Terms : Hide Images
| 4263120637 | anaphora | a repetition of a word or of words at the beginning of two or more successive clauses |  | 0 |
| 4263130593 | euphemism | the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt or offensive |  | 1 |
| 4263162324 | paradox | a nonsensational underlying truth |  | 2 |
| 4263168620 | syntax | that part of grammar which treats of the construction of sentences; the due arrangement of words in sentences in their necessary relations, according to established usage in any language |  | 3 |
| 4263177135 | ad hominem | when a writer personally attacks his or her opponents instead of their arguments |  | 4 |
| 4263184521 | colloquial | the use of slang or informalities of speech or writing. not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. colloquial expressions in writing include regional dialect |  | 5 |
| 4263211488 | ambiguity | the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage |  | 6 |
| 4263224855 | parallelism | Parallelism Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of believe, it was the epoch of incredulity....") The effects of parallelism are numerous, but frequently they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm |  | 7 |
| 4263234172 | satire | A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. Regardless of whether or not the work aims to reform human behavior, satire is best seen as a style of writing rather than a purpose for writing. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively by the satirist: irony, wit, parody, caricature, often humorous, is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition |  | 8 |
| 4263258099 | anecdote | a brief story that illustrates or makes a point |  | 9 |
| 4263266115 | allegory | The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The typical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence. A story in which each aspect of the story has a symbolic meaning outside the tale itself |  | 10 |
| 4263275676 | literary conceit | A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects Displays intellectual cleverness through unusual comparisons that make good sense |  | 11 |
| 4263286300 | invective | an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language |  | 12 |
| 4263294128 | pedantic | An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as "show-offy"; using big words for the sake of using big words). |  | 13 |
| 4263305574 | syllogism | From the Greek for "reckoning together," a syllogism (or syllogistic reasoning or syllogistic logic) is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called "major" and the second called "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion. A frequently cited example proceeds as follows: major premise: All men are mortal. minor premise: Socrates is a man. conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is a mortal. A syllogism's conclusion is valid only if each of the two premises is valid. Syllogisms may also present the specific idea first ("Socrates") and the general second ("all men") |  | 14 |
| 4263335246 | anadiplosis | Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase ex: "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." - Yoda | 15 | |
| 4263358826 | antimeria | the substitution of one part of speech for another ex: "The little old lady turtled along the road." | 16 | |
| 4263371101 | chisamus | Chisamus 'chi structure' unlike abab / language listed in an abba form: ex: Ask not what your country Can do for you, But what you Can do for your country | 17 | |
| 4269346039 | metonymy | A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example, a news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" is using metonymy | 18 | |
| 4269372116 | prose | one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. In prose the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the poet determines the length of the line |  | 19 |
| 4269386139 | semantics | The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another |  | 20 |
| 4269429913 | aphorism | A terse statement of know authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author's point. |  | 21 |
| 4269446151 | coherence | A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible. Words, phrases, clauses within the sentence; and sentences, paragraphs, and chpters in larger pieces of writing are the unit that by their progressive and logical arrangement, make for coherence |  | 22 |
| 4269457833 | enumeratio | Figure of amplification in which a subject is divided into constituent parts or details, and may include a listing of causes, effects, problems, solutions, conditions, and consequences; the listing or detailing of the parts of something. Ex. I love her eyes, her hair, her nose, her cheeks, her lips. "Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate; it's peppermint; it's delicious. . . It's very refreshing!" - Kramer (Seinfeld). |  | 23 |
| 4269487857 | polysyndeton | Figure of addition and emphasis which intentionally employs a series of conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) not normally found in successive words, phrases or clauses; the deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses. The effect is a feeling of multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up - a persistence or intensity. Ex. They read and studied and wrote and drilled. I laughed and talked and flunked. "It's [foorball] a way of life, really, to those particular people who are a part of it. It's more than a game, and regardless of what level it's played upon, it still demands those attributes of courage and stamina and coordinated efficiency and goes even beyond that for [it] is a means - it provides a mental and physical relaxation to everybody that watches it, like yourself." - Vince Lombardi |  | 24 |
| 4269519571 | epanalepsis | Repetition at the end of a clause or sentence of the word or phrase with which it began: a combination of anaphoraand epistrophe."Next timethere won't be a next time." (Phil Leotardo in The Sopranos) "AlwaysLow Prices. Always." (Walmart slogan) | 25 | |
| 4269547501 | appositive | a word or phrase that follow a noun or pronoun for emphasis or clarity |  | 26 |
| 4269564422 | zeugma | When a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them |  | 27 |
| 4269577636 | cogent | convincing ; reasonable |  | 28 |
| 4269589823 | didactic | intended to instruct |  | 29 |
| 4269609329 | eloquence | the ability to speak vividly or persuasively |  | 30 |
| 4269655677 | anachronism | Something that is historically inaccurate for example the reference to a clock chiming in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar | 31 | |
| 4269681772 | enjambment | A line of verse that flows on into the next line without a pause |  | 32 |
| 4269692062 | equivoque | Special type of pun that makes use of a single word or phrase which has two disparate meanings, in a context which makes both meanings equally relevant. The art of writing this pun is equivocation. As an example, an epitaph for a bank teller might read: He checked his cash, cashed in his checks, And left his window. Who is next? | 33 | |
| 4269699933 | exemplum | A story that contains or illustrates a moral point put forward as an "example." |  | 34 |
| 4269703659 | fabliau | A short comic tale with a bawdy element. ex: Chaucer's The Miller's Tale contains elements of the fabliau. | 35 | |
| 4269748754 | jargon | A characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo" | 36 | |
| 4269754443 | litotes | Noun. From Greek lítōtēs for "plain" or "simple." Assertion of an affirmative by negating its contrary. Example: "He's not the brightest man in the world," meaning "he is stupid." It is a simple form of understatement, often in Anglo-Saxon poetry, like Beowulf, it is a statement of grim irony. Example, in describing the dwelling place of the monster Grendel, Hrothgar states, "That is not a pleasant place." General example: "He is two bricks shy of a full load," meaning his reasoning powers are not all there. | 37 | |
| 4270840954 | paradox(ical statement) | apparently self-contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is revealed only by careful scrutiny. The purpose of a paradox is to arrest attention and provoke fresh thought | | 38 |
| 4270863266 | vernacular | the characteristic language of a particular group (see also colloquialism); often slang or informal | 39 | |
| 4270911373 | alliteration | The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not frequently in the multiple choice section, you can look for _____ in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage |  | 40 |
| 4270916688 | antecedent | The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the _____ of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences. |  | 41 |
| 4270947734 | epigraph | the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme |  | 42 |
| 4270947391 | concrete language | Language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities | 43 | |
| 4270954990 | syntactic fluency | Ability to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex and/or simple and varied in length |  | 44 |
| 4270967084 | consonance | repetition of a consonant sound within a series of words for a harmonious effect |  | 45 |
| 4270982190 | asyndeton | a deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence |  | 46 |
| 4271012546 | Tricolon | Sentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses. |  | 47 |
| 4271018269 | rhetorical question | one that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience. |  | 48 |
| 4271032571 | oxymoron | a figure of speech composed of contradictory words or phrases, such as "wise fool," bitter-sweet," "pretty ugly," "jumbo shrimp," "cold fire" |  | 49 |
| 4271038760 | motif | main theme or subject of a work that is elaborated on in the development of the piece; a repeated pattern or idea ex:In Mark Twain's "The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn", we see several motifs that support the central idea of the narrative. The motif of childhood gives the novel a lighter tone and makes it enjoyable to read despite its grave central idea i.e. slavery and racism | 50 | |
| 4271058950 | inversion | reversing the customary (subject first, then verb, then complement) order of elements in a sentence or phrase; it is used effectively in many cases, such as posing a question: "Are you going to the store?" Usually, the element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject. | 51 |
