AP Lang literary devices, rhetorical techniques, and research terminology

Q1 research

Abstract language

intangible ideas, concepts, and qualities unobserved by the 5 senses. (ex:truth, honor, kindness)

Ad hominem

Argument directed at a person/ their character rather than their position

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

alliteration

repetition of the same letter/ sound at the beginning of closely related words.

allusion

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

ambiguity

quality of being open to more than one interpretations; inexactness

analogy

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

anaphora

repetition of a word/ phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

anecdote

a brief story or narrative that's often used as a digression to illustrate a point or theme.

annotation

adding notes to text to help reader understand it

antecendant

a noun or noun phrase that provides meaning to a pronoun.

antithesis

a rhetorical device that uses a parallel grammatical structure to contrast opposing ideas. Extended juxtaposition. (Love is ideal marriage is real)

aphorism

a concise saying that's used to express a customary truth, such as “imitation is the highest form of flattery.”

apostrophe

a speaker addresses a person or thing that is not present, or is personified or inanimate.

assonance

repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants

asyndeton

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

balance

using parallel structures to create a sense of balance and symmetry

begging the question

a logical fallacy that occurs when an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it.

cacophany

a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, or unpleasant

causal relationships

a connection between two things where one is the result of the other

chiasmus

a literary device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order (ex: “She has all my love; my heart belongs to her,") Type of antithesis

citation/documentation

a brief summary that provides all the necessary data about a book, journal, or website so that someone else can easily find this source on their own

clause

a group of words that contains a subject and a verb that express a relationship

colloquialism

a style of writing or speaking that uses informal, everyday words and phrases that are specific to a particular time period or region

common knowledge

information well-known enough to be uncited.

conceit

figure of speech comparing 2 different things using an extended metaphor/ simile

concrete language

writing style using specific and tangible characterists to help readers understand a topic

connotation

implied meaning of a word/phrase beyond literal definition or denotation

consonance

repetition of consonants

cumulative sentence/ loose sentence

independent clause followed by one or more modifiers. stating something and elaborating.

Deduction

the process of drawing a logical conclusion based on information provided in a text, along with personal knowledge and experiences

denotation

literal meaning of a word/ phrase without emotion or connotation

diction

the linguistic choices a writer makes to effectively convey an idea, a point of view, or tell a story

didactic

literature intending to teach/ instruct readers

either-or reasoning

logical fallacy claiming there are only 2 possible options when there are actually more.

Ellipsis

a narrative device that involves omitting words or parts of a sequence of events to allow the reader to fill in the gaps (or …)

elliptical sentence

a sentence from which one or more words are omitted for the sake of conciseness.

emotional appeal/ pathos

using emotion to persuade an audience

equivocation

logical fallacy occurring when a word/ phrase is used in an ambiguous way/ to mean multiple things- calling 2 things by the same name

ethical appeal/ethos

establishing credibility/ authority

euphemism

a word or phrase used to describe something unpleasant, impolite, or taboo in a way that is less offensive or more agreeable

euphony

a series of words that sound pleasant and melodious when spoken or heard together

exposition

an element of literature that introduces the key background information of a narrative

false analogy

a logical fallacy that occurs when two things are portrayed as similar, even though they may not be (ex: apples and oranges)

figurative language

a writing technique that uses words or phrases to convey meaning beyond their literal definition

generalization

broad statement applying to multiple examples or a group of people/thing

homily

a speech or sermon that aims to inspire moral change or provide spiritual understanding on a particular topic

hyperbole

literary device using exaggeration to create emphasis or effect.

imagery

descriptive language meant to appeal to readers senses to create a mental picture.

induction

• An older term for the introduction or prologue to a work

• A method of argument that uses specific examples or facts to reach a general conclusion. In writing, authors use induction to build up to their thesis statement by using evidence from each paragraph to lead the reader.

invective

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

inverted sentence

a sentence that reverses the normal word order of subject-verb-object by placing the verb before the subject and object.

verbal irony

A speaker saying something that is opposite of the literal meaning. Sarcasm

dramatic irony

a literary device that occurs when the audience or reader has more information than the characters in a story

situational irony

a literary device that occurs when the outcome of a situation is different from what is expected

litotes

a rhetorical device that uses understatement to convey meaning.a phrase that uses negation to create an affirmative understatement. (ex: “that wasn’t half bad")

logos

using logic and reasoning to support an argument

logical fallacy

error in reasoning that weakens an argument.

metaphor

comparison by stating that one thing is another

metonymy

a literary device that involves replacing a word with a related word to refer to an idea or object (The pen is as mighty as the sword)

mood

overall feeling/ atmosphere writing elicits in the reader

narrative

a story

non-sequitur

a statement or conclusion that does not logically arise from the thought that precedes it.

onomatopoeia

sounds POW BANG POP CHACHING BOOM BOOM ribbit

oversimplification

the action of describing or explaining something in such a simple way that it is no longer correct or true

oxymoron

combining contradictory words to create new meanings

parable

a short, fictional story that uses relatable characters and events to teach a moral or spiritual lesson. Typically associated with religious teaching

paradox

a statement or idea that seems contradictory but actually reveals a deeper truth or meaning

parallelism

a grammatical technique that involves repeating words, phrases, or sentence structures to emphasize similar ideas or create a sense of balance and symmetry

parody

a creative work that imitates the style and manner of another work or artist in a way that comments on, critiques, or mocks the original.

periodic sentence

a sentence where the main clause (the key idea) is placed at the end, following several dependent clauses, creating a sense of suspense and emphasis on the final point by delaying its revelation until the end of the sentence

persona

the voice or narrative that an author chooses to present a story, and is often distinct from the author's own voice, authors mask.

personification

a literary device that gives human characteristics to non-human things, such as animals, objects, or abstract ideas

persuasion

a literary technique that writers use to influence an audience's beliefs or actions through logic, reason, and emotion

first person POV

I, me, we, us

third person POV (limited)

the POV that uses a narrator with access to only one character's perspective, only one perspective (ex:1984, wilson’s perspective in 3rd person)

Third person POV (Omniscient)

all knowing narrator

Polysyndeton

a literary device that involves the repetition of conjunctions in close succession to emphasize words or phrase

post hoc ergo propter hoc

fallacy assuming that one thing caused another simply bc one came before the other

red herring

a literary device that misleads readers or characters by providing a false clue or information that leads to a false conclusion

refutation

disproving an opposing argument

repetition

repeating of a word/ phrase

rhetoric

the study and uses of written, spoken and visual language.

exposition

a type of writing where the purpose is to explain or inform the audience about a topic

argumentation

the process of using reasoning and evidence to support a viewpoint

description

a piece of writing or statement that uses language to explain the characteristics of something or someone, in order to help the reader or listener form a mental image

narration

telling a story

rhetorical question

a device used to persuade or subtly influence the audience. It's a question asked not for the answer, but for the effect.

satire

sarcasm

a type of social commentary. Writers use exaggeration, irony, and other devices to poke fun of a particular leader, a social custom or tradition, or any other prevalent social figure or practice that they want to comment on and call into question

simple sentece

1 independent clause- subject and predicate

compound sentence

2 or more independent clauses joined by a comma, semicolon, or conjunction

complex sentence

1 independent clause and 1 or more dependent clauses

compound-complex sentence

2 or more independent clauses and 1 or more dependent clauses

simile

comparison using like or as

straw man

fallacy occurring when someone distorts or exaggerates another person's argument, and then attacks the distorted version of the argument instead of refuting the original point.

style

way in which a writer writes

syllogism

a three-part logical argument, based on deductive reasoning, in which two premises are combined to arrive at a conclusion

symbolism

a literary device that uses a person, object, word, or situation to represent something else, usually an abstract idea or belief

synecdoche

a literary device in which a part of something is substituted for the whole