AP Language Rhetoric Vocab Flashcards

A Working Vocabulary of Fundamental Terms

4648626830	alliteration	The repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables. "Peter Pieper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers."	0
4648626831	allusion	An indirect reference, often to another text or an historic event. "Smart Name-Dropping." Example: If one uses the phrase "The Promised Land," they are "alluding" to the Biblical story of the Hebrews' forty year search to find land. The allusion carries heavy meaning within it.	1
4648626832	analogy	An extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things. A longer simile. Example: This class is like a circus. The students are an assortment of wacky clowns and clever performers. The teacher is the ring-leader.	2
4648626833	anaphora	The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses. "I Have a Dream"	3
4648626834	anecdote	A short account of an interesting event.	4
4648626835	annotation	Explanatory or critical notes added to a text.	5
4648626836	antimetabole	The repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast. "My heart is a boulder. My heart is a stone. My heart is a pebble. My heart is alone."	6
4648626837	antithesis	Parallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas, such as, "You win some, you lose some" or "The light seems brightest in the darkest of nights."	7
4648626838	aphorism	A short, astute statement of a general truth. Similar to an attention-getter. It's purpose could be to avoid marginalizing, or leaving out, any reader of an essay. Such as "Society oftentimes argues about if global warming is the effect of human action" or "They say blood is thicker than water."	8
4648626839	archaic diction	The use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language.	9
4648626840	ad hominem	A fallacy of logic in which the writer attacks the character of the arguer rather than discuss the ideas. Example: I would never vote for that scoundrel, Johnny Jones. He divorced his wife last year. (Johnny Jones marital status and personal life do not mean he would be a bad mayor.)	10
4648626841	argument	A statement put forth and supported by evidence.	11
4648626842	assertion	An emphatic statement; declaration. Example: I assert that this law was created to make it harder for minorities to vote!	12
4648626843	assumption	A belief or statement taken for granted without proof.	13
4648626844	asyndeton	Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses. There are no FANBOYS (For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) joining the clauses. This purpose would be to show the importance of what is being said or makes the author seem as though he or she is rushing because of the importance of the matter. "I came, I saw, I conquered."	14
4648626845	attitude	The speaker's position on a subject as revealed through his or her tone.	15
4648626846	audience	One's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed.	16
4648626847	authority	A reliable, respected source—someone with knowledge. Appeals to the reader's logos. An example would be when the first lady argues for healthy eating and excerise programs for children. People trust and respect her ideals about wanting what is best for American children.	17
4648626848	bias	Prejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue.	18
4648626849	cite	Identifying a part of a piece of writing as being derived from a source.	19
4648626850	claim	An assertion, usually supported by evidence.	20
4648626851	close reading	A careful reading that is attentive to organization, figurative language, sentence structure, vocabulary, and other literary and structural elements of a text. i.e., what you should do to the passage of Essay #2, the rhetorical analysis essay.	21
4648626852	colloquial/ism	An informal or conversational use of language.	22
4648626853	common ground	Shared beliefs, values, or positions. An author may use this to appeal to the reader's pathos. An example might be in using the first person, such as "We all have important female role models in our lives; therefore, we all know how important a woman's role is."	23
4648626854	concession	A reluctant acknowledgment or yielding. The debate equivalent of retreating or "waving the white flag." It is a strong rhetorical tactic to make some concessions to your opponent. It makes the arguer appear more reasonable.	24
4648626855	connotation	That which is implied by a word, the emotional load a word carries, as opposed to the word's literal meaning. Example: fat vs. curvy	25
4648626856	context	Words, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning. The background about the author and time period regarding the work.	26
4648626857	counterargument	A challenge to a position; an opposing argument.	27
4648626858	declarative sentence	A sentence that makes a statement. Ex: "I am not a crook!"	28
4648626859	denotation	The literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition.	29
4648626860	diction	Word choice.	30
4648626861	elegiac	Mournful over what has passed or been lost; often used to describe tone.	31
4648626862	ethos	A Greek term referring to the character or credibilityof a person; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals.	32
4648626863	figurative language	The use of tropes or figures of speech; going beyond literal meaning to achieve literary effect.	33
4648626864	hyperbole	Exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis. Ex: The guy was as tall as a giraffe.	34
4648626865	imagery	Vivid use of language that evokes a reader's senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing).	35
4648626866	irony	A contradiction between what is said and what is meant, or incongruity between action and result. Ex: The nun turns out to be the serial killer.	36
4648626867	juxtaposition	Placement of two things side by side for emphasis.	37
4648626868	logos	A Greek term that means "word"; an appeal to logic. Facts and evidence.	38
4648626869	metaphor	A figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison. Ex: My principal is a monster!	39
4648626870	metonymy	Use of an aspect of something to represent the whole. Ex: Can I speak to the head of the household? (They just want to speak with the head? What about the rest of the person?)	40
4648626871	oxymoron	A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms, such as "a small crowd," "jumbo shrimp," or "pretty ugly."	41
4648626872	paradox	A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true. Ex: In searching for peace, one will not find any.	42
4648626873	parallelism	The repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns. Ex: The children swam in the pond, ran through the grass, and danced across the meadow.	43
4648626874	parody	A piece that imitates and exaggerates the prominent features of another; used for comic effect or ridicule.	44
4648626875	pathos	A Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals	45
4648626876	personification	Assigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects. The flowers danced in the wind.	46
4648626877	polysyndeton	The deliberate use of a series of conjunctions. The opposite of a syndenton. Purpose to show excitement or inability to choose sides. Ex: "My favorite student is Jerrieca, or Jaquorian, or Jamaira, or Johnathan, or Jessica. Or everyone in my 4th period."	47
4648626878	propaganda	A negative term for writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information.	48
4648626879	purpose	One's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing.	49
4648626880	refute	To discredit an argument, particularly a counterargument.	50
4648626881	rhetoric	The study of effective, persuasive language use; according to Aristotle, use of the "available means of persuasion."	51
4648626882	rhetorical question	A question asked more to produce an effect or persuade on to consider an issue. Example: How many times have you been late to class because you can't find your keys?	52
4648626883	rhetorical triangle	A diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience. Logos-ethos-pathos.	53
4648626884	satire	An ironic, sarcastic, or witty composition that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it.	54
4648626885	sentence variety	Using a variety of sentence patterns to create a desired effect.	55
4648626886	simile	A figure of speech that uses "like" or "as" to compare two things. Ex. Her hair was like a bright red, tangled bird's nest.	56
4648626887	speaker	A term used for the author, speaker, or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing.	57
4648626888	straw man	A logical fallacy that involves the creation of an easily refutable position; misrepresenting, then attacking an opponent's position. Ex: Don't vote for Sally Smith because she wants to close down our schools. (Actually, Sally proposes to build new schools in urban areas because the old ones falling apart.)	58
4648626889	style	The distinctive qualitiy of speech or writing created by the selection and arrangement of words and figures of speech.	59
4648626890	Begging the Question	A logical fallacy in which the evidence makes the same claim as the argument. The use of vague language to trick the audience into buying into the claim. Ex: Because of the sad state of teens today, we need to implement better programs to help them. (What sad state? What is going on?)	60
4648626891	Red Herring	A fallacy of logic in which a desperate arguer often tries to change the ground of the argument by changing the subject or adding extraneous information to keep the audience from being able to focus on the real issue or evidence.	61
4648626892	syntax	Sentence structure.	62
4648626893	thesis	The central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer. This is the heart of every argument.	63
4648626894	tone	The speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience.	64
4648626895	trope	Artful diction; the use of language in a nonliteral way; also called a figure of speech.	65
4648626896	understatement	Lack of emphasis in a statement or point; restraint in language often used for ironic effect. Ex: "There's a scratch on your car." (The bumper has been completely ripped off)	66
4648626897	Synecdoche	a rhetorical device in which a whole is represented by naming one of its parts. Ex: All hands on deck! (Just the hands?)	67
4648626898	oxymoron	Placing two ordinarily opposing terms adjacent to one another. A compressed paradox. Ex: heavy air or jumbo shrimp.	68
4648626899	apostrophe	a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction.	69
4648626900	melodramatic	overly emotional or sentimental	70
4648626901	ambivalence	lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided	71
4648626902	nostalgic	wishing for a return to the way things used to be; longing for the past; homesick	72
4648626903	euphemism	An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant. i.e. "he went to his final resting place," rather than "He died."	73
4648626904	double entendre	a statement that has two meanings, one of which is dirty or vulgar.	74
4648626905	active voice	The active voice is essentially any sentence with an action verb. Active voice is preferred in writing because it expresses more energy. Example: I broke the baby's toy.	75
4648626906	alliteration	The repetition of phonetic sound at the beginning of several words in a sentence. This term should only be analyzed in a rhetorical setting if the author has a legitimate purpose in using it. Example: Seth struggled to straigten up his situation.	76
4648626907	anadiplosis	This is a form of repetion where the last word of a clause is used as the first word of the next clause. Example: The man chased the dog. The dog chased the cat. The cat chased the mouse. the mouse ran furiously and hid behind the broom.	77
4648626908	anastrophe	The reversal of the natural order of words. Example: The training you have been given will help you it will.	78
4648626909	appositive	A noun phrase - The loch ness monster, an old friend of mine, lives in Scotland.	79
4648626910	Argument from Ignorance	Fallcy - An argument stating that something is true because it has never been proven false, or vice versa. Ex: I don't believe in ghosts because I've never seen one.	80
4648626911	Bandwagon	Fallacy- This argument is the "everyone's doing it" fallacy. Ex: You should let me stay out all night long with my friends, mom. Everyone else's parents are letting them.	81
4648626912	Cause and Effect	Fallacy - This argument falsely puts the blame on what occured directly before the problem. Can also be looked at like superstition. Ex: We didn't win the game last night because I wasn't wearing my lucky socks. Ex: I hate the rain. Every time it rains, my cat gets sick.	82
4648626913	Complex Sentence	A dependent and independent clause. Ex: If you open the door to the closet, you will see the pink box on the top shelf.	83
4648626914	Compound Sentence	Two independent clasues joined by a FANBOY. Ex: Amy bought new blinds for her windows, but they were the wrong size.	84
4648626915	Compound-Complex	If you study hard tonight, you might find that you make an A on the quiz tomorrow, and you will feel more confident about the class.	85
4648626916	Epistrophe	repetition of the ends of two or more successive sentences, verses, etc. Ex: This government of the people, by the people, for the people.	86
4648626917	Etymology	the study of the sources and development of words	87
4648626918	Fallcy	A failure of logical reasoning. Fallacies often seem to make sense on the surface, but they are actually weak claims.	88
4648626919	False Analogy	Fallacy - A bad analogy that doesn't really make sense.	89
4648626920	False Dilemma	Fallacy - It is an argument that only poses two solutions (usually poor ones) in order to persuade the audience. Ex: You can either make an A in this class or fail miserably!	90
4648626921	Imperative Sentence	A command. Example: Get to class!	91
4648626922	In Media Res	"In the middle of things." The story begins in the middle. Quentin Tarantino uses this in many of his films.	92
4648626923	Independent Clause	A clause that can stand alone as a sentence. It has a noun and a verb.	93
4648626924	Jargon	Vocabulary and terms that are used with a particular group of people. Doctors, Robotics engineers, and teachers speak their own languages.	94
4648626925	Loose Sentence	An independent clause followed by all sorts of debris. Ex. We walked along the river, the water cold and clear, with the summer heat beating down on our heads.	95
4648626926	Metafiction	A type of fiction that is aware of itself. Ex. Slaughterhouse Five and The Things They Carried	96
4648626927	Non Sequitur	Fallacy - "It does not follow." These arguments make no sense. They are logically irrelevant. Ex: This apartment smells; therefore, I should buy a new pair of shoes.	97
4648626928	Parantheticals	Ex. My brother (the kid wearing the purple socks and black flip flops) has some really interesting ideas about fashion.	98
4648626929	Participle	A verb ending in -ing used to describe something. Running through the woods, Ed tried to get there on time.	99
4648626930	Passive Voice	Opposite of Active Voice. Ex. Kate was bitten by the dog. Ex. Mistakes were made.	100
4648626931	Periodic Sentence	A lengthy description precedes the main part of the sentence or independent clause. Ex: After waiting through the storm, and after washing her hair, Roz called her boyfriend.	101
4648626932	Phrase	A grouping of words that define or clarify.	102
4648626933	Poisoning the Well	Fallacy - A person or character is introduced with negative information as to make the audience dislike him/her immediately. Ex: The next candidate, recently back from rehab, wants to raise your taxes.	103
4648626934	Premise	Another word for claim.	104
4648626935	Pun	A play on words. Ex: The arsonist was real fired up about the barbecue.	105
4648626936	Repetition	The repeated use of the same word or word pattern as a rhetorical device.	106
4648626937	Rhetorical Shift	This is when a writer significantly alters her diction, syntax, or both to point out a critical point in the work.	107
4648626938	Simple Sentence	A suject and a verb - The man ate the apple.	108
4648626939	Slippery Slope	Fallacy - A false argument claiming one action will lead to another. Ex. Marijuana use leads to the use of drugs such as LSD and heroin.	109
4648626940	Synthesis	To "synthesize" a variety of sources to achieve a common end.	110
4648626941	Theme	The basic message of a work.	111
4648626942	Verisimilitude	"Of being true or real." For a work or argument to feel "true" to an audience, it must be grounded in reality.	112
4648626943	Voice	The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author.	113
4648626944	Zeugma	A minor device in which two or more elements are tied together with one verb. Ex. She stole my wallet and my heart.	114