AP Language Argument, Logic, and Rhetorical Terms

Flashcards covering argument, logic, logical fallacies, and rhetorical devices from AP Language review notes.

argument

A piece of reasoning with one or more premises and a conclusion.

premise

A statement offered as a reason to support a conclusion.

Aristotle's 3 appeals

Ethos, logos, and pathos.

concession

Accepting at least a part or all of an opposing argument.

a conditional statement

an if then statement

counter example

An example that runs counter to, or opposite to, a generalization, making it false.

deductive argument

An argument where the premises provide a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion, as long as the premises are true.

inductive argument

An argument where the premises provide reasons supporting the probable truth of the conclusion.

sound argument

The line of reasoning from the premises to the conclusion must be valid; the premises must be true.

valid argument

An argument where the conclusion logically follows from the premises.

logical fallacy

An attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.

active voice + passive voice

In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action; in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

anecdote

A brief recounting of an event or an episode that is relevant to the point being made.

colloquial diction

Ordinary or familiar conversational diction common to a specific region or group of people.

oxymoron

contradictory terms are paired and suggest a paradox

jargon

The diction used by a group of people of the same profession or activity.

didactic

Adage (a folk saying with a lesson), allegory (a story representing qualities or concepts), and aphorism (a brief statement conveying a general truth).

ellipsis

The deliberate omission of a word or phrase for effect.

euphemism

The use of more agreeable or less offensive or less harsh words for unpleasant ones.

metonymy + synecdoche

replaces a word or idea with something associated with it; is a kind of metonymy in which the whole is represented by a part associated with it.

synesthesia

A description involving the crossing of the senses.

invective

A long, emotionally violent attack using strong, abusive language.

3 types of irony

Verbal irony (saying the opposite of what was expected), dramatic irony (audience knows something the character doesn't), and situational irony (a plot device that creates humorous results).

oxymoron

A device where contradictory terms are paired and suggest a paradox.

devices of parallelism

Anaphora, antithesis, chiasmus, and syllepsis.

syllepsis

When a single word modifies two or more words, and the meaning of that word changes for each of the words it modifies.

polysyndeton

A list of items that are all separated by conjunctions, often used to slow the pace of writing and give it an authoritative tone.

sarcasm/sardonic

When it becomes even more mocking, grim, and cynical.

litotes

A specific form of understatement created by denying the opposite of the statement which would have normally been used.

syntax

The arrangement of words in a sentence.

theme

central idea or message of the work

tone

the overall attitude or emotional quality conveyed in a piece of writing.

Understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact. It presents something as less significant than it is.

Thesis

The sentence or group of sentences that directly express the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.

Conclusion

The end result of the argument

fallacy

An attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.

Ad hominem

a logical fallacy that involves attacking the person making an argument rather than the argument itself.

appeal to authority

A logical fallacy that occurs when someone asserts that a claim is true simply because an authority figure believes it to be true, rather than providing evidence.

appeal to emotion

A logical fallacy that manipulates an emotional response in place of a valid or compelling argument.

bad analogy

A logical fallacy that occurs when an analogy is drawn between two or more ideas or situations that are not sufficiently alike to support the conclusion being drawn.

bandwagon appeal

A logical fallacy that asserts that one must accept or reject an argument because everyone else does, rather than based on the argument's merits.

begging the question

A logical fallacy in which an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion, rather than supporting it. This often takes the form of circular reasoning.

cliche thinking

A logical fallacy characterized by relying on overused ideas, phrases, or stereotypes rather than forming original thoughts or arguments. It often leads to simplistic reasoning and overlooks nuanced perspectives.

either or fallacy

A logical fallacy that presents limited options or choices, suggesting that one must choose between two opposing outcomes, often ignoring other viable alternatives.

false analogy

A logical fallacy that occurs when an analogy is drawn between two concepts that are not sufficiently alike in relevant ways, leading to incorrect conclusions.

false cause

A logical fallacy that incorrectly establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between two events, suggesting that one event directly causes another without sufficient evidence.

hasty generalization

A logical fallacy that occurs when a conclusion is drawn from an insufficient or biased sample, resulting in an inaccurate or overly broad claim about a group or situation.

non sequitur

A logical fallacy where a conclusion does not logically follow from the premises or statements preceding it, making the argument invalid.

red herring

A logical fallacy that introduces irrelevant information or issues into an argument to divert attention away from the main topic, often leading to confusion and distraction.

slippery slope

A logical fallacy that suggests that a relatively small first step inevitably leads to a chain of related events culminating in significant negative consequences, often without supporting evidence.

straw man

A form of argument where someone misrepresents or oversimplifies an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack or refute. This fallacy distracts from the actual position being discussed.

colloquial

language or expressions characteristic of informal speech and conversation, often specific to a particular region or group.

connotation

The implied or associated meaning of a word beyond its literal definition, often shaped by cultural or emotional contexts.

denotation

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

adage

A folk saying or lesson

allegory

A story, fictional or non, in which the characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts.

aphorism

a brief statement that conveys a general truth or moral

figurative language

writing not meant to be taken literally

analogy

comparison of one pair of variables to another.

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

idiom

a commonly used expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.

metaphor

a figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."

simile

a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."

personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things or objects.

synecdoche

a kind of metonymy where a part represents the whole or vice versa.

synesthesia

a description involving the crossing of the senses.

genre

the major category into which a literary work fits.(prose,poetry,drama)

imagery

the use of words to create an image in the readers mind.

implied thesis

a thesis that is not stated directly but suggested.

juxaposition

placing things side by side for the purpose of comparison

mood

the atmosphere created by the piece.

motif

a recurring idea in a piece of literature

pacing

the speed or tempo of the authors writing

paradox

a seemly contradictory statement that is actually true

anaphora

repetition of a word, phrase or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses

antithesis

two opposite or contrasting words, phrases or clauses with parallel structure.

chiasmus

when the same words are used twice in succession, but the order is reversed the second time.

parody

an exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous effect

persona

a fictional mask or narrator that tells the story

poetic devices

devices used to manipulate the sound of words, sentences, or lines.

alliteration

the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a sequence of words.

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds within a sequence of words.

onomatopoeia

the formation of a word by imitating the sound it refers to

consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in a sequence.

end rhyme

the repetition of similar sounds at the end of lines in poetry, creating a musical effect.

forced rhyme

the practice of using rhymes that are awkward or strained in order to maintain a rhyme scheme.

internal rhyme

the repetition of similar sounds within a single line of poetry, enhancing its rhythm and musicality.

meter

the structured rhythm of a poem, determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line.

free verse

a form of poetry that does not adhere to a consistent meter or rhyme scheme, allowing for greater flexibility and expression.

pun

when a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way

rhetorical question

a question not asked for information but for effect

romanticism

art or literature with idealistic, maybe unrealistic views of people and the world — heavy emphasis on nature

satire

the use of humor or exaggeration to criticize or mock societal issues or individuals.

sentence structure

period, simple, unbalanced,compound,complex, and cumulative

style

the choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes

symbol

anything that represents or stands for something else, it can convey deeper meanings or ideas.