AP Language and Composition Terms

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Allusion

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.

Anadiplosis

A figure of speech in which a word or group of words located at the end of one clause or sentence is repeated at or near the beginning of the following clause or sentence.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Anaphora

The use of a word referring to or replacing a word used earlier in a sentence, to avoid repetition.

Anecdote

A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Antecedent

A thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another.

Antithesis

A person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.

Aphorism

A pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.”

Apostrophe

A punctuation mark ( ’ ) used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters or numbers.

Asyndeton

The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Atmosphere

The feeling a writer wants their readers to experience, like suspense or joy.

Chiasmus

A rhetorical figure in which words or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

Clause

A unit of grammatical organization next below the sentence in rank, consisting of a subject and predicate.

Conduplicatio

A rhetorical device that involves repeating a key word from one sentence at the beginning of the next.

Colloquialism

A word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically used in ordinary conversation.

Coherence

The quality of being logical and consistent.

Conceit

Excessive pride in oneself.

Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings it suggests.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Didactic

Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Enumeratio

A figure of amplification in which a subject is divided into constituent parts or details.

Expletive

An oath or swear word.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt.

Exposition

A comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

Extended metaphor

A metaphor used over multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas.

Figurative language

A way of using words to convey meaning different from their literal meaning.

Figure of speech

A word or phrase that intentionally departs from literal meaning to create a rhetorical effect.

Generic conventions

The components used to identify the genre for audience understanding.

Genre

A category of artistic composition characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

Homily

A piece of spoken or written advice about how someone should behave.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Hypophora

A rhetorical term for a strategy in which a speaker raises a question and then answers it.

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Inference

A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

Invective

Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

Irony

The expression of one's meaning by using language that signifies the opposite, typically for effect.

Juxtaposition

The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Litotes

A form of understatement expressed ironically by negating its contrary.

Loose sentence

A sentence structure that is grammatically complete before its end.

Metaphor

An implied comparison not using "like" or "as."

Metonymy

Replacing an actual word or idea with a related word or concept.

Mood

The atmosphere created by literature through word choice.

Narrative

A story or account of events presented in a chronological order.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech that uses words to describe sounds made by living things or objects.

Oxymoron

Occurs when two contradictory words are together in one phrase.

Paradox

A statement that appears self-contrad

Parallelism

Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns

Parody

An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes

Pedantic

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish

Periodic sentence

a type of parallel sentence which builds through three or more parallel constructions (dependent phrases or clauses) to a main clause

Personification

a type of figurative language that gives human characteristics to nonhuman things or inanimate objects

Polysyndeton

a rhetorical device that involves repeating conjunctions in a sentence to create a list-like effect

Point of view

the perspective from which a story is told, essentially who is narrating the events and what level of access they have to the characters' thoughts and feelings

Predicate adjective

an adjective that is in the predicate of a sentence and comes after a linking verb that describes the subject of that same sentence

Predicate nominative

a noun that comes after a linking verb and is equal to a subject of a sentence

Prose

written language that is unmetered, follows grammar rules, and is organized into sentences and paragraphs

Repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound,word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern

Rhetoric

The art of effective communication

Rhetorical question

A question asked solely to produce an effect and not to elicit a reply

Sarcasm

the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say, especially in order to insult someone, or to show irritation, or just to be funny

Satire

The use of wit- especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule- to attack the vices and follies of humankind

Semantics

the study of meanings

Style

the manner in which ideas are expressed, the combination of distinctive or unique features characterizing a writer or person

Subject complement

gives us more information about the subject

Subordinate clause

a clause that does not form a simple sentence by itself and that is connected to the main clause of a sentence

Syllogism

A formula for presenting an argument logically

Symbolism

a literary device in which a writer uses one thing—usually a physical object or phenomenon—to represent something more abstract

Synecdoche

A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa

Syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences

Theme

what a text implies about life or human nature

Thesis

the main argument or point that a student makes in an essay

Tone

the stylistic means by which an author conveys his/her attitude(s) in a work of literature

Transition

a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or an entire paragraph

Understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is

Undertone

a muted tone of voice

Wit

intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights