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AP Language Rhetorical Terms: List 3 Flashcards

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4723603693abstractWords or phrases denoting ideas, qualities, and conditions that exist but cannot be seen--opposite of these types terms are concrete terms0
4723603694ad populem argumentA fallacious argument that appeals to the passions and prejudices of a group rather than its reason. An example is using the phrase "It's the American Way"1
4723603695allegoryThe device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. This type of meaning usually deals with moral truth or generalization about human existence.2
4723603696anaphoraThe repetition of a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.3
4723603697aphorismA terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. Can be a memorable summation of the author's point.4
4723603698apostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction--may add familiarity or emotional intensity.5
4723603699attitudeA writer's intellectual position or emotion regarding the subject of the writing.6
4723603700audienceThe group for whom a work is intended.7
4723603701claimThe ultimate conclusion, generalization, or point, backed up by support, of an argument.8
4723603702clichéA stale image or expression, and the bane of good expository writing.9
4723603703comparison/contrastA rhetorical mode used to develop essays that systematically match two items for similarities and differences10
4723603704complex sentenceA sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.11
4723603705concreteSaid of words or terms denoting objects or condition that are palpable, visible, or evident to the senses---opposite of abstract.12
4723603706evidenceThe logical bases or supports for an assertion or idea.13
4723603707genreThe major category into which a literary work fits--the basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.14
4723603708inversionThe reversal of the normal order of words in a sentence to achieve some desired effect, usually emphasis.15
4723603709loose sentenceA type of sentence in which the main idea comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. A work containing many of these often seems informal, relaxed, and conversational.16
4723603710metonymyA figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.17
4723603711periodic sentenceA sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone.18
4723603712process analysisA type of development in writing that stresses how a sequence of steps produces a certain effect.19
4723603713rhetorical questionA question posed with no expectation of receiving an answer. Used in public speaking to launch or further discussion.20
4723603714synecdocheA part of something used to refer to the whole.21
4723603715syntaxThe order of words in a sentence and their relationships to each other.22
4723603716transitionWords, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that indicate connections between the writer's ideas.23
4723603717unityThe characteristic of having all parts contribute to the overall effect.24

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