Terms : Hide Images
| 7240115109 | antithesis | juxtaposition of opposite ideas (especially in parallel structure) to emphasize their differences |  | 0 |
| 7240123052 | anecdote | a brief story | 1 | |
| 7240125172 | ambiguity | lack of clarity in writing, leaving more than one correct interpretation possible | 2 | |
| 7240128373 | allusion | referring to another work of literature, an event in history, art, etc. outside of the current work. | 3 | |
| 7240132271 | abstract | somethign that exists only as an idea | 4 | |
| 7240136476 | appeal to authority | author claims to be the authority on a topic or cites someone who is an authority (a false appeal to authority is an appeal to a non-authority - e.x. citing something your mom said to you to prove...) | 5 | |
| 7240140286 | author's purpose | the reason an author writes; three most common reasons are to entertain, to inform, or to persuade. | 6 | |
| 7240141395 | didactic | intending to teach, or preach (usually not good - unless you're writing a homily) | 7 | |
| 7240146449 | analogy | a comparison where one object is compared to another that is unlike it (simile, metaphor, hyperbole) | 8 | |
| 7240148470 | antecedent | the noun to which a pronoun refers (subjects and pronouns need to be consistent in tense) | 9 | |
| 7273111438 | aphorism | a short saying of wisdom, making a point ("don't leave 'til tomorrow what can be done today") | 10 | |
| 7273111439 | clause | a group of words with a subject and a verb - can be dependent or independent | 11 | |
| 7273111440 | cliche | anything that is so overused that it is no longer original ("strong as an ox," "busy as a bee") | 12 | |
| 7273111753 | colloquialism | the use of informal words, phrases, slang, etc. to create realism. | 13 | |
| 7273111754 | concrete | something that is able to be seen and touched | 14 | |
| 7273111755 | connotation | the suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase (opposite of denotation) | 15 | |
| 7273111756 | contemplative | thoughtful, reflective | 16 | |
| 7273112135 | convey | to communicate a thought, feeling, or idea so that others can understand. | 17 | |
| 7273112136 | deductive | top-down logic, where specifics are drawn from the general principle (e.x. all women are bad drivers, you are a woman, thus you are a bad driver) | 18 | |
| 7273112137 | denotation | the dictionary definition of a word | 19 | |
| 7324070346 | device | a technique (a tool) an author uses to produce a special effect in his writing (e.x. simile, flashback, analogy) | 20 | |
| 7324072870 | diction | an author's word choice (should serve purpose) | 21 | |
| 7324074630 | elegiac | (adjective) lamenting the death of someone or something valuable (e.x. "O Captain! My Captain!") | 22 | |
| 7324080114 | euphemism | a mild or less negative word used in place of a harsh or blunt term (political correctness) | 23 | |
| 7324083439 | excerpt | a passage or quotation taken from a book, play, etc. | 24 | |
| 7324085779 | expository | (adjective) explaining or describing information, rather than telling a story or sharing emotion (like in poetry or fiction) | 25 | |
| 7324089720 | extended metaphor/extended simile | a comparison made more than once, continues over several sentences, compares multiple similar points | 26 | |
| 7324094547 | figures of speech | imply meaning instead of literally saying it (e.x. metaphor, simile, personification) | 27 | |
| 7324097982 | footnote | an explanatory comment at the bottom of a page, referring to a specific part of the text | 28 | |
| 7324100398 | homily | a sermon or lecture on a religious or moral theme meant to guide human behavior | 29 | |
| 7557661106 | hyperbole | overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect |  | 30 |
| 7557681305 | hypothetical example | a fictional example used to explain a more complicated idea; puts the idea into understandable terms (e.x. the examples from Singer's Solution to Poverty essay) | 31 | |
| 7557720825 | illustrate/illustrative | explain or make something clear using examples, charts, pictures, etc./serving as an example or explanation | 32 | |
| 7557720826 | imagery | the use of images | 33 | |
| 7557726006 | inference | a conclusion arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data |  | 34 |
| 7557734392 | invective | a verbal attack on someone (instead of a diatribe, it is directly addressed to them) a denunciation; casting blame on someone or something ("How could you forget to []? How could you be so thoughtless, and careless? I can't BELIEVE this.") |  | 35 |
| 7557739649 | irony (especially verbal) | (verbal) saying the opposite of what you mean, (irony in general) the result is opposite of what is expected |  | 36 |
| 7557754070 | jargon | specific words or phrases used by a group of people; difficult for people outside that group to understand (e.x. legal jargon) | 37 | |
| 7557791443 | juxtaposition | placing two things opposite to each other to emphasize the difference between them | 38 | |
| 7557803387 | lyrical | personal, reflective prose that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject | 39 | |
| 7632826527 | metaphor | figure of speech comparing unlike objects, does not use like or as (metaphorical allusion - comparing someone to a person, place, thing - e.x. call someone a "Hercules") | 40 | |
| 7632826528 | mood | the emotional tone or atmosphere of writing (2nd definition - in grammar, mood refers to intent of sentence) | 41 | |
| 7632826529 | narrative | a form of verse/prose that tells a story | 42 | |
| 7632826530 | oxymoron | term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect, (e.x. loud silence, bittersweet) |  | 43 |
| 7632827868 | paradox/paradoxical | a statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true, (e.x. "this is the beginning of the end," "less is more," "I can resist anything but temptation") | 44 | |
| 7632827869 | parallelism/parallel structure | the structure required for expressing two or more grammatical elements of equal rank | 45 | |
| 7632827870 | pedantic | someone who is concerned with precision, minute details, etc. in order to appear intelligent | 46 | |
| 7632829323 | personification | a figure of speech in which objects/animals are given human characteristics | 47 | |
| 7632829324 | point of view | the perspective writing is written from: 1st person - I, me, my, we (personal and intimate) 3rd person - he, she, they (formal and distant) 2nd person - you, your (draws reader into writing) | 48 | |
| 7632829325 | prosaic | characteristic of prose as distinguished from poetry (factual, dull, commonplace) | 49 | |
| 7632933612 | prose | any discourse that is not poetry | 50 | |
| 7632933613 | pun | a humorous play on words, using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings |  | 51 |
| 7632939230 | purpose | One's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing | 52 | |
| 7632939231 | qualify | to modify, limit, or restrict, by listing exceptions or reservations (strengthens your argument) | 53 | |
| 7632940890 | rebuttal | part of your argument where you address/anticipate/negate the counterargument | 54 | |
| 7632940891 | refute/refutation | to negate opposing arguments, using contradicting evidence ("no, you're wrong, and here's why...") | 55 | |
| 7632942916 | rhetoric/rhetorical strategy/rhetorical purpose | the language and style that an author/speaker chooses. If well chosen, should further the author/speaker's purpose and "serve the argument." | 56 | |
| 7632942917 | sarcasm | a sharp, caustic attitude conveyed in words through jibes, taunts, or other remarks (sarcasm differs from irony, which is more subtle) |  | 57 |
| 7632942918 | satire/satirical/satirize | a literary style used to poke fun at, attack, or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of inducing change | 58 | |
| 7632944366 | solecism | a stylistic device where writing intentionally violates correct grammatical rules |  | 59 |
| 7783001475 | stance | the position an author takes | 60 | |
| 7783001476 | style/stylistic | the manner in which an author uses and arranges words, shapes, ideas, forms sentences, and creates a structure to convey ideas | 61 | |
| 7783001477 | subordinate clause | a clause that is dependent on the main clause; less important than the independent clause | 62 | |
| 7783001478 | symbol | an object that evokes ideas and associations not literally part of the original object | 63 | |
| 7783003435 | syntax/syntactical | the organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a syntax, or pattern of words | 64 | |
| 7783003436 | tone | the author's attitude toward the subject being written about - could be indignant, angry, bitter, elated, cautious, ambivalent (!), contemplative/reflective, ambiguous. | 65 | |
| 7783003437 | understatement | a restrained statement that departs from what could be said; a studied avoidance of emphasis or exaggeration, often to create a particular effect | 66 | |
| 7783003438 | wit | the ability to quickly make brilliant/humorous comments | 67 | |
| 7783005854 | allegory | a story where characters/events stand for something else; the story has a second meaning beneath the surface | 68 | |
| 7783005855 | alliteration | the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words | 69 | |
| 7860278154 | anticlimax | a disappointing situation; a moment when expectations are high, but the discourse instead shifts to something boring or trivial | 70 | |
| 7860281706 | assertion | a strong, forceful declaration that something is true (in an essay, your thesis) Unqualified assertion - stated as unequivocally true (always true) Qualified assertion - expresses a level of uncertainty, limits the assertion (the one you want to write!) | 71 | |
| 7860288183 | apostrophe | a speaker addresses something/someone that is not present (usually in poetry) | 72 | |
| 7860291902 | climax | the point in a narrative where the conflict/tension reaches its highest point; the turning point where the rising action transitions into falling action | 73 | |
| 7860294092 | conceit | a figure of speech comparing two vastly different objects; creates surprise/shock in the reader | 74 | |
| 7860297644 | counterexample | an examples that disproves a previous claim (instead of supporting examples, these tear down the argument) | 75 | |
| 7860301563 | cynicism | a pessimistic view of humanity, thinking that humans will not make ethical choices, that humans are generally bad, etc. | 76 | |
| 7860305053 | diatribe | a long, violent, bitter criticism of someone/something, pointing out all its weaknesses and failings ("I hate cats. They're so ugly, and snooty, and they pee on everything, and they scratch you and poop in smelly litterboxes...") | 77 | |
| 7860308200 | digression | a temporary departure from the main topic; getting "off track," often provides more background information | 78 | |
| 7860311225 | dogma/dogmatic | principles laid down by an authority as undeniably true (synonyms: teaching, belief, principle, maxim), dogmatic - inclined to lay down your beliefs as absolutely true | 79 | |
| 7933118034 | enumerate | to list out items or details one-by-one; creates emphasis | 80 | |
| 7933120284 | enunciate | to pronounce words clearly and articulately; or to state/declare a theory | 81 | |
| 7933123930 | epilogue | opposite of a prologue; a chapter at the end of a work of literature concluding the work (unlike an afterword, it is narrated by a character in the story and does not address the readers directly) | 82 | |
| 7933129881 | epiphany | a moment when a character has a realization suddenly, achieving new awareness/knowledge that changes how he/she view the world (an "ah-ha" moment) | 83 | |
| 7933134592 | ethos | refers to the credibility of a person as a means of persuading others | 84 | |
| 7933137581 | fallacy | an error in logic, faulty reasoning resulting in a faulty conclusion, (examples) Ad Hominem - instead of countering the opponent's view, you attack your opponent personally Non sequitur - a conclusion/statement that does not flow logically from the previous argument or statement (Because trans fats are bad for you, we ought to only eat fruits and vegetables) Red Herring - distracting the audience with evidence that seems relevant but actually is not Straw man argument - misrepresenting the opponent's view | 85 | |
| 7933162311 | farce | a lighthearted comedy centering around a ridiculous, exaggerated plot (e.x. Importance of Being Earnest) | 86 | |
| 7933165879 | genre | a type of literature characterized by a specific style or form; literature genres include: poetry, drama (plays), prose, fiction, and non-fiction | 87 | |
| 7933174713 | imperative mood | a grammatical mood forming a command or request | 88 | |
| 7933177317 | inversion | also called anastrophe, reverses the normal order of words (could place the adjective after the noun it modifies, place a verb before its noun, or place a noun before its preposition) | 89 | |
| 8063231543 | logos | the use of logic to support a claim | 90 | |
| 8063235319 | metonomy | figure of speech using the name of one thing to represent something it's closely related to (the white house says...) | 91 | |
| 8063239377 | simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" | 92 | |
| 8063242125 | onomatopoeia | words that sound like their meaning ("buzz," "crash," "whoosh," "bang,") | 93 | |
| 8063246887 | parody | an imitation of a work meant to ridicule its style and subject | 94 | |
| 8063249525 | pathos | an emotional appeal meant to persuade the audience, weak and often "polarizing" | 95 | |
| 8063253024 | periodic sentences | a sentence not in the usual order of English sentences; puts the verb/predicate at the end of the sentence, after particulars are listed first (its purpose can be to persuade, by showing reasons before the conclusion) (example: Of all the boys it could have been, of all the people it could have been, it was the one person she most wanted to see, George.) | 96 | |
| 8063267138 | prepositional phrase | preposition, modifiers, object of preposition | 97 | |
| 8063271695 | semantics | the studyof how language is used figuratively and literally to create meaning | 98 | |
| 8063276677 | syllogism | a rhetorical device that draws a specific conclusion from a general principle (example: All men are mortal, John is a man, John must be mortal) | 99 | |
| 8063280252 | theme | a unifying or dominant idea; a topic (e.x. love, hate, war, peace) | 100 | |
| 8268709262 | treatise | a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject (longer and more detailed than an essay) | 101 | |
| 8268723508 | ballad | a poem/song narrating a story in short stanzas; traditionally passed down orally | 102 | |
| 8268769313 | chiasmus | two clauses are balanced against each other by inverted their orders (e.x. "one should eat to live, not live to eat") | 103 | |
| 8268786383 | liotes | a form of understatement that uses a double negative, function - adds emphasis by catching attention ("it's not unclean) | 104 | |
| 8268795511 | meter | the pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables in a line of poetry; the rhythm of a poem | 105 | |
| 8268800675 | synecdoche | using the part to represent the whole, (Give us this day our daily bread: bread, part, represents food, whole, or the three dresses waltzed into the room: dresses, part, represent whole, girls Or Whole to represent Part (e.x. The United States won gold at the Olympics - United States (whole) represents U.S. Team (part), the ship was in dismay: ship (whole) represents crew members (part) | 106 | |
| 8268815665 | anachronism | using someone/something in the wrong time period (Shakespeare's putting clocks in Julius Caesar) | 107 | |
| 8268821810 | anaphora | the repetition of a word/clause at the beginning of a sentence, adds emphasis (I have a dream) | 108 | |
| 8268827019 | assonance | repeating vowel sounds | 109 | |
| 8268827020 | consonance | repeating consonant sounds within words (different from alliteration) | 110 | |
| 8268831501 | epigraph | a short note at the beginning of a poem or literary work (e.x. "Lawyers, I suppose, were children once" - TKAM epigraph) | 111 | |
| 8925027565 | acerbic | a sharp, sarcastic, biting, ironic, critical tone (tone used in a satire) | 112 | |
| 8925038313 | dogma/dogmatic | the official "rules" and principles regarding religion, faith, etc., generally unquestioned beliefs / expressing one's views as if they are official dogma (saying "I'm right, and I only can be right and I am 100% infallibly right") | 113 | |
| 9835176111 | facetious | inappropriately playful | 114 | |
| 9835186303 | patronizing | pretending to be kind-hearted but actually being condescending ("ah, it's alright, we all make mistakes sometimes," could be a patronizing statement) | 115 |
