Tier 1 Vocabulary

alliteration

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

allusion

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

ambivalent

(adj.) having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas simultaneously about something or someone

analogy

a term signifying a relational comparison of or similarity between two objects or ideas

antithesis

opposition, or contrast/ juxtaposition, of ideas or words in parallel construction
ex: One small step for man, one giant step for mankind

apostrophe

a direct message to someone (or something) who is present or cannot respond in reality [usually in literature]

concession

an acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable; in a strong argument, a concession is usually accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument

connotation

meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation; Connotations are usually positive or negative, and they can greatly affect the author's tone

counterargument

an opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward; rather than ignoring it, a strong writer will usually address a counterargument through the process of concession and refutation

denotation

the dictionary definition or meaning of the word; (n.) the most specific or direct meaning of a word in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings

earnest

(adj.) resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction

ellipsis

three dots that indicate words have been left out of a quotation; they can also be used to create suspense

enigmatic

(adj.) difficult to interpret or understand, mysterious

equivocal

(adj.) open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous

figurative language

nonliteral language, sometimes referred to as tropes or metaphorical language, that often evokes strong imagery and figures of speech; often compares one thing to another either explicitly or implicitly
incl: simile, metaphor, personification, paradox, hyperbole, understatement, metonymy, & synecdoche

hyperbole

an exaggeration that bolsters an argument

imagery

any time one of the five senses (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory) is evoked by what you have read

ingratiating

(adj.) intended to gain approval or favor

irony

a figure of speech that occurs when a speaker or character says one thing but means something else, or when what is said is the opposite of what is expected, creating a noticeable incongruity (inharmonious, out of place)

juxtaposition

placement of two things close together to emphasize similarities or differences

metaphor

figure of speech that compares two things without using like or as

mood

the feeling or atmosphere created (for the reader) by the text

onomatopoeia

figure of speech in which a sound intimidates the thing or action associated with it

oxymoron

two words that together create a sense of opposition; the juxtaposition of words that seem to contradict each other

parentheticals

phrases, sentences, and words inside parentheses () that qualify or clarify something

pedantic

(adj.) of or like someone who is excessively concerned with minor details and with displaying academic learning

personification

attribution of lifelike qualities to inanimate objects or ideas

point of view

the perspective from which the writer chooses to present their piece; first, second, or third person (omniscient or limited): in nonfiction can also consider the writer's attitude or nature of their persona

polemical

(adj.) relating to or involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious (heated) writing or speech

pun

a play on words that calls humorous attention to a particular point

qualifier

words used to temper the claim, or make it less absolute

repetition

a fundamental form of rhetorical stress that calls the reader's attention to a particular word, phrase, or image or emphasis; reinforces the power of parallel syntax

refutation

a denial of the validity of an opposing argument; in order to sound reasonable, it follows a concession that acknowledges that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable then goes on to disprove that argument

reproachful

(adj.) expressing disapproval or disappointment

rhetorical question

a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer; the answer to the question is assumed, and the reader should respond in a predetermined manner

simile

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

strident

(adj.) loud and harsh, grating

tone

a speaker's attitude toward the subject conveyed by the speaker's stylistic and rhetorical choices [differing from stance, the speaker's attitude toward the audience

understatement

a figure of speech in which something is presented as less important, dire, urgent, good, etc. than it actually is; often used for satiric or comical effect

wry

(adj.) using or expressing dry, especially smocking, humor

rhetorical appeals

rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling; The three major appeals are ethos (Greek for character and used to demonstrate credibility and trustworthiness), logos (Greek for embodied thought and used when offering clear, rational ideas through specific details, examples, facts, statistics), and pathos (Greek for suffering, used to emotionally motivate the audience based on the audience’s values, desires, hopes, fears, prejudices, etc).