AP Lang Quiz 1

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms for AP Language & Composition, including rhetorical concepts and modes of persuasion.

Genre

A subdivision of textual form determined by the text's content (e.g. play, online review, formal report, fantasy novel, etc.).

Form

categorizing texts according to how their structural elements combine to create a unified and recognizable whole (e.g. speech, novel, poem, brochure, etc.).

Purpose

The reason the text was written, intended to help analyze what was written and how.

Audience

The readers and/or listeners of a text.

Speaker

The person or group communicating the message; not always the same as the author.

Context

The historical, cultural, social, political, or personal circumstances surrounding the text.

Exigence

The issue, event, problem, or situation that prompts the writer to communicate and the aspect(s) that make it urgent.

Tone

The author's attitude toward his/her material, the audience, or both; easier to determine in spoken language than in written language.

Rhetorical Situation

The context of a rhetorical act, made up of a speaker, an issue, an audience, and a context (SPACECAT).

Diction

Refers to the writer's word choices (e.g., formal, informal, ornate, plain, childish, etc.) regarding their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

Style

The ways in which the different language, literary components, and/or rhetorical devices combine to give a text its unique character (e.g., humorous, romantic, flowery).

Semantics

Related to the meaning of words and the way in which they are used.

Semantic field

A group of words that relate to a shared area of meaning (e.g. needle, nurse, and antibiotic).

Jargon

Special words or expressions used by a particular profession or group that are difficult for others to understand; specific to a group of people rather than general informal language.

Register

The general level of language used for a particular purpose; generally categorized into formal, informal, and slang.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning and emotional feeling associated with it.

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotional attitude or color.

Concession

Acknowledging a valid point from the opposing argument.

Refutation

Explaining why an opposing point is flawed or less important than your own.

Ethos

An appeal to the authority or credibility of the presenter, often achieved by being a notable figure or demonstrating mastery of terminology.

Pathos

An appeal to the audience's emotions, effective when the speaker demonstrates agreement with an underlying value of the listener.

Logos

An appeal to logic or reason, normally used to describe facts and figures that support the speaker's claims or thesis.