AP Language Terms Review

Declarative Sentence

makes a statement

Imperative Sentence

gives a command

Interrogative Sentence

asks a question

Exclamatory Sentence

expresses strong feeling

Rhetorical Question

a question which does not require an answer because the answer is obvious

Cumulative Sentence

a sentence which begins with the main idea (an independent clause) which is followed by phrases and clauses which elaborate upon the main idea

Periodic Sentence

a sentence in which the main idea (subject and verb) comes at the end of the sentence; the sentence is not grammatically complete until the end

Inverted Sentence

reversing the normal word order of a sentence 

Connotation

the set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning 

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word, the dictionary meaning 

Formal Diction

academic, conventional, literary; the use of sophisticated language, without slang or colloquialisms

Informal Diction

casual, relaxed, unofficial; the use of everyday, casual language, including slang and colloquialisms

Colloquial Language

words and phrases used in everyday speech but avoided in formal writing 

Dashes

marks a sudden change in thought or tone, sets off a brief summary, or sets off a parenthetical part of the sentence

Colons

directs the reader's attention to the words that follow; can also be used between independent clauses if the second clause summarizes or explains the first

Semicolons

gives equal weight to two or more independent clauses in a sentence

Asyndeton

omits conjunctions between a series of words, phrases, or clauses 

Polysyndeton

the use of several conjunctions between a series of words, phrases, or clauses  

Anaphora

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

Epistrophe

repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive lines or clauses 

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which contradictory terms or ideas are combined; juxtaposes two elements 

Allusion

a brief reference to a person, place, event, work of art, or literature

Cacophony

the deliberate use of word-sounds that cumulatively produce a disturbing, jarring effect on the reader 

Euphony

a deliberate, pleasant, melodic combination of word-sounds 

Chiasmus

involves two parallel clauses in which similar terms in the first clause end up reversed in the second clause  

Antimetabole

the repetition of exact words in reversed order in successive clauses

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 

Synecdoche

a type of metonymy, it is the rhetorical substitution of a part for the whole 

Tautology

a repetition of meaning using similar words close together in a sentence or phrase 

Zeugma

a technique for linking two or more same parts of speech with a different part of speech in the same sentence; use of two different words in a grammatically similar way but producing different, often incongruous, meanings

Antithesis

a figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually through parallel structure; a contrasting of ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences 

Juxtaposition

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

Parallel Structure

use of the same grammatical form such as infinitives, gerunds, and prepositional phrases to balance ideas and give them equal weight 

Ethos

appeal based on the character and reputation of the speaker 

Pathos

an appeal to the audience’s emotions 

Logos

an appeal to reason and logic 

Anecdote

a short entertaining account of some happening, frequently personal or biographical 

Understatement

deliberately representing something as much less than it really is

Hyperbole

an extravagant exaggeration of fact, used either for serious or comic effect 

Tone

the author’s attitude toward the subject matter 

Satire

use of ridicule, sarcasm, and irony to expose vices and abuses 

Stream of Consciousness

technique that records the thoughts and feelings of a character without regard to logical argument or narrative sequence 

Jargon

language appropriate for a particular group 

Personification

a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstract concept is endowed with human attributes 

Paradox

a statement which seems self-contradictory, but which may be true in fact 

Slippery Slope Fallacy

an argument that claims an initial event or action will trigger a series of other events and lead to an extreme or undesirable outcome without offering any evidence to substantiate the claim

Hasty Generalization Fallacy

when a conclusion is drawn based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence

Ad Hominem Fallacy

when a person’s character or motive is attacked instead of that person’s argument 

Begging the Question

when an argument's premise assumes the conclusion it's trying to prove; the argument assumes the truth of the conclusion without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to establish it

Straw Man Fallacy

occurs when someone distorts or misrepresents their opponent's argument to make it easier to attack; instead of addressing the actual argument, the person creates a weak, exaggerated, or simplified version of it

Red Herring Fallacy

when a speaker introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention away from the main issue or argument

False Dilemma (Black or White) Fallacy

oversimplifies a complex issue by forcing a choice between two extremes, ignoring a spectrum of alternative solutions

Non Sequitur Fallacy

a statement or conclusion that does not follow logically from what preceded it

Post Hoc Fallacy

occurs when the writer assumes that an incident that precedes another is the cause of the second incident; because one event precedes another, the first event must have caused the second