AP Lang Terms (Learn these!!!)

ad hominem

a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute

ad populum

This fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to "everybody's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do."

alliteration

repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence

allusion

Brief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art

analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

anecdote

a brief story used to illustrate a point or claim

antimetabole

Repetition of words in reverse ordedr

Antithesis

opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction

appeal to false authority

This fallacy occurs when someone who has no expertise to speak on an issue is cited as an authority.

archaic diction

old-fashioned or outdated choice of words

argument

A process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion.

assertion

a statement that presents a claim or thesis

asyndeton

omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words

begging the question

A fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt.

circular reasoning

a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence

claim

Also called an assertion or a proposition, a claim states the argument's main idea or position. A claim differs from a topic or subject in that a claim has to be arguable.

closed thesis

a statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make

complex sentence

A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

compound sentence

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions

concession

A reluctant acknowledgment or yielding.

confirmation

In classical oration, this major part of an argument comes between the narration and refutation; it provides the development of proof through evidence that supports the claims made by the speaker.

connotation

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

context

The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.

counterargument

A challenge to a position; an opposing argument

cumulative sentence

sentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on

deduction

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example

diction

a speaker or writer's choice of words

either/or false dilemma

In this fallacy, the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices.

enthymeme

an argument in which one premise is not explicitly stated

equivocation

A fallacy that uses a term with two or more meanings in an attempt to misrepresent or deceive.

ethos

credibility

exordium

the introduction to an argument, in which the speaker announces the subject and purpose, and appeals to ethos in order to establish credibility

faulty analogy

a fallacy that occurs when an analogy compares two things that are not comparable

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

first hand evidence

Evidence based on something the writer knows, whether it's from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of events.

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence.

hortative sentence

sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action

hyperbole

a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement

imagery

a description of how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds

imperative sentence

A sentence that requests or commands.

induction

the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization

inversion

inverted order of words in a sentence (variation of the subject-verb-object order)

irony

the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning

juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

logical fallacies

An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid

logos

an appeal based on logic or reason

metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is represented by another thing that is related to it or emblematic of it (the pen is mightier than the sword)

modifier

a word, phrase, or clause that qualifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause

mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

nominalization

turning a verb or adjective into a noun

occasion

the time and place a speech is given or a piece is written

open thesis

one that does not list all the points the writer intends to cover in an essay

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

parallelism

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

pathos

Appeal to emotion

peroration

the concluding part of a speech; flowery, rhetorical speech

polemic

controversy; argument; verbal attack

polysyndeton

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural

post hoc ergo propter hoc

after this, therefore because of this

propaganda

Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause.

qualified argument

An argument that is not absolute. It acknowledges the merits of an opposing view, but develops a stronger case for its own position.

qualitative evidence

evidence supported by reason, tradition, or precedent

quantitative evidence

includes things that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers

rebuttal

a refutation or contradiction

refutation

The part of an argument wherein a speaker or writer anticipates and counters opposing points of view.

rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

rhetorical appeals

Rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are to ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion).

rhetorical question

figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer

Rogerian arguments

based on the assumption that having a full understanding of an opposing position is essential to responding to it persuasively and refuting it in a way that is accommodating rather than alienating

satire

A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.

scheme

artful syntax; a deviation from the normal order of words

second hand evidence

Evidence that is accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data.

simile

a figure of speech used to explain or clarify and idea by comparing it explicitly to something else, using the words like, as, or as though

SOAPS

A mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, and Speaker. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation.

speaker

A term used for the author, speaker, or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing

stance

A speaker's attitude toward the audience (differing from tone, the speaker's attitude toward the subject).

straw man

A fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea.

exigence

a decisive point at which a response is invited or required

syllogism

a logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

synthesize

Combining or bringing together two or more elements to produce something more complex.

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

trope

Artful diction; the use of language in a nonliteral way; also called a figure of speech.

understatement

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

wit

In rhetoric, the use of laughter, humor, irony, and satire in the confirmation or refutation of an argument.

zeugma

use of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous, meanings (ex: when you open a book, you open your mind)