AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Literature: Syntax Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
197330007chiasmusa statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")0
197330008polysyndetonusing several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (e.g., 'He ran and jumped and laughed for joy')1
197330009asyndetonWhen the conjunctions (such as "and" or "but") that would normally connect a string of words, phrases, or clauses are omitted from a sentence; (e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered.")2
197330010periodic sentenceThe opposite of a cumulative/loose sentence. A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end, preceded by phrases or clauses that cannot stand alone. It can create a dramatic effect, as it keeps the reader in suspense about what is going to happen. (e.g., "I have been assured by a very knowing American friend of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nourished is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled." Jonathan Swift)3
197330011cumulative/loose sentenceA type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by phrases and clauses. (e.g., "He dipped his hands in the bichloride solution and shook them--a quick shake, fingers down, like the fingers of a pianist above the keys."--Sinclair Lewis)4
197330012anaphorathe repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences, adding emphasis to idea. (e.g., "Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.")5
197330013balanced sentencea sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast ("If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought."--George Orwell)6
197330014parallel sentence (parallelism)Two or more words or constructions must be in the same grammatical form - infinitives, verbs, gerunds, participles, prepositional phrases, clauses, etc. This style is impressive and pleasing to hear, elaborates rhythm and order, and shows economy by using one element of a sentence to server three or four others. (e.g., "To complain of the age we live in, to murmur at the present possessors of power, to lament the past, to conceive extravagant hopes of the future, are the common dispositions of the greatest part of mankind.")7
197330015clausea grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb8
197330016phrasean expression forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence but not containing a finite verb9
202019302inverted syntaxa sentence constructed so that the predicate comes before the subject helps emphasize a particular part of the sentence; instead of SVO, inverted syntax is OSV. (e.g., "The castle of Macduff I will surprise.")10
202019305sentence varietyusing a variety of sentence patterns to create a desired effect11
202019306simple sentencea sentence having no coordinate clauses or subordinate clauses12
202019307compound sentencea sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions13
202019308complex sentencea sentence composed of at least one main clause and one subordinate clause14
202019309compound-complex sentenceat least one dependent clause and two or more independent clauses15
202019310appositivea noun or noun phrase that renames the noun it follows: "Mr. X, my engineering professor, is smart and strange."16
2806286771rhetorical questionA question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer17
7301453876telegraphic sentenceA sentence shorter than five words.18
7301463528declarative sentenceA statement: "The clock struck eight. She waited. Nobody came."19
7301465041interrogative sentenceA question: "Why are you interrogating me?"20
7301465751imperative sentenceA command: "Write to the local station. Try to convince others you are right."21
7301467672exclamatory sentenceA a sentence that conveys excitement or force22
7301469005active voicethe subject is doing the action: "Samson mailed the letter."23
7301469433passive voicethe subject receives the action: "The letter was mailed by Samson."24

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!