ap lang terms

Allusion

A brief reference to a person, event, place, or work of art, real or fictional.

Analogy

A figure of speech that compares two unlike things to explain something more complex.

Antecedent

The noun or noun phrase to which a pronoun refers in a sentence.

Antithesis

Opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a parallel construction.

Audience

The listener, viewer, or reader of a text, often with multiple audiences.

Claim

A statement that can be proved or disproved through evidence.

Colloquialism

A word or phrase used in everyday conversation considered inappropriate in formal writing.

Commentary

The explanation provided for how and why evidence supports a claim.

Conceit

An extended metaphor that elaborates on the comparison of two unlike things.

Concession

An acknowledgment that part of an opposing argument may be true.

Connotation

Meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition.

Context

The circumstances, atmosphere, or events surrounding a text.

Counterargument

An argument opposing the one a speaker is putting forward.

Denotation

The literal meaning, or dictionary definition, of a word.

Diction

Word choice; a way in which a speaker establishes tone and style.

Ellipsis

A punctuation mark indicated by three spaced periods that indicates the omission of words.

Evidence

The proof provided in support of a claim.

Exigence

The urgency, importance, and timeliness of a subject.

Exposition

A rhetorical mode that aims to inform or explain something to the audience.

Figurative language

The use of language in a non-literal way to convey meaning beyond the literal.

Figure of speech

A word or phrase used in a non-literal sense to convey meaning or heighten effect.

Hypophora

A rhetorical device in which a speaker asks a question and then answers it.

Inference

A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

Inversion

Inverted order of words in a sentence.

Irony

A literary device that involves discrepancies between appearance and reality.

Jargon

Specialized or technical terminology used in a specific field.

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences.

Line of reasoning

The arrangement/order and logical structure of an argument.

Mood

The overall feeling or atmosphere of the text.

Occasion

The time and place in which a text was spoken or written.

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory but expresses a deeper truth.

Parallelism

Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.

Parody

A creative work that imitates or mocks its subject in an ironic or satirical way.

Personification

Attribution of a lifelike quality to an inanimate object or idea.

Premise

A statement that serves as the foundation for an argument.

Purpose

The goal or aim the speaker wants to achieve.

Qualifier

A word or phrase that tempers or softens a claim.

Reason

A statement of logic in support of a claim.

Refutation

Denial of the validity of an opposing argument through reasoning and evidence.

Rhetoric

The faculty of observing the available means of persuasion.

Rhetorical appeals

Techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing important aspects.

Rhetorical choice

A decision made to communicate a message and persuade an audience.

Rhetorical question

A question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for answering.

S.O.A.P.S.E.T.

A mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, Exigence, Tone.

Speaker

The person or group who creates the text.

Subject

The main topic of a text.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence.

Synthesis

Carefully considering various viewpoints to create a new viewpoint.

Thesis

The overriding claim of an argument.

Tone

The speaker’s attitude toward the subject conveyed by their choices.

Types of Reasoning

Different methods of reasoning: analogical, causal, conditional, deductive, inductive.

Voice

The distinctive perspective and style of a speaker.