ap lang terms review

u dont have to necessarily know every term but it may help with ur writing

rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos)

persuasive qualities: credibility, emotions, logic

imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language

anecdote

a short narrative, usually personal in nature

tone

the mood implied by an author’s word choice

symbolism

an image whose figurative meaning is much deeper than its literal one

contrast

highlighting differences of two or more different elements in a literary work

repetition

using the same word or phrase over and over again in a piece of writing or speech

allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing, or to a part of another text

ambiguity

instances where a sentence, literary work, piece of media can have multiple possible interpretations

juxtaposition

placing two things side by side so as to highlight their differences

irony

a situation where there is a contrast between reality and expectations

homily

serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

inference / infer

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

invective

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

loose sentence

a sentence beginning with an independent clause and one or more coordinate or subordinate clauses following it

periodic sentence

complex sentence that ends with the independent clause

metonymy

something closely associated with something else is used in place of its real name

mood

the general atmosphere or emotional complexion that is given by the author

narrative

a spoken or written account of connected events

onomatopoeia

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (ex. deafening silence or bittersweet)

paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true (ex. less is more or jumbo shrimp)

parallelism

the proximity of two or more phrases with identical or similar constructions, especially those expressing the same sentiment, but with slight modifications

parody

a work that imitates an existing writer, artist, subject, or genre in such a way that produces a humorous effect

pedantic

excessive concern with literal accuracy or formality

personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form

point of view (pov)

a character or narrator telling the story, or his/her perspective

predicative adjective

an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes or modifies the subject of the sentence (ex. the sky is blue)

predicative adjective

a noun that follows the linking verb that identifies, describes, or redefines the subject within the predicate (ex. she is a teacher)

prose

a writing style that does not follow metrical structure (follows natural speech) *not poetry

rhetoric

a way of communicating effectively, usually to persuade

rhetorical appeal

qualities of an argument that make it persuasive

rhetorical modes (exposition, argumentation, description, narration)

basic types of academic writing

exposition

a mode of writing that explains, informs, or presents information

argumentation

a mode of writing that presents a claim and supports it with reasoning and evidence to persuade an audience

description

a mode of writing that creates a vivid picture using sensory sensory details

narration

a mode of writing or speech that tells a story or recounts events

rhetorical question

a question asked for effect, not requiring an answer

sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt, often with a bitter or cutting tone

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences to create emphasis

epistrophe

the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences to create emphasis

anadiplosis

the repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause, creating a link between ideas

antanaclasis

the repetition of a word in two different senses, often creating a play on words or double meaning

antimetabole

the repetition of words in successive clause, but in reverse order

alliteration

the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in close proximity

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds within words close to each other

symploce

the repetition of the first and last words or phrases, combines both anaphora & epistrophe

gerund phrase

a noun that takes the form of a verb, ending with “-ing” (ex. watering)

• serves as a singular simple subject

infinitive phrase

a special form of verbs that can be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb (ex. to eat a sandwich)

• serves as a singular simple subject

diction (denotation & connotation)

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

antithesis

places two opposing ideas in a parallel structure to create contrast and emphasize differences

appeal to authority

using the opinion of an authority figure, or institution of authority, in place of an actual argument

appeal to fear

creating a fear of losing out by suggesting that everyone else is doing it

appeal to patriotism

using someone's emotions of loyalty and pride towards a country to win an argument

appeal to sympathy

using emotional appeal to earn sympathy to support an argument

appeal to prejudice

asserting that something is true or false based on an appeal to the audience’s existing prejudices

appeal to tradition

asserting that things should be done a certain way simply because they have been done that way in the past

bandwagon appeal

insinuating that everyone is doing something, so you should too

flattery

complimenting or flattering someone to gain their approval or agreement

just plain folks

appealing to the sentiments of ordinary people to make a point seem more relatable

name calling

accusing or labeling opponents with an undesirable label to undermine their argument

ridicule

using mockery or sarcasm to demean and degrade an argument

testimonial appeals

using someone's credibility or likability in a domain to promote a specific idea or product

transfer

relating desirable qualities of a well-known figure to a product or message

ad hominem

an argument attacking an individual’s character rather than their opinions or arguments

begging the question

asserting that a claim is true just because it has not been or cannot be proven false

false cause / post hoc ergo propter hoc

claiming a false cause-and-effect relationship when there is merely a correlation

either-or fallacy

suggesting only two alternatives exist when in fact there are more

evasion

a method used to dismiss or avoid providing a clear answer or solution to a problem

false analogy

claiming that two situations are highly similar, when they are not

oversimplification

attributing complex issues to simple causes

rationalization

acknowledging the opponent’s viewpoint only to dismiss it summarily

red herring

using irrelevant information or distractions to divert attention from the issue at hand

slippery slope

suggesting that taking a minor first step will lead to a major negative outcome

two wrongs make a right

asserting that one wrong act justifies another

literary present tense

refer to events in a literary text in a consistent present tense

past perfect

began and ended before another action in the past (ex. She had already memorized the poem before I finished reading it.)

present perfect

began in the past and is still continuing (ex. Mr. Bob has taught school for twenty-one years.)

future perfect

will begin and end before another action begins (ex. I will have sailed to Hawaii by the time you get this postcard.)

present subjunctive

expresses a suggestion or a necessity, uses the base form of a verb (ex. Ms. Chavez suggested that he apply for the job.)

past subjunctive

expresses a condition contrary to fact (ex. If I were you, I would have those tires checked.) or expresses a wish (ex. I wish I were more patient than I am.)

participial phrase

adjective, ends in “-ed” or “-ing” (ex. The magazine editor sent an encouraging letter to the young writer.)

misplaced modifier

modifier that is placed far away from the word it modifies that the intended meaning of the sentence is unclear, distorts meaning of a sentence (ex. “The helpful librarian pointed out the book to the boy on the shelf” → “The helpful librarian pointed out the book on the shelf to the boy.”)

dangling modifier

does not clearly modify any noun or pronoun in a sentence, often appears at the beginning of the sentence (ex. “Studying the American Revolution, Paul Revere was captured before he could complete his historic ride.” → “Studying the American Revolution, students learn that Paul Revere was captured before he could complete his historic ride.”)

singular

either/neither, much, each, anything that ends with “-body” “-one” “-thing”

plural

both, few, many, several

depends

all, any, more, most, none, some, plenty