coordinate ideas, compared and contrasted ideas, and corrective constructions call for parallel construction. Ex. Like father, like son. Easy come, easy go. | 34 | |
4766253218 | Parody | An imitation of a work meant to ridicule its style and subject. Ex. "Young Frankenstein" is a parody of classic monster movies. | 35 | |
4766255430 | Persona | The role or facade that a character assumes or depicts to a reader or other audience Ex. A character may create a dating website persona that is flirtatious and showcases positive aspects. | 36 | |
4766257881 | Personification | A figure of speech in which objects and animals are given human characteristics Ex. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze. | 37 | |
4766264338 | Prose | Any discourse that is not poetry. Prose poem: selection of prose that, because of its language or content, is poetic in nature Ex. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." -1984, George Orwell | 38 | |
4766269811 | Pun | A humorous play on words, using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings. Ex. Music jokes aren't really my forte. I should stop before I find treble. | 39 | |
4766274823 | Rebuttal | (refutation) The part of discourse wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and answered. | 40 | |
4766278489 | Reiteration | Repetition of an idea using different words, often for emphasis or other effect Ex. "Tomatoes should not be genetically modified...We cannot let the biological structure of tomato plants be altered." | 41 | |
4766281159 | Rhetoric | The language of a work and its style; words, often highly emotional, used to convince or sway on audience Ex. I would die if you asked me to sing in front of my family. (Hyperbole used to persuade not to ask) | 42 | |
4766287717 | Rhetorical Mode | A general term that identifies discourse according to its chief purpose. Modes: Exposition-to explain, analyze, or discussion idea Argumentation-to prove a point or persuade Description-to recreate or present with details Narration-to relate an anecdote or story Ex. The girl argued with her parents over why she should get a car. | 43 | |
4766294656 | Rhetorical Question | A question to which the audience already knows the answer; a question merely asked for effect with no answer expected Ex. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." -Juliet, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare | 44 | |
4766298661 | Sarcasm | A sharp, caustic attitude conveyed in words, through jibes, taunts, or other remarks; differs from irony, which is more subtle Ex. Well, today was a total waste of makeup. | 45 | |
4766302093 | Satire | A literary style used to poke fun at, attack, or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of invoking change Ex. Political cartoons are a popular example of satire. | 46 | |
4766305367 | Sentence Structure | The arrangement of the part of a sentence Simple: one subject and one verb Compound: two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction Complex: an independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses | 47 | |
4766315296 | Simile | A figurative comparison using the words like or as Ex. He is as cunning as a fox. | 48 | |
4766316028 | Stylistic Devices | A general term referring to diction, syntax, tone, figurative language, and all other elements that contribute to the "style," or manner of a given piece of discourse Ex. The poem's style could be described as having informal diction and a positive tone. | 49 | |
4766327125 | Syllogism | A form of deductive reasoning in which given certain ideas or facts, other ideas or facts must follow Ex. Reptiles do not have fur. A crocodile is a reptile. Crocodile do not have fur. | 50 | |
4766330175 | Symbolism | The use of one object to evoke ideas and association not literally part of the original object Ex. Black is a symbol that represents evil or death. | 51 | |
4766336397 | Synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole or the whole signifies the part; When the name of a material stands for the thing itself Ex. The word "bread" refers to food or money as in "put bread on the table." | 52 | |
4766338874 | Syntax | The organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a particular syntax, or pattern of words Ex. Word order in poetry is often altered to achieve an artistic effect. | 53 | |
4766342411 | Tone | The author's attitude toward the subject being written about. The tone is the characteristic emotion that pervades a work or part of a work-the spirit or quality that is the work's emotional essence | 54 | |
4766458255 | Verisimilitude | Similar to the truth; the quality of realism in a work that persuades readers that they are getting a vision of life as it is Ex. "They walked still further and the girl said, 'Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them?" -Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury | 55 | |
4766484489 | Voice | The real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker. In grammar, active voice and passive voice refer to the use of verbs. A verb is in the active voice when it expresses action performed by its subject. A verb is in the passive voice when it expresses an action performed upon its subject or is the result of the action. Stylistically, the active voice leads to more economical writing. | 56 |
AP Language Vocabulary Flashcards
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