AP LANG Q1-Q2 Terminology

Rhetoric

Persuasive, effective language use; using available means of persuasion to make an argument

Exigence

The specific occasion/event that prompted the message to be spoken or written

Message

What the writer / speaker wants the audience to think or know

Purpose

Why the speaker is conveying the message

Audience

Who the writer / speaker is writing / speaking to

Context

The circumstances surrounding the situation

Rhetorical appeals

the qualities of an argument that make it persuasive; includes logos, ethos, and pathos

Logos

Appeal to logic or reason

Ethos

Appeal to a speaker’s credibility or trustworthiness

Pathos

Appeal to an audience’s emotions

Tone

A writer’s attitude toward their subject

Thesis

The main idea of an essay/piece of writing; the writer’s claim about a topic

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases in a specific order, shaping meaning and impact

Anecdote

A brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature

Perspective

A character's view of the situation or events in the story

Aphorism

A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief

Contradiction

A direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a person, thing, or abstract quality is addressed as if present

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements

Allusion

A figure of speech which makes brief, even casual reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object

Syllogism

A form of deduction; an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument

Satire

A literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness

Bildungsroman

A novel or story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character; it usually describes their formative years

Foil

A person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast

Parody

A satirical imitation of a work of art for the purpose of ridiculing its style or subject

Delayed sentence

A sentence that withholds its main idea until the end

Sarcasm

A sharp caustic remark; a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually bitterly or harshly critical

Irony

A situation or statement characterized by a significant difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant

Paradox

A statement that seems to contradict itself, but reveals a deeper hidden truth

Diction

An author's choice of words to convey a tone or effect

Hyperbole

An overstatement characterized by exaggerated language

Deus Ex Machina

As in Greek theater, use of an artificial device or contrived solution to solve a difficult situation, usually introduced suddenly and unexpectedly

Analogy

Comparison of two things that are alike in some respects; metaphors and similes are types of _______

Nostalgia

A desire to return to a former time

Chiasmus

Figure of speech by which the order of terms in the first of parallel clauses is reversed in the second

Didactic

Intended to teach

In media res

Opening a story in the middle of the action, requiring filling in past details by exposition or flashback

Colloquial

Ordinary language; the vernacular

Juxtaposition

Placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose

Anaphora

Regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause

Euphemism

Substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt

Genre

Term used to describe literary forms, such as tragedy, comedy, novel, or essay

Tone (literary)

The attitude a literary work takes towards its subject and theme

Mood

The feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view

Asyndeton

The practice of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses

Structure

The organization and arrangement of ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, creating a logical flow and framework

Line of Reasoning

A logical progression of ideas and claims that support a writer's thesis or conclusion

Persuasive Technique

Strategies used to convince people to agree with a point of view or take a specific action

Transitions

Words/phrases/sentences that create logical connections between ideas and guide readers through writing

Cohesion

When relationships between ideas are easy for a reader to follow; built through logical structure and style

Signposting

Use of words or phrases to guide the reader through a piece of writing and show relationships between ideas

Vehicle

The image in a metaphor that carries the weight of the comparison

Tenor

The thing being described in a metaphor

Inductive reasoning

The process of generalizing on the basis of a number of specific examples

Deductive reasoning

Reaches a conclusion by assuming a general principle (major premise) and applying it to a specific case (minor premise)

Enthymeme

A shortened syllogism that leaves out the middle term

Logical Fallacy

A flawed argument that uses faulty reasoning or inaccurate facts to reach a false or misleading conclusion

Straw Man argument

Incorrectly characterizing an opponent’s viewpoint and then attacking that version

Moral Equivalence

Making an unfair moral comparison between two things that are not truly comparable

Begging the Claim

When a conclusion is validated within the claim itself

Circular Argument

When the evidence used to support a claim is really just a repetition of the claim

Equivocation

When the writer subtly shifts the meaning of a word during the argument

Tu Quoque

Avoiding an argument by making similar charges against the other person

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person instead of the argument

Slippery Slope

Claiming a small step will lead to a chain of extreme consequences

Bandwagon

Appealing to popularity as proof that something is true

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Assuming Event B was caused by Event A simply because it followed it

Hasty Generalization

Drawing a conclusion based on a small or unrepresentative sample

Reductio ad absurdum

Refuting a claim by extending its logic to an absurd result

False Dilemma

Pretending there are only two options when more exist

False Analogy

Assuming that because two things share one trait, they share others

Red Herring

Changing the subject to divert attention from the original issue

Appeal to tradition

Claiming something is true or best because it has traditionally been believed

Appeal to emotion

Manipulating emotions instead of providing factual evidence

Appeal to authority

Using an unqualified authority as evidence

Appeal to fear

Using fear instead of logical evidence to persuade