AP Language and Composition: Rhetorical Handbook - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms from the notes on style, rhetoric, and argument.

Style

The manner of expression of a writer, including word choice, grammar, and use of language features.

Diction

An author’s choice of words; influences meaning, tone, and effect.

Connotation

Ideas or emotions a word suggests beyond its literal meaning.

Denotation

The literal dictionary meaning of a word.

Pedantic

An overly academic or rule-bound style; formal and ostentatious about learning.

Simple

Plain, straightforward language that is easy to understand.

Didactic

Text that aims to teach or inform, often at the expense of grace or style.

Literal

Interpreted as the explicit, actual meaning of words.

Figurative

Language that uses figures of speech rather than literal meaning.

Active Voice

Subject performs the action of the verb.

Passive Voice

Subject receives the action or is acted upon.

Overstated

Exaggerated beyond the truth for emphasis.

Understated

Expressed with restraint or less emphasis than warranted.

Colloquial

Informal, conversational language suited to everyday speech.

Formal

Standard, proper language appropriate for serious writing.

Slang/Jargon

Nonstandard or specialized vocabulary used by a group.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences.

Repetition

Repeating words, phrases, or sounds for emphasis or effect.

Genre

A recognizable category of literary work with conventions.

Autobiography

The biography of a person written by that person.

Biography

Life story written by someone else.

Memoir

A narrative focused on a particular period or aspect of a life.

Chronicle

An extended, factual account of historical events without analysis.

Diary

A daily written record of personal experiences.

Essay

A short piece of writing on a single subject, often expressing the author’s view.

Fiction

Literature created from imagination rather than fact.

Nonfiction

Works based on facts, history, or real events.

Parody

A humorous imitation of a work or style for comic effect.

Prose

Written or spoken language in ordinary form, as opposed to poetry.

Satire

A literary work that ridicules human vices or folly for reform.

Sermon

A formal speech, often religious, intended to teach or persuade.

Stream of Consciousness

A technique recording a character’s thoughts in a continuous flow.

Editorial

An opinion piece in a newspaper or website; not a neutral report.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, place, event, or work.

Ambiguity

A word or passage with more than one possible meaning.

Anecdote

A brief, often personal, account of a particular incident.

Analogy

A comparison used to explain something unfamiliar by showing similarities to something familiar.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences.

Antithesis

A contrast of ideas expressed in parallel grammatical structure.

Aphorism

A concise, pointed statement expressing a general truth.

Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions in a series to create speed or emphasis.

Enthymeme

A syllogism with an omitted premise or conclusion.

Euphemism

A mild term used in place of something considered harsh or blunt.

Fallacy

A flawed or misleading argument.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration not meant to be taken literally.

Hypotheticals

Hypothetical scenarios used for reasoning or argument.

Invective

Harsh abusive language directed at a person or idea.

Juxtaposition

Placing two or more items side by side for comparison or contrast.

Malapropism

The mistaken use of a word that sounds similar to the proper one.

Paradox

A seemingly self-contradictory statement that may be true.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.

Parallelism

Phrases or clauses that are grammatically similar.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of many conjunctions in close succession.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not to elicit an answer.

Sensory Detail

Details appealing to the senses (sight, sound, etc.).

Shift

A change in tone, perspective, or style within a work.

Syllogism

A logical argument with a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience.

Perspective

The point of view from which a rhetor presents an argument.

Purpose

The reason the argument is written; what the author aims to achieve.

Theme/Thesis

The central message or argument of a literary work.

Voice

The author’s or narrator’s persona expressed through diction and style.

Audience

The people the writer is addressing.

Ethos

Ethical appeal; credibility of the speaker or writer.

Pathos

Emotional appeal to the audience.

Logos

Logical appeal based on reason and evidence.

Exigence

The issue or need that motivates an argument (the rhetorical occasion).

Claim

An assertion or position the argument aims to prove.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning from general principles to a specific conclusion.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning from specific examples to a general principle.

Evidence

Facts, data, or examples that support a claim.

Warrant

The underlying assumption linking evidence to the claim.

Counterargument

An opposing argument that challenges the main claim.

Concession

An acknowledgment that part of the opposing view has merit.

Rebuttal

A response that refutes the opposing argument.

Expository

A mode of writing that informs, explains, or instructs.