AP LANG REVIEW 2.0

Ad Hominem

This is an attack on the character of a person rather than his or her opinions or arguments

Appeals to False Authority

occurs when someone cites a false or unqualified figure of authority (Often used in marketing)

Bandwagon

“Everyone is doing it”

This is an appeal that presents what most people, or a group of people think, in order to persuade one to think the same way. Getting on the bandwagon is one such instance of an ad populum appeal.

Begging the Question

occurs when an argument's evidence assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it (Circular argument)

Either/Or

This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices

False Analogy

the assumption that two things share multiple similarities simply because they have one thing in common

Hasty Generalization

This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts.

Non sequitur

a statement or conclusion that does not follow logically from what preceded it. Non sequiturs can be responses that have nothing to do with the conversation or flawed conclusions “based” on what preceded them

Red Herring

This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.

Slippery Slope

This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur, A must not be allowed to occur either

Straw Man

This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument

Post Hoc

This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A

What is “SPACECATS”

"SPACECATS" is an acronym used to remember the criteria for analyzing texts in literature and writing, often standing for speaker, purpose, audience, context, exigence, choices, appeals, and tone

Allegory

the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence

COMPARISON

Alliteration

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables

SOUND

Allusion

This rhetorical device is a reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history

COMPARISON

Ambiguity

This rhetorical device references a word, phrase, or sentence whose meaning can be interpreted in more than one way

OTHER

Analogy

This rhetorical device references an extended comparison between two things/instances/people etc. that share some similarity to make a point

COMPARISON

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

PARALLELISM

Anecdote

This rhetorical device references a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident

COMPARISON

Antithesis

This rhetorical device references the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences

PARALLELISM

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant sounds

SOUND

Cacophony

Harshness in the sound of words or phrases

SOUND

Chiasmus

An inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases

PARALLELISM

Colloquial

characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

DICTION/TONE

Consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds, but not vowels, as in assonance

SOUND

Verbal Irony

using language in an indirect, non-literal manner, with an intended meaning that is different from (and often opposite to) the literal meanings of the words

IRONY

Didactic

tone; instructional, designed to teach an ethical, moral, or religious lesson

DICTION/TONE

Dramatic Irony

incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play : irony

IRONY

Elegiac

a tone involving mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past

DICTION/TONE

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

PARALLELISM

Euphemism

the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant

Diction/Tone

Euphony

the acoustic effect produced by words so formed or combined as to please the ear

SOUND

Extended Metaphor

differs from a regular metaphor in that several comparisons similar in theme are being made

COMPARISONS

Imagery

descriptive language that provides vivid images that evoke the senses

DICTION/TONE

Juxtaposition

placing two or more things side by side for comparison or contrast

OTHER

Litotes

understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in "not a bad singer" or "not unhappy"). It allows a speaker to deliver criticism or bad news more softly/ softens a harsh statement

IRONY

Loaded Lauguage

rhetoric used to influence an audience by using words and phrases with strong connotations

DICTION/TONE

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them

COMPARISON

Metonymy

A figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated

When you use 2 things that are closely associated and use one to speak for both.

COMPARISON

Overstatement

to state in too strong terms : exaggerate

IRONY

Paradox

apparently self-contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is revealed only by careful scrutiny; its purpose is to arrest attention and provoke fresh thought

OTHER

Pedantic

narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned

DICTION/TONE

Personification

representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the human form

COMPARISON

Polysyndeton

the use of many conjunctions has the effect of slowing the pace or emphasizing the numerous words or clauses

DICTION/TONE

Rhetorical Question

a question presented by the author that is not meant to be answered

OTHER

Repetition

the act or an instance of repeating or being repeated

PARALLELISM

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by "like" or "as"

COMPARISON

Situational Irony

the irony of something happening that is very different to what was expected

IRONY

Synecdoche

the rhetorical substitution of a part for the whole

A synecdoche adds vivid imagery, concise complex ideas, elevates language, gives characters a bigger voice. It also allows for a wider audience as broader words are used.

COMPARISON

Understatement

a statement that represents something as smaller or less intense, or less important than it really is : a statement that understates something

IRONY