Ap lang comp vocab

Allusion

A reference to something which is commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, etc. Examples: pop culture, historical, biblical, literary

Analogy

A similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based.

Anaphora

A rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis

Aphorism

A brief statement which expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise observation; original thought spoken or written in a memorable form

archaic

ancient; old

bombastic

high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious; pompous; grandiose,

brusque

abrupt in manner; blunt

Example: "He went to the country, to the town went she."

Cliché

An expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype

Connotation

the non-literal meaning of a word; the implied, suggestive meaning

deductive reasoning

a logical process in which a conclusion is based on the concordance of multiple premises that are generally assumed to be true. Deductive reasoning is sometimes referred to as top-down logic. Its counterpart, inductive reasoning, is sometimes referred to as bottom-up logic.

epigraph

A brief quotation which appears at the beginning of a literary work

Epistrophe

A figure of speech and the counterpart of anaphora. It is the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences.

esoteric

understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; private; secret; confidential; belonging to a select few

ethos

Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology

euphemism

Greek for "good speech" - they are more agreeable and less offensive substitute words

euphonious

pleasant in sound; agreeable to the ear

False Analogy

A fallacy in which an argument is based on misleading, superficial, or implausible comparisons

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy in which a conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence

Hyperbole

An overstatement or an exaggerated figure of speech

Imagery

Using descriptions and literary devices to give an image to the words.

Inductive Reasoning

Predicting future events based on past events

Invective

an insulting or abusive word or expression

inverted sentence

An inverted sentence is one in which the subject appears after the verb. This construction causes the subject to receive more emphasis

loaded language

charged with emotional or associative significance that hinders rational or unprejudiced consideration of the terms involved in a discourse

logos

use of logical reasoning; logical appeal

Metonymy

A figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part

Non-sequitur

A fallacy in which a conclusion does not follow logically from what preceded it.

nostalgic

a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time

paradox

A situation or a statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, does not.

pathos

appealing to the reader's emotions

periodic sentence

A sentence that presents its main clause at the end.

pretentious

Making an exaggerated outward show; thinking you are important

Pun

A play on words

rhetorical question

A question that is not meant to be answered because it implies that the answer is obvious

semantics

Studying the meaning of words, their historical development, their connotations, etc.

Style

Manner of expression of a particular writer, produced by choice of words, grammatical structures, language use

syllogism

form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. (Reasoning from the general to the particular or the known facts)

syntax

Grammatical sentence structure. Syntax studies the form of the sentence while semantics looks at the meaning of the sentence. When analyzing languages, an analysis can be said to cover both the "syntax and semantics" concerning both the format and meanings of phrases in a language.

Theme

Central and dominating idea in literature work (message or moral implicit in any work of art)

trite

lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale: the trite phrases in his letter; characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc

Warrant

An assumption or general principle that establishes a connection between the evidence and the claim

Example: apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, personification, etc

Mood

The atmosphere of a word. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood.

Personification

concepts, animals, objects that have human characteristics

Point of View

the vantage point from which a story is told

Prose

Refers to fiction, nonfiction and the major divisions of this genre

Repetition

the duplication of language; rhetorical strategy used to emphasize a certain word or point

Satire

work that targets social institutions or people in order to bring about change

Symbol

something that stands for something else

Rhetorical Modes

Exposition

Argumentation

Description

Narration

Tone

author's attitude toward his/her material

Allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning

begging the question

An informal fallacy in which an argument utilizes as a premise the same idea which is also contained in the conclusion

Classification and Division

When a writer organizes, or sorts things into categories

Clause

Grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb

Either/Or Reasoning

A fallacy that occurs when a writer builds an argument upon the assumption that there are only two choices or possible outcomes when actually there are several

genre

The major category into which a literary work fits

Inference

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented

Loose Sentence

A type of sentence where the main clause comes first, followed by a dependent clause

pedantic

General tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish

thesis

Statement that directly states the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position

transition

Words that connect ideas within a sentence or paragraph

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word