ap lang vocab set 7

Allusion (n.) / Allude (v)

Reference to something in art, music, movies, literature, culture, history, etc.

ex:

It’s like World War II in that classroom.

High school is no Disneyland.

The novel's title is an allusion to Shakespeare.

The teacher alluded to the upcoming test and strongly suggested that students pay attention to the particular concept she was discussing.

Allegory (n.) / Allegorical (adj.)

a complete narrative where characters, events, and settings have a symbolic meaning to convey a deeper, often moral or political message

ex: Shirley Jackson's story “The Lottery” serves as an allegory regarding humankind's inherent cruelty and numbness to violence. 

The Lorax, Animal Farm

Appositive (n.)

A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its

meaning.

An appositive noun or phrase is restrictive (also called essential) if it narrows down the word it modifies

ex: My friend Amanda is on the honor roll again.

an appositive noun or phrase is nonrestrictive (also called nonessential) if we know exactly who the writer is referring to when the appositive is removed.

ex: Sarah, my best friend since childhood, always knows how to make me laugh when I'm feeling down.

Contrived (adj.)

Having an unnatural or false appearance or quality; sounding forced, fake or insincere

ex: The student’s contrived apology was not well-received by the teacher.

Evoke (v.)/ Evocative (adj.)

To bring a memory, feeling or image to mind; to conjure

ex: The perfume was evocative of spring with aromas of flowers and freshly-cut grass.

Imply (v.)/ Implied (adj.) / Insinuate (v.)

To hint at, suggest; involved, indicated, or suggested without being directly or explicitly stated; tacitly understood

insinuate has more of a negative tone “What are you insinuating?”), whereas imply and implied are more neutral.

Nostalgia (n.) / Nostalgic (adj.)

Feeling of both pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again

ex: We felt nostalgic going through old photos of our dog as a puppy - it was hard to believe he used to be so tiny!

Paradox (n.) / Paradoxical (adj.)

A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.

“Less is more” is a paradox often repeated in the arts and other fields.

Parody (n.)

An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original, and pokes fun at it.

ex: Weird Al

Satire (n.)

A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect. It targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions. Good satire usually has three layers: serious on the surface; humorous when you discover that it is satire instead of reality; and serious when you discern the underlying point of the author.

ex: the Onion

Pedantic (adj.)

words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

ex: The pedantic professor meticulously corrected every minor grammatical error in the students' essays, leaving them feeling intimidated rather than enlightened.

Sarcasm (n) / Sarcastic (adj.)

Use of words that mean opposite of

what you really want to say, especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation or to be funny

ex- “Lovely weather we’re having, no?” (Said during a torrential downpour)

Strident (adj.)

Expressing opinions or criticism in a very forceful and often annoying or unpleasant way; harsh-sounding

ex: “Star players have grown more strident in dictating their situations, and in some cases teams have stumbled in response.”

Understatement (n.)

The ironic minimizing of fact understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous.

ex: Our defense played valiantly, and held the other team to merely eight touchdowns in the first quarter.

Parenthetical Elements (n.)

Though not essential to understanding what they are describing, parenthetical elements interrupt sentences to provide additional information that may address an audience’s needs and/or advance a writer’s purpose. 

It is almost considered an aside...a whisper, and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly. 

Parentheses can also be used to set off dates and numbers. 

ex: “In a short time (and the time is getting shorter by the gallon) America will be out of oil.”

Whimsical (adj.)

Unusual in a playful, amusing way; fanciful and lighthearted

ex: The students were grateful for a whimsical palate cleanser after spending the past month reading memoirs of genocide and war.