AP Language and Composition Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards providing verbatim definitions and key descriptions for literary, grammatical, and rhetorical terms covered in AP Language and Composition.

Abstract Language

Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable/specific things

Ethos logos pathos

Character, logic, emotions

Active Voice

sentence structure-subject performs the action (e.g., 'The boy grabbed his books and went to school').

Ad hominem

Latin for 'against the man'. fallacy where writer personally attacks opponents instead of their arguments, appealing to emotion rather than reason.

Allegory

fictional or non-fictional story where characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts to reveal an abstraction or truth.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial identical consonant sounds.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a commonly known literary text, play, movie, TV show, or event with which readers are supposed to be familiar.

Ambiguity

An event, situation, or expression that may be interpreted in more than one way.

Analogy

A comparison to a directly parallel case used to argue that a claim reasonable for one case is reasonable for the analogous case.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.

Anecdote

A brief recounting of a relevant episode inserted into texts to develop a point or inject humor.

Annotation

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Antithesis

Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, clauses, or ideas.

Aphorism

A terse statement expressing a general truth or moral principle, often synonymous with an adage, saying, or proverb.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

Appositive

A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning.

Argumentation

Proving the validity of an idea or point of view by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument to convince the reader.

Assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity.

Causal Relationship

A relationship in which a writer asserts that one thing results from, produces, or brings about another.

Clause

A grammatical unit containing both a subject and a verb.

Colloquial

Ordinary or familiar type of conversation.

Colloquialism

A common or familiar type of saying.

Complex Sentence

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

Concession

Accepting part or all of an opposing viewpoint to regroup and restate your position taking that acceptance into account.

Concrete Language

Language describing specific, observable things, people, or places rather than ideas or qualities.

Connotation

The associations or implied meanings suggested by a word rather than its literal dictionary definition.

Consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

Coordination

Combining sentences or clauses into one single sentence to give both clauses equal importance.

Deduction

Reasoning from general statements accepted as true to an inevitable, true conclusion.

Denotation

The explicit, literal dictionary meaning of a word.

Description

Writing that recreates, invents, or visually presents a person, place, event, or action by involving the 5 senses.

Diction

Word choice, particularly as an element of style.

Didactic

A term describing fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that teaches a specific lesson, moral, or model of correct behavior.

Ellipsis

The deliberate omission of a word or words from prose for effect by the author.

Emotional Appeal

An appeal to an audience's emotions to excite and involve them in an argument.

Epigraph

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of theme.

Ethical Appeal

An attempt to persuade the audience based on the presentation of the author's image of self through the text.

Euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.

Explication

The act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text through close reading and figurative language analysis.

Exposition

Explaining and analyzing information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

False Analogy

A logical fallacy occurring when two cases are not sufficiently parallel to justify a claim of connection between them.

Figurative Language

Words that are literally inaccurate but call to mind sensations or evoke emotional reactions.

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits, such as prose, poetry, or drama.

Homily

Literally 'sermon', but informally includes any serious talk, speech, or lecture providing moral or spiritual advice.

Hyperbole

Figurative language that exaggerates, often used in comedy or to create irony.

Image

Word or words creating a picture in the reader's mind, usually appealing to the 5 senses.

Induction

Reasoning from premises that constitute good evidence to a conclusion that is probably correct.

Inference

Drawing a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.

Interrogative sentence

A sentence incorporating interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, whose).

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

Imperative sentence

A sentence that issues a command.

Irony

When the opposite of what is expected happens.

Verbal irony

When a speaker says something but means the opposite or something different.

Dramatic irony

When the audience knows information that a character in a drama or story does not.

Situational irony

Irony present in the plot of a work when events turn out opposite to expectations.

Juxtaposition

Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.

Loose Sentence

A complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and subordinate clauses follow.

Metaphor

A figure of speech using an implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or substituting one for another.

Mood

The atmosphere created by literature through diction, syntax, setting, tone, and events.

Non-sequitur

A statement that does not logically follow another.

Objectivity

An author's stance that distances himself or herself from personal involvement.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of the words.

Oversimplification

When a writer denies the complexity of an idea.

Oxymoron

A rhetorical antithesis grouping apparently contradictory terms together to suggest a paradox.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that is actually true.

Parallelism

Sentence structure placing equal grammatical constructions near each other or repeating patterns two or more times.

Parenthetical Idea

An idea set off from the rest of a sentence using parentheses, functioning as an aside or whisper.

Parody

An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes.

Passive Voice

Sentence construction where the subject receives the action.

Pedantic

Observing strict adherence to formal rules or literal meaning at the expense of a wider view, or exhibiting an overly scholarly tone.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence in which the main clause or main idea comes at the end, preceded by subordinate elements.

Persona

The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.

Personification

A type of figurative language attributing human qualities to non-human subjects.

Persuasive writing

A type of argumentation having the additional aim of urging some form of action.

Predicate Adjective

An adjective or adjective clause following a linking verb in the predicate that modifies the subject.

Predicate Nominative

A noun or noun clause following a linking verb in the predicate that renames the subject.

Qualification

Redefining an argument so that it no longer conflicts with the valid claim of an opposing viewpoint.

Refutation

When a writer musters relevant opposing arguments.

Repetition

Reinforcing a point by repeating the idea or repeating specific words fundamental to the writer's point.

Rhetoric

The art of effective communication.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect rather than to elicit information.

Sarcasm

A bitter, ironically worded comment used to mock or ridicule.

Satire

A work revealing a critical attitude toward human vices, follies, or social institutions to a humorous effect.

Sentence

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

Simple sentence

A sentence containing exactly one independent clause.

Compound sentence

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

Compound-complex sentence

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

Balanced Sentence

A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale.

Simile

A figurative comparison using words such as 'like', 'as', or 'if'.

Style

The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes.

Subordination

Placing less important ideas in dependent clauses to focus reader attention on the main idea in the independent clause.

Subordinate Clause

A word group with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone as a complete thought.

Syllogism

A deductive system of formal logic presenting a major and minor premise leading to a sound conclusion.

Symbol / Symbolism

Anything concrete (object, action, character) that represents something abstract.

Syntax

The grammatical arrangement and grouping of words in sentences.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work.

Thesis

The sentence or sentences directly expressing the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization.

Topic Sentence

A sentence expressing the main point of a paragraph outright or making it unmistakably clear.