AP Lang Midterm Study Guide

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"; Example: "Her smile was like sunshine."

Metaphor

A direct comparison without using "like" or "as"; Example: "Time is a thief."

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things; Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates a sound; Example: "The bees buzzed."

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial consonant sound; Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Allusion

Reference to a well-known person

Symbolism

Using an object or action to represent a larger idea; Example: A dove represents peace.

Mood/Tone

Emotional feeling of a piece (mood) / author’s attitude (tone); Example: Mood: eerie

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration; Example: "I’ve told you a million times."

Idioms

Common phrases that don’t mean exactly what they say; Example: "Break a leg" = Good luck.

Oxymoron

Contradictory terms together; Example: jumbo shrimp

Irony

Difference between expectation and reality; Types: verbal

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth; Example: "Less is more."

Parallelism

Repetition of sentence structure; Example: "I came

Anaphora

Repetition of words at the start of clauses; Example: "Every day

Style

The way an author writes; Example: descriptive

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting things side by side; Example: “Beauty and ugliness in the same scene”

Diction

Word choice; Example: “She exclaimed” vs. “She yelled”

Context

Circumstances surrounding a text; Example: Historical events influencing a story

Genre

Type/category of literature; Example: Fantasy

Rhetoric

Persuasive language; Example: "Using emotional appeal to convince readers"

Purpose

Author’s reason for writing; Example: To inform

Audience

Intended readers/listeners; Example: Children

Analogy

Comparison to explain something; Example: “Life is like a box of chocolates”

SOAPSTONE

Speaker

Denotation & Connotation

Literal meaning & implied meaning; Example: Denotation of “home” = house

Theme

Central idea or message; Example: "Friendship conquers all."

Irony

Difference between expectation and reality; Types: verbal

Foreshadowing

Hint of events to come; Example: Dark clouds foreshadow a storm

Protagonist

Main character; Example: Harry Potter

Antagonist

Character or force opposing the protagonist; Example: Voldemort

Exposition

Beginning that sets up characters

Climax of a Story

Most exciting turning point

Resolution

How the conflict is solved

Direct Characterization

Author tells directly what a character is like; Example: "John was brave."

Indirect Characterization

Author shows traits through actions

External Conflict

Character struggles against outside forces; Types: Character vs. Character

Internal Conflict

Character struggles with self; Example: Fear vs. courage

Ethos

Credibility or ethics appeal; Example: Doctor recommending a treatment

Pathos

Emotional appeal; Example: Commercial showing sad animals to raise donations

Logos

Logical appeal; Example: Statistics proving a point

Point of View

Perspective of the story

First Person

"I couldn’t believe my eyes."

Second Person

"You walk into the room and see…"

Third Person Limited

"She wondered if she would pass."

Third Person Omniscient

"He felt nervous

Third Person Objective

"He walked in. She smiled."

Claim of Fact

Statement that can be proven; Example: "Water boils at 100°C."

Claim of Value

Opinion/judgment; Example: "Chocolate ice cream is best."

Claim of Policy

Suggests a course of action; Example: "School lunches should be free."

Argumentative Thesis

Choose a side and provide reasoning; Example: "School lunches should be free because it ensures all students have access to healthy meals

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person

Red Herring

Distracting from main issue

Bandwagon

"Everyone’s doing it"

Slippery Slope

One step leads to extreme outcomes

Straw Man

Misrepresenting argument to attack it

Hasty Generalization

Rushing to conclusion

Begging the Question

Assuming truth in argument

Appeal to Authority

Using authority without evidence

Double Standard

Applying rules unfairly

Burden of Proof

Shifting responsibility to others