AP Language & Composition Rhetorical Devices Flashcards

8154074686	rhetoric	The art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse.	0
8154074687	analogy	A comparison to a directly parallel case, arguing that a claim reasonable for one case is reasonable for the other case.	1
8154074688	antithesis	A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases or clauses.	2
8154074689	appeal to authority	A type of logical fallacy in which the writer or speaker seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for the famous.	3
8154074690	parallelism	Refers to a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence.	4
8154074691	concession	An argumentative strategy by which a speaker or writer acknowledges the validity of an opponent's point.	5
8154074692	qualifying statement	A statement in which the writer has added some information, evidence, or phrase in order to make it less strong or less generalized.	6
8154074693	generalization	The abstraction of a general idea, principle, or pattern from the observation of particular objects, events, or experiences.	7
8154074694	anecdote	A brief recounting of a relevant episode.	8
8154074695	periodic statement	Sentence that has its main clause at the end of the sentence.	9
8154074696	compound subject	A subject that consists of two or more simple subjects joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) and that have the same predicate.	10
8154074697	subordinate clause	Also called a dependent clause—will begin with a subordinate conjunction (such as "although" or "if") or a relative pronoun (such as "that" or "who") and will contain both a subject and a verb. This combination of words will not form a complete sentence. It will instead make a reader want additional information to finish the thought.	11
8154074698	tone	Author's attitude toward subject matter as revealed through style, syntax, diction, figurative language, and organization.	12
8154074699	ironical statement	The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning.	13
8154074700	syllogism	A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.	14
8154074701	ad hominem argument	A type of logical fallacy in which the writer or speaker attacks a person instead of the argument proposed by that individual.	15
8154074702	antecedent	The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun	16
8154074703	connotation	The feelings and attitudes associated with a word.	17
8154074704	simple sentence	Contains one independent clause (also called a main clause).	18
8154074705	compound sentence	Contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.	19
8154074706	imagery	Use of sensory details to create images.	20
8154074707	digression	The act of departing from the main subject in speech or writing to discuss an apparently unrelated topic.	21
8154074708	prepositional phrase	A group of words made up of a preposition, its object, and any of the object's modifiers.	22
8154074709	allusion	A reference, explicit or indirect, to a person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage.	23
8154074710	euphemism	The use of a word or phrase that is less expressive or direct but considered less offensive than another.	24
8154074711	oxymoron	A figure of speech in which two contradictory words are placed side-by-side for effect.	25
8154074712	personification	A kind of metaphor that gives inanimate objects or abstract ideas human characteristics	26
8154074713	apostrophe	A form of personification in which the absent, or dead, are spoken to as if present, and the inanimate, as if animate.	27
8154074714	idiomatic diction	An expression that means something other than the literal meanings of its individual words. Also used to describe language that is peculiar to an individual.	28
8154074715	colloquialism	Ordinary, everyday speech and language.	29
8154074716	allegory	A fiction or nonfiction narrative, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities, moral values, or concepts.	30
8154074717	epithet	A short, poetic nickname--often in the form of an adjective or adjectival phrase--attached to a normal name (also called "tag").	31
8154074718	double entendre	Term used to indicate a word or phrase that is deliberately ambiguous, especially when one of the meanings is risqué or improper.	32
8154074719	monologue	A long speech by one person; a dramatic speech by one actor.	33
8154074720	extended metaphor	A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work	34
8154074721	paradox	Occurs when the elements of a statement contradict each other. Although the statement may appear illogical, impossible, or absurd, it turns out to have a coherent meaning that reveals a hidden truth.	35
8154074722	rhetorical question	A question that requires no answer. It is used to draw attention to a point and is generally stronger than a direct statement.	36
8154074723	assertion/claim	A statement that is debatable, as opposed to fact. It expresses a specific position on some doubtful or controversial issue that the arguer wants the audience to accept.	37
8154074724	understatement	Deliberately expresses an idea as less important than it actually is, either for ironic emphasis or for politeness and tact	38
8154074725	false dilemma	a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there is at least one additional option.	39
8154074726	begging the question	A type of logical fallacy in which the premises include the claim that the conclusion is true or (directly or indirectly) assume that the conclusion is true.	40
8154074727	truism	An undoubted or self-evident truth. The 'everyday wisdom' of the common man.	41
8154074728	syntax	The way in which sentences are structured	42
8154074729	symbol	An object, place, setting, prop, event or person (which may also retain its own literal meaning) that represents or stands for some idea or event.	43
8154074730	appeal to pathos	A quality in a literary work which arouses profound feelings of compassion or sorrow.	44
8154074731	onomatopoeia	A word that imitates the sound it represents.	45
8154074732	alliteration	The repetition of the same consonant sound, especially at the beginning of words.	46
8154074733	juxtaposition	A poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, often creating an effect of surprise and wit.	47
8154074734	concrete diction	Specific words that describe physical qualities or conditionsSpecific words that describe physical qualities or conditions	48
8154074735	abstract diction	Language that denotes ideas, emotions, conditions, or concepts that are intangible-impenetrable, incredible, inscrutable, inconceivable, unfathomable	49
8154074736	diatribe	A violently bitter verbal attack.	50
8154074737	hyperbole	A bold overstatement or extravagant expression of fact, used for serious or comic effect.	51
8154074738	figurative language	Language that is symbolic or metaphorical and not meant to be taken literally.	52
8154074739	ambiguity	Use of language where the meaning is unclear or has two or more possible interpretations or meanings.	53
8154074740	ellipsis	The deliberate omission of a word or words that are readily implied by the context; it creates an elegant or daring economy of words.	54
8154074741	epiphany	Literally, "a manifestation." A sudden radiance and revelation while observing a commonplace object.	55
8154074742	synecdoche	A form of metaphor where a part of something is used to signify the whole.	56
8154074743	metonymy	A figure of speech where the term for one thing is applied for another with which it has become closely associated in experience.	57
8154074744	asyndeton	The deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses.	58
8154074745	polysyndeton	The deliberate use of many conjunctions for special emphasis - to highlight quantity or mass of detail or to create a flowing, continuous sentence pattern.	59