AP Terms Final Exam Sophomore Honors English

Depth

Covering a single topic expansively

Breadth

Covering a variety of topics shallowly

Denotation

dictionary definition of a word

Connotation

the idea or feeling the word invokes

Tone

The author's attitude towards a topic

Parallel Structure

Using the same pattern of ideas to convey equal importance. Equal ideas must take the same form.

Unreliable Narrator

Storyteller is not always trustworthy--either uninformed or intentionally misguiding

Juxtaposition

Placing 2 contrasting items together for a compare and contrast effect.

Allusion

A reference to literature, history, mythology, art, etc.

Bildungsroman

A coming of age story

Layered narration

story within a story

Purpose

the reason an author wrote a text

Vignette

short, descriptive scenes that convey single moments in time for the purpose of a key characteristic or theme.

Inductive Thinking

presenting individual facts then drawing the conclusion from those facts

Deductive Thinking

presenting a claim, then proving it with evidence

Flashback

Scenes that go back in time to a memory or prior event

Oral tradition

Passing down stories by word of mouth

Style

The author's use of syntax, diction, literacy, devices/figurative language to convey mood and meaning for a particular audience and purpose

Syntax

sentence structure

Diction

word choice

Vernacular

Everyday language of ordinary people

Imagery

Showing instead of telling--using sensory language, the 5 senses to convey meaning

Symbol

Concrete object that represents an abstract idea within a text

Archetype

symbol that represents an idea across a variety of texts throughout time

Figurative Language

Using language beyond its literal meaning

Simile

A comparison that uses the words "like" or "as"

Metaphor

A comparison that does NOT use the words "like" or "as"

Hyperbole

Over-exaggeration

Understatement

Presenting something as smaller or less important than it is

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-humans

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory but is true

Oxymoron

A phrase in which the words contradict themselves

Irony

Expectation vs result, appearance vs reality

Verbal Irony

Words' meaning is opposite of definition; sarcasm

Dramatic Irony

Audience knows more than the characters

Situational Irony

the circumstances are a shock to all. Everyone is suprised

Simple Sentence Structure

a single subject-verb pair

Compound Sentence Structure

two subject-verb pairs

Complex Sentence Structure

one subject-verb pair with a subordinated clause

Compound-Complex Sentence Structure

two subject-verb pairs plus a subordinate clause

Quotation Marks

Used to designate titles of smaller things that appear within larger containers (single web page, article, short story, poem, chapter, song)

Italics or Underline

Used to designate titles of larger stand-alone items that may contain smaller pieces (entire website, journal, magazine, book, film, album)

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