219742084 | paradox | appears true but is self contradictory or appears self contradictory but it actually true | |
219742085 | analogy | literal comparison of two unlike things that have simliarites to clarify something confusing Ex: heart works like a pump | |
219742086 | metonymy | name of an object is subsituted for another closly associated with it; also when a quality of something is used to replace it | |
219742087 | oxymoron | grouping aparently contrdictory terms to suggest a paradox Ex: jumbo shirmp | |
219742088 | antithesis | oppisite or opposing ideas | |
219742089 | euphemism | a more agreeable subsitute for offensive language | |
219742090 | juxtaposition | placing two or more things side by side to creat a purposeful contrast | |
219742091 | hyperbole | figurative launguge that deliberatly exaggerates Ex: my backpack weights a ton | |
219742092 | litotes | a type of understatement; making an affirmative point by denying the opposite Ex: not a bad idea = Good idea | |
219742093 | synecdoche | when a part of something is used to represent the whole OR a whole represents a part Ex: wheels=car | |
219742094 | imagery | appeals to senses | |
219742095 | figurative language | words or phrases that are not meant to be or cannot be understood literally | |
219742096 | allegory | story, ppl, and things have literal and secondary symbolic meaning | |
219742097 | connotation | implied meaning of a word | |
220092656 | metaphor | a direct comparisonof two unlike things x=y | |
220092657 | denotation | dictionary definition of the word | |
220092658 | symbol/symbolism | person, place or thing that represents a literal and other meaning | |
220092659 | simile | indirect comparison of two unlike things x is like y | |
220092660 | personification | giving and idea or object human characteristics/ abilities | |
220092661 | diction | word choice | |
220092662 | logos | appeal to logic | |
220092664 | ethos | appeal to credibility | |
220092667 | syntax | structure, organization of text appearance | |
220092671 | pathos | appeal to emotion | |
220092673 | tone | the speakers attitude toward the subject (SATS) | |
220092675 | atmosphere | the feeeling within the work by setting, characters and there interactons | |
220092677 | theme | the central message or insight into life non fiction-stated directly fiction-almost never is | |
220092680 | mood | the feeling the reader gets from a piece of writing | |
220092682 | repitition | the duplication of any piece of writing (sounds,phrases,letters,clauses,sentences and grammatical patterns) | |
220092683 | ambiguity | when a word, phrase,sentence or passage has multiple potiental meanings , especially on a literal meaning | |
220092684 | thesis | a sentence or group of sentences that directly state an authors opinion, purpose, meaning, or position | |
220092685 | allusion | a direct or indirect reference to an event, book, myth, place, work of art etc.intended to elicit connections that are permably common knowledge | |
220092686 | parallelism/ parallel structure | rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs to give the grammatical similarities | |
221148256 | colloquial | the use of slang/ informal language ex: ya'll, off the wall | |
221148257 | didactic | language or writing that is intended to instruct | |
221148258 | homily | used to describe any talk or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice | |
221148259 | invective | emotionally violent, abusive, or insulting language Ex: this s*** makes me mad! | |
221148260 | pedantic | an adjective used to describe words or tone that is overly scholarly or bookish, often to the point of showing off | |
221148261 | semantics | the study of individual words, their denotations and connotations, their development over time and there relation to one another | |
221148262 | sarcastic | used to describe language that is bitter and meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something directly | |
221148263 | satire | a style of writing that targets a percieved problem with human society and makes fun of it.Can be playful or harsh | |
221148264 | parody | closley imitates style or content of another work or genre, usually focusing on peculiarities of the original work of genre and exploiting them, a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way | |
221148265 | caricature | a description intended to exaggerate or distort for comic effect, distinctive features of a subject | |
221148266 | irony | a contrast of what is said or written and what is actually meant; Verbal: denotations of words are opposite of actual meaning. Situtational: events turn out oppisite of what would be expected. Pramatic: reader knows something the characters dont | |
229376820 | Antecedent | word, phrase, or clause reffered to by a pronoun Pronouns are " he" "she" "they" | |
229376821 | transitions | A word or phrase that links ideas together frequently indicating the purpose or function of a sentence " for example" or "however" | |
229376822 | clause | a grammatical unit that includes a subject and a verb ( agree, behave) | |
229376823 | subordintate ( dependent) clause | a clause that doesnt neccesarily have a subject. doesnt express a complete thought | |
229376824 | loose sentence | a type of sentence in which the main idea comes first and is followed by a series of subordinate clauses | |
229376825 | Periodic sentence | a sentence that has a series of subordinate phrases and clauses finishing with the main idea( independent clause) | |
229376826 | Antimetabole | two or more parallel clauses with an inversion of words Ex: i know what i like and i like what i know | |
229376827 | chiasmus aka "X" | two or more clauses that demonstrate inverted parallelism Ex: he knowingly(adverb) lied(verb) and we followed(verb) blindly(adverb) | |
229376828 | syllogism | a form of reasoning in which two sentences are made and a conclusion is drawn from them Ex: Major premise: mr furman is a man Minor premise: all men shave there faces conclusion: therefore mr.furman shaves his face | |
235187809 | rhetorical modes | a term used as a classification of the purpose of the major kinds of writing | |
235187810 | narration | telling a story to either reveal a truth or provide evidence for an argument | |
235187811 | description | revealing a subject using sensory details to make it easier to understand, does not tell a story | |
235187812 | exemplification | explaining a subject or making an argument by using specific examples | |
235187813 | compare and contrast | explaining or evaluating a subject by revealing similarities and differences to another subject | |
235187814 | process analysis | used to inform readers about how to do things or how something works | |
235187815 | analysis | to divide a single, usually concrete subject into its parts, explain each in turn, and develope a conclusion as a result | |
235187816 | classification | taking a complicated subject and breaking it down into groups or kinds then compare and contrast | |
235187817 | cause and effect | tell readers the reason for the consequences of a subject | |
235187818 | definition | to show the reader the boundries and distinctions of a subject, setting parameters on your subject | |
235187819 | argument / persuasion | presenting an opinion or proposal, typically in order to have the reader act upon it | |
236995602 | Alliteration | repitition of the same consonant sounds in consecutive words | |
236995603 | onomatopoeia | a word that represents a sound | |
236995604 | asyndeton | purposly taking out conjunctions ( and, so etc.) | |
236995605 | polyseyndeton | purposeful use of conjunctions between clauses and phrases that arent usually connected by conjunctions | |
236995606 | aphorism | a short statement or universally accepted truth, usually about a oral principle, with a known author | |
236995607 | concession | granting that an opposing claim is correct | |
236995608 | qualification | presenting reasoning thta explains why a claim is either insignificant or irrelevent | |
236995609 | acknowledgment | stating what an opposing claim is w/o conceding to it, recognizing an alternative opinion exists | |
236995610 | rebuttal | explanation of how or why an opposing claim is wrong |
AP English Vocab
Primary tabs
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!