AP Language and Composition - Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key AP Language and Composition terms from the lecture notes.

Abstract Language

Language describing ideas or qualities rather than observable things; contrasts with concrete language that describes the observable.

Active Voice

A sentence where the subject performs the action; direct and typically preferred.

Ad hominem

Latin for against the man; attacking the opponent rather than the argument, appealing to emotion over reason.

Allegory

A story in which characters, events, or details symbolize deeper moral or political meanings.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words.

Allusion

Indirect reference to a familiar text, figure, or event that the reader is expected to recognize.

Ambiguity

A situation or expression that can be interpreted in more than one way; may be intentional or unintentional.

Analogy

A comparison between two similar cases to argue that what is true for one is true for the other.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences.

Anecdote

A brief, relevant personal story used to illustrate a point.

Annotation

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain or cite sources.

Antecedent

The word or phrase that a pronoun refers back to.

Antithesis

Two opposite ideas or words placed in contrast.

Aphorism

A concise statement expressing a general truth or moral principle.

Apostrophe

Addressing an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction.

Appositive

A noun or noun phrase that renames or explains another noun beside it.

Argumentation

Proving the validity of a point of view through reasoning and evidence; persuasive writing aims to persuade action.

Assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within nearby words.

Causal Relationship

A relationship in which one event causes another; used to support argument.

Clause

A grammatical unit with a subject and a verb.

Colloquial

Familiar or conversational in style; informal language.

Colloquialism

A common or familiar saying or expression from everyday speech.

Complex Sentence

A sentence containing at least one main (independent) clause and one subordinate (dependent) clause.

Concession

Acknowledging part or all of an opposing viewpoint to strengthen one’s own position.

Concrete Language

Language that describes specific observable things rather than ideas or qualities.

Connotation

The associations or emotional overtones a word carries beyond its literal meaning (denotation).

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within nearby words.

Coordination

Combining clauses of equal importance into a single sentence.

Deduction

Reasoning from general statements to a specific conclusion; related to syllogism.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word.

Description

Language that recreates or depicts a person, place, event, or action to create a vivid image.

Diction

Word choice; style of expression as it affects meaning and tone.

Didactic

Works that are intended to teach a moral or lesson.

Ellipsis

Deliberate omission of a word or words for effect; the missing word may be supplied later.

Emotional Appeal

Persuasion that targets the audience’s emotions to influence opinions.

Epigraph

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a work that suggests its theme.

Ethical Appeal

Persuasion based on the author's credibility or character.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect substitute for a harsh or offensive term.

Explication

Close reading and interpretation to uncover meaning, especially of figurative language.

Exposition

Explanation and analysis that presents information, evidence, and discussion.

False Analogy

A weak or faulty comparison between two cases that are not sufficiently alike.

Genre

A major category of literature; AP Lang often emphasizes autobiography, criticism, essays, journalism, etc.

Homily

A sermon or serious talk, often with moral or spiritual guidance.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration used for emphasis or humorous effect.

Image

Words that create vivid sensory impressions; imagery often uses metaphor or simile.

Induction

Reasoning from specific observations to a general conclusion; opposite of deduction.

Inference

A reasonable conclusion drawn from the information in a text; if stated directly, it is not inferred.

Interrogative sentence

A sentence that asks a question, using what, which, who, whom, or whose.

Invective

A forceful, angry verbal attack using strong language.

Imperative sentence

A sentence that gives a command or instruction.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality; includes verbal, dramatic, and situational irony.

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things side by side for comparison or contrast.

Loose Sentence

Main idea is presented at the beginning, followed by subordinate details.

Metaphor

A direct or implied comparison between unlike things, often without using like or as.

Mood

The atmosphere or emotional tone created by a work’s diction and syntax.

Non-sequitur

A statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument.

Objectivity

A stance that minimizes personal involvement or bias in presenting information.

Onomatopoeia

A word whose sound imitates its meaning (buzz, hiss, bang).

Oversimplification

Reducing a complex issue to overly simple terms.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms (jumbo shrimp, deafening silence).

Paradox

A statement that appears self-contradictory but reveals truth.

Parallelism

Repetition of similar grammatical structures for emphasis or rhythm.

Parenthetical Idea

An aside set off by parentheses; used sparingly for effect.

Parody

A humorous, exaggerated imitation of a serious work, often as a form of allusion.

Passive Voice

The subject receives the action; often less lively than active voice.

Pedantic

Overly concerned with formal rules or details; scholarly in tone.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence whose main idea comes last, preceded by subordinate clauses.

Persona

The fictional mask or narrator through whom a story is told.

Personification

Attributing human qualities to nonhuman things.

Persuasive writing

A form of argumentation aimed at convincing the reader to take action.

Predicate Adjective

An adjective or adjective phrase that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.

Predicate Nominative

A noun or noun phrase that renames the subject and follows a linking verb.

Qualification

Redefining or refining an argument to acknowledge opposing views (similar to concession).

Refutation

Muster opposing arguments and counter them with evidence.

Repetition

Reiterating a point or a word to reinforce emphasis.

Rhetoric

The art of effective communication and persuasive argument.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not to elicit an answer.

Sarcasm

Bitter, mockingly ironic language intended to ridicule.

Satire

A work that critiques life through humor and irony, highlighting vices and follies.

Sentence

A group of words containing a subject and a predicate that expresses a complete thought.

Simple sentence

A sentence with one independent clause.

Compound sentence

A sentence with at least two independent clauses and no dependent clauses.

Complex sentence

A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound-complex sentence

A sentence with two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Balanced Sentence

A sentence with two parallel elements of equal importance set against each other.

Loose Sentence

A sentence in which the main idea is at the start, followed by modifiers.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence in which the main idea comes at the end, preceded by subordinate clauses.

Simile

A comparison using like, as, or as if.

Style

The author's distinctive use of diction, tone, and syntax.

Subordination

Placing less important ideas in dependent clauses to emphasize the main idea.

Subordinate Clause

A dependent clause that cannot stand alone; begins with subordinating words.

Syllogism

A deductive argument with a major premise and a minor premise that lead to a conclusion.

Symbol/symbolism

Something that represents or stands for something else; concrete symbols can carry abstract meaning.

Syntax

Grammatical arrangement of words; how sentence structure affects meaning and tone.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work, often implied rather than stated.

Thesis

A concise statement of the author's position or purpose; should be clear and focused.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject, conveyed through diction and style.

Topic Sentence

A sentence that states the paragraph’s main point and what follows.

Transition

A word or phrase that smoothly connects ideas or paragraphs.

Understatement

The ironic minimizing of a fact, often for humorous or ironic effect.