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The Language of Composition, Complete Glossary, AP Language and Composition Vocab Review Flashcards

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6636168338AlliterationThe repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables.0
6636168339AllusionAn indirect reference, often to another text or an historic event.1
6636168340AnalogyAn extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things.2
6636168341AnaphoraThe repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses.3
6636168342AnecdoteA short account of an interesting event.4
6636168343AnnotationExplanatory or critical notes added to a text.5
6636168344AntecedentThe noun to which a later pronoun refers.6
6636168345AntimetaboleThe repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast.7
6636168346AntithesisParallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas.8
6636168347AphorismA short, astute statement of general truth.9
6636168348AppositiveA word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun.10
6636168349Archaic dictionThe use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language.11
6636168350ArgumentA statement put forth and supported by evidence.12
6636168351Aristotelian triangleA diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience (see rhetorical triangle)13
6636168352AssertionAn emphatic statement; declaration. An assertion supported by evidence becomes an argument.14
6636168353AssumptionA belief or statement taken for granted without proof.15
6636168354AsyndetonLeaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses.16
6636168355AttitudeThe speaker's position on a subject, as revealed through his or her tone.17
6636168356AudienceOne's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is being addressed.18
6636168357AuthorityA reliable, respected source- someone with knowledge.19
6636168358BiasPrejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue.20
6636168359CiteIdentifying a part of a piece of writing as being derived from a source.21
6636168360ClaimAn assertion, usually supported by evidence.22
6636168361Close readingA careful reading that is attentive to organization, figurative language, sentence structure, vocabulary, and other literary and structural elements of a text.23
6636168362Colloquial/ismAn informal or conversational use of language.24
6636168363Common groundShared beliefs, values, or positions.25
6636168364Complex sentenceA sentence that includes one independent clause and at least on dependent clause.26
6636168365ConcessionA reluctant acknowledgement or yielding.27
6636168366ConnotationThat which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word's literal meaning (See denotation)28
6636168367ContextWords, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning.29
6636168368CoordinationGrammatical equivalence between parts of a sentence, often through a coordinating conjunction such as AND, or BUT.30
6636168369CounterarguementA challenge to a position; an opposing argument.31
6636168370CredibleWorthy of belief; trustworthy.32
6636168371Cumulative SentenceAn independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional detail.33
6636168372Declarative SentenceA sentence that makes a statement.34
6636168373DeductionReasoning from general to specific.35
6636168374DenotationThe literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition.36
6636168375Dialectal JournalA double- column journal in which one writes a quotation in one column and reflections on that quotation in the other column.37
6636168376DictionWord choice.38
6636168377DocumentationBibliographic information about the sources used in a piece of writing.39
6636168378ElegiacMournful over what has passed or been lost; often used to describe tone.40
6636168379EpigramA brief witty statement.41
6636168380EthosA Greek term referring to the character of a person; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see logos and pathos).42
6636168381Explication of TextExplanation of a text's meaning through an analysis of all of its constituent parts, including the literary devices used; also called close reading.43
6636168382FactsInformation that is true or demonstrable.44
6636168383Figurative LanguageThe use of tropes or figures of speech; going beyond literal meaning to achieve literary effect.45
6636168384Figure of SpeechAn expression that strives for literary effect rather than conveying literal meaning.46
6636168385FragmentA word, phrase, or clause that does not form a full sentence.47
6636168386HortatoryUrging, or strongly encouraging.48
6636168387HyperboleExaggeration for the purpose of emphasis.49
6636168388ImageryVivid use of language that evokes a reader's senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing).50
6636168389ImperativeA sentence that requests or commands.51
6636168390InductionReasoning from specific to general.52
6636168391InversionA sentence in which the verb precedes the subject.53
6636168392IronyA contradiction between what is said and whit is meant; incongruity between action and result.54
6636168393JuxtapositionPlacement of two things side by side for emphasis.55
6636168394LogosA Greek term that means "word"; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see ethos and pathos).56
6636168395MetaphorA figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison.57
6636168396MetonymyUse of an aspect of something to represent the whole.58
6636168397ModifierA word, phrase, or clause that qualifies or describes another word phrase, or clause.59
6636168398NarrationRetelling an event or series of events.60
6636168399NominalizationTurning a verb or adjective into a noun.61
6636168400OccasionAn aspect of context; the cause or reason for writing.62
6636168401Omniscient NarratorAn all-knowing, usually third person narrator.63
6636168402OxymoronA figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms.64
6636168403PacingThe relative speed or slowness with which a story is told or an idea is presented.65
6636168404ParadoxA statement that seems contradictory but is actually true.66
6636168405ParallelismThe repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns.67
6636168406ParodyA piece that imitates and exaggerates the prominent features of another; used for comic effect or ridicule.68
6636168407PathosA Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals (see ethos and logos).69
6636168408Periodic SentenceA sentence that builds toward and ends with the main clause.70
6636168409PersonaThe speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing.71
6636168410PersonificationAssigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects.72
6636168411PolemicAn argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics or religion.73
6636168412PolysyndetonThe deliberate use of a series of conjunctions.74
6636168413Premise; Major; MinorTow parts of a syllogism. The concluding sentence of a syllogism takes its predicate from the major premise and its subject from the minor premise. Major premise: All mammals are WARM-BLOODED. Minor premise: All HORSES are mammals. Conclusion: All HORSES are WARM-BLOODED.75
6636168414PronounA word used to replace a noun or noun phrase.76
6636168415PropagandaA negative term for writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information.77
6636168416PurposeOne's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing.78
6636168417RefuteTo discredit an argument, particularly a counterargument.79
6636168418RhetoricThe study of effective, persuasive, language use; according to Aristotle, use of the "Available means of persuasion."80
6636168419Rhetorical ModesPatterns of organization developed to achieve a specific purpose; modes include but are not limited to narration, description, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, definition, exemplification, classification and division, process analysis, and argumentation.81
6636168420Rhetorical QuestionA question asked more to produce an effect than to summon an answer.82
6636168421Rhetorical TriangleA diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience (see Aristotelian triangle).83
6636168422SatireAn ironic, sarcastic, or witty composition that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it.84
6636168423SchemeA pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect.85
6636168424Sentence PatternsThe arrangement of independent and dependent clauses into known sentence constructions- simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex.86
6636168425Sentence VarietyUsing a variety of sentence patterns to create a desired effect.87
6636168426SimileA figure of speech that uses "like" or "as" to compare two things.88
6636168427Simple SentenceA statement containing a subject and predicate; an independent clause.89
6636168428SourceA book, article, person, or other resource consulted for information.90
6636168429SpeakerA term used for the author, speaker, or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing.91
6636168430Straw ManA logical fallacy that involves the creation of an easily refutable position; misrepresenting, then attacking an opponent's position.92
6636168431StyleThe distinctive quality of speech or writing created by the selection and arrangement of words and figures of speech.93
6636168432SubjectIn rhetoric, the topic addressed in a piece of writing.94
6636168433Subordinate ClauseCreated by a subordinating conjunction, a clause that modifies an independent clause.95
6636168434SubordinationThe dependence of one syntactical element on another in a sentence.96
6636168435SyllogismA form of deductive reasoning in which the conclusion is supported by major and minor premise (see premise; major; and minor).97
6636168436SyntaxSentence structure.98
6636168437SythesizeCombining or bringing together two or more elements to produce something more complex.99
6636168438ThesisThe central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer.100
6636168439Thesis StatementA statement of the central idea in a work, may be explicit or implicit.101
6636168440ToneThe speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience.102
6636168441Topic SentenceA sentence, most often appearing at the beginning of a paragraph, that announces the paragraph's idea and often unites it with the work's of the thesis.103
6636168442TropeArtful diction; the use of language in a non literal way; also called a figure of speech.104
6636168443UnderstatementLack of emphasis in a statement or point; restraint in language often used for ironic effect.105
6636168444VoiceIn grammar, a term for the relationship between a verb and a noun (active or passive voice). In rhetoric, a distinctive quality in the style and tone of writing.106
6636168445ZeugmaA construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs- often in different, sometimes in congruent was- two or more words in a sentence.107

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