AP Language Concepts Vocabulary Flashcards
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| 4663523647 | connotation | A meaning implied by a word apart from its explicit meaning [Ex. "retarded" literally means that someone is mentally impaired, but it is used as an insult and has a negative connotation] | 0 | |
| 4663523648 | denotation | Literal meaning of a word [Ex. The dictionary definition of "retarded" is "slow or limited in mental development"] | 1 | |
| 4663523649 | diction | The choice of words of a speaker or writer [Ex. High diction: The rain poured down in torrents, soaking everything in its path. Low diction: It's raining cats and dogs!] | 2 | |
| 4663523650 | syntax | The sequence in which words are put together to form sentences [Ex. "I cannot go out" vs. "Go out I cannot"] | 3 | |
| 4663523651 | tone | The attitude of a writer towards a subject or audience [Ex. "The weather outside is lovely" vs. "I can't stand the weather today"] | 4 | |
| 4663523652 | explicit | Clear and complete; leaving no doubt about the meaning [Ex. Max, please clean up your things that you left lying on the floor in the living room.] | 5 | |
| 4663523653 | implicit | Understood though not clearly or directly stated [Ex. What a mess! You know what you need to do, Max.] | 6 | |
| 4663523654 | infer | To reach a conclusion based on known facts [Ex. The sandwich you left on the table is gone. Crumbs lead to your dog's bed, and a piece of meat hangs out of her mouth. You infer she has eaten the sandwich.] | 7 | |
| 4663523655 | parallelism | the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter [Ex. "Alice ran into the room, into the garden, and into our hearts"] | 8 | |
| 4663523656 | periodic sentence | A sentence that holds the thought in suspense until the close of the sentence [Ex. "In the almost incredibly brief time which it took the small but sturdy porter to roll a milk-can across the platform and bump it, with a clang, against other milk-cans similarly treated a moment before, Ashe fell in love" (P.G. Wodehouse).] | 9 | |
| 4663523657 | cumulative sentence | An independent clause followed by a series of phrases or clauses that gather details about a person, place, event, or idea (usually come before periodic sentence) [Ex. "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).] | 10 | |
| 4663523658 | balanced sentence | Sentence made up of two parts that are made up of two parts that are roughly equal in length, importance, and grammatical structure [Ex. "Buy a bucket of chicken and have a barrel of fun" or "Sleeping on Seely is like sleeping on a cloud"] | 11 | |
| 4663523659 | interrupted sentence | A sentence in which a word group interrupts the flow of a sentence and is usually set off by commas, dashes, or parentheses [Ex. "This, in fact - a desire to put myself in my true position as editor, or very little more, of the most prolix among the tales that make up my volume - this, and no other, is my true reason for assuming a personal relation with the public" (Hawthorne).] | 12 | |
| 4663523660 | antithesis | The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses [Ex. "Love is an ideal thing, marriage is a real thing" or "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee" ] | 13 | |
| 4663523661 | inversion | The normal order of words is reversed [Ex. "The weather is wonderful" vs. "How wonderful the weather is today"] | 14 | |
| 4663523662 | analogy | A comparison in which an idea or a thing is being compared to another thing that is quite different from it [Ex. "Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer"] | 15 | |
| 4663523663 | metaphor | Comparing two unlike things [Ex. "The assignment was a breeze"] | 16 | |
| 4663523664 | simile | Comparing two unlike things using "like" or "as" [Ex. She smelled like a flower.] | 17 | |
| 4663523665 | logical fallacy | An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid [Ex. "You are a terrible person, therefore everything you say is false"] | 18 | |
| 4663523666 | apostrophe | A figure of speech in which a writer detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character [Ex. "Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me; if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness" (Mary Shelley).] | 19 | |
| 4663523667 | allusion | Brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea [Ex. "This place is like a Garden of Eden"] | 20 | |
| 4663523668 | hyperbole | An exaggeration of ideas [Ex. Your suitcase weighs a ton!] | 21 | |
| 4663523669 | understatement | A writer attributes less importance or conveys less passion than the subject would seem to demand [Ex. "Deserts are somewhat hot, dry, and sandy"] | 22 | |
| 4663523670 | paradox | A statement that appears to be self-contradictory but actually contains some truth [Ex. "wise fool" or "Your enemy's friend is your enemy"] | 23 | |
| 4663523671 | qualification (in argument or logic) | A statement that modifies or limits the meaning of a claim [Ex. Argument: I can answer this question. Qualification: If I understand this question correctly, I can answer it.] | 24 | |
| 4663523672 | epithet | Nickname or descriptive term that is added to someone's name that becomes a part of common usage [Ex. Alexander the Great] | 25 | |
| 4663523673 | euphemism | Polite/mild word or expression used to refer to something embarrassing, taboo, or unpleasant [Ex. to die = to pass away, to meet your maker; to go to the bathroom = to use the little boys' room] | 26 | |
| 4663523674 | conceit | A literary device in which an extended metaphor compares two very dissimilar things [Ex. "dead as a doornail" "fit as a fiddle" "spill the beans" "steal someone's thunder"] | 27 | |
| 4663523675 | synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that refers to a part of something is substituted to stand in for the whole or vice versa [Ex. "new wheels = new car" "boots on the ground = soldiers" "ask for her hand = propose"] | 28 | |
| 4663523676 | metonymy | A figure of speech in which something is called a new name that is related in meaning to the original meaning or concept [Ex. "Hollywood = all celebrity life and culture in U.S." "Wall Street = financial sector" "Washington = U.S. federal government"] | 29 | |
| 4663523677 | alliteration | The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are in close proximity to each other [Ex. She sells sea shells by the seashore] | 30 | |
| 4663523678 | onomatopoeia | A word which imitates the natural sounds of something [Ex. honk, beep, boom, crash, meow, ruff, oink] | 31 | |
| 4663523679 | subjective | Personal, closely connected with the author's feelings, attitude, or prejudices [Ex. A news article stating a political opinion] | 32 | |
| 4663523680 | objective | Impersonal, free from author's feelings, attitude, or prejudices [Ex. A research article containing statistics] | 33 | |
| 4663523681 | cliché | A saying, idea, or element of artistic work that is overused in culture to the point of losing its original significance/meaning [Ex. "At the end of the day" "Time heals all wounds" "I lost track of time"] | 34 | |
| 4663523682 | satire | A genre of literature that uses wit for the purpose of social criticism [Ex. The Onion newspaper] | 35 | |
| 4663523683 | parody | An imitation of a writer, artist, subject, or genre in such a way as to make fun of or comment on the original work [Ex. "Weird Al" Yankovic, changes lyrics of songs to more humorous lyrics] | 36 | |
| 4663523684 | irony | A contrast between the expectations for a situation and reality [Ex. A traffic cop gets his license suspended for unpaid parking tickets] | 37 | |
| 4663523685 | archetype | A reocurring symbol or motif throughout literature that represents universal patterns of human nature [Ex. hero, villain, healer, ruler, rebel, adventurer] | 38 | |
| 4663523686 | antistrophe | A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of the same words at the end of consecutive phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs [Ex. "A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break the bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we fight..." (J.R.R. Tolkien).] | 39 | |
| 4663523687 | polysyndeton | A figure of speech in which several conjunctions are used to join connected clauses in places where they are not contextually necessary [Ex. "The dinner was so good; I ate the chicken, and the salad, and the turkey, and the wild rice, and the bread, and the mashed potatoes, and the cranberry sauce." Here, "and" is used more than necessary] | 40 | |
| 4663523688 | asyndeton | The omission of a conjunction such as "and" or "as" from a series of related clauses [Ex. "I wore a sweater. A hat. A scarf. Mittens."] | 41 | |
| 4663523689 | deduction | A method of reasoning in which the conclusion follows from the stated premises [Ex. Everything made of copper conducts electricity. (Premise) This wire is made of copper. (Premise) This wire will conduct electricity. (Conclusion)] | 42 | |
| 4663523690 | induction | A method of reasoning that moves from specific instances to a general conclusion [Ex. This marble from the bag is black. That marble from the bag is black. A third marble from the bag is black. Therefore all the marbles in the bag are black. OR Around 80 percent of the girls wore heels. Jane is a girl. Therefore, she wore heels.] | 43 | |
| 4663523691 | anaphora | The deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect [Ex. "Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better"] | 44 | |
| 4663523692 | aphorism | A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise or witty manner [Ex. "Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age regret"] | 45 | |
| 4663523693 | epigram | A rhetorical device that is a memorable, brief, interesting, and surprising satirical statement [Ex. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" - Eleanor Roosevelt OR "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind" - John F. Kennedy] | 46 | |
| 4663523694 | analysis | Practice of looking closely at small parts to see how they affect the whole [Ex. Finding an author's meaning by inspecting their plot structure, character, and/or setting] | 47 | |
| 4663523695 | argumentation | The process of forming reasons, justifying beliefs, and drawing conclusions with the aim of influencing the thoughts and/or actions of others [Ex. While writing an essay on why school sports should only be open to those with passing grades, your argumentation would involve your personal reasons for making this claim such as "It would motivate kids to do well in school"] | 48 | |
| 4663523696 | syllogism | A rhetorical device that starts an argument with a reference to something general and from this it draws a conclusion about something more specific [Ex. "All men are mortal" we know that "John is a man" therefore "John is mortal"] | 49 | |
| 4663523697 | enthymeme | An argumentative statement in which the writer or the speaker omits one of the major or minor premises, does not clearly pronounce it, or keeps this premise implied [Ex. He could not have committed this heinous crime. (Major premise) I have known him since he was a child (Minor premise). (The hidden premise: He is innocent by nature and, therefore, can never be a criminal)] | 50 | |
| 4663523698 | chiasmus | A rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures in order to produce an artistic effect [Ex. "Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you" "You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget"] | 51 | |
| 4663523699 | ellipsis (rhetorical) | An omission of words which are technically required by a given sentence, but which can be omitted without losing the sense of the sentence [Ex. "The sparrow ate the fly, the eagle the sparrow, the bear the eagle, the lion the bear, and I the lion" (In the second clause, the verb is missing ->ellipsis)] | 52 | |
| 4663523700 | anadiplosis | The repetition of a word or words in successive clauses in such a way that the second clause starts with the same word that marks the end of the previous clause (found in chiasmus) [Ex. "When I give, I give myself" OR "This public school has a record of extraordinary reliability, a reliability that every other school is jealous of in the city."] | 53 | |
| 4663523701 | epanalepsis | A rhetorical device; the repetition of a word or phrase at regular intervals such that the second clause ends with the same word/phrase that started the first clause [Ex. "Always low prices. Always" OR "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink; the man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking" (Pirates of the Caribbean).] | 54 | |
| 4663523702 | antimetabole | A rhetorical device; the repetition of words in successive sentences in reverse grammatical order (type of chiasmus) [Ex. "I say what I mean, and I mean what I say" OR "I eat to live, not live to eat"] | 55 | |
| 4663523703 | allegory | A figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures, and events [Ex. Animal Farm by George Orwell - Used animals to represent the various characters involved in any sort of Communist Revolution, specifically the Russian Revolution in his case] | 56 | |
| 4663523704 | simple sentence | A sentence that contains a single subject and predicate; contains only one independent clause [Ex. Jill reads. OR The dog barked and growled loudly. OR The cat and dog ate.] | 57 | |
| 4663523705 | compound sentence | A sentence made up of more than one independent clause combined using a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) [Ex. The sun was setting in the West and the moon was just rising.] | 58 | |
| 4663523706 | complex sentence | A sentence made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause [Ex. Though he was very rich, he was still unhappy.] | 59 | |
| 4663523707 | complex-compound sentence | A sentence made up of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses [Ex. Though she enjoys watching romance films, she rented the latest action movie, and she enjoyed it very much.] | 60 | |
| 4663523708 | declarative | A sentence that states a fact. [Ex. It is hot outside. OR We have broccoli in our refrigerator.] | 61 | |
| 4663523709 | exclamatory | A sentence which expresses strong feeling. [Ex. I love chocolate!] | 62 | |
| 4663523710 | interrogative | A sentence that asks a question. [Ex. What time is it?] | 63 | |
| 4663523711 | imperative | A sentence that requests or commands something of the listener. [Ex. Give me the tools.] | 64 | |
| 4663523712 | antecedent | An earlier clause, phrase, or word to which a pronoun refers back to [Ex. When children are happy, they clap to express their pleasure. (they is a pronoun, children is the antecedent)] | 65 | |
| 4663523713 | nostalgia | pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again [Ex. "For I must now confess to you that I suffer from home-sickness — that I long so ardently and earnestly for home, as sometimes, when no one sees me, to pine for it. ... So dearly do I lovethe scene of my poverty and your kindness. O so dearly, O so dearly!" (Dickens, Little Dorrit)] | 66 | |
| 4663523714 | dichotomy | A literary technique that divides a thing into two equal and contradictory parts or between two opposing groups [Ex. Good & evil, real & imaginary, heaven & hell, savage & civilized] | 67 | |
| 4663523715 | paradigm shift | A significant change in an individual's or society's view of how things work in the world [Ex. The shift from Earth to Sun as the center of the universe; shift from heart to brain as center of thinking and feeling] | 68 | |
| 4663523716 | enumerate | To list details [Ex. "[W]hen we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'" (Martin Luther King, Jr., "I Have a Dream." August 1963).] | 69 |