AP Lang Terms for Multiple Choice + Essay Sections

These are terms that you should know for the AP test in May! This is part 1 of many. May add extra words onto this.

ad-hominem argument

From the Latin meaning “to or against the man,” this is an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather intellect and typically attacks the opponent's character instead of addressing the argument itself.

Which is an example of ad hominem argument?

We shouldn’t trust Dr. Smith’s research on solar energy because he was once caught speeding.

allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

Which is an example of an allegory?

In George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” he portrays the farm animals overthrowing their owner to the 1917 Russian Revolution/Soviet Union. The animals symbolize different societal roles, illustrating the conflict between different groups in the revolution.

alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in “she sells sea shells'“). The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, and/or supply a musical sound.

Which is an example of alliteration?

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,”

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something that is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

Which is an example of a allusion?

Don’t be such a Scrooge during the holidays.

ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

Which is an example of ambiguity?

I saw the man with the binoculars (which means you either used the binoculars to see the man, or the man was holding the binoculars).

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

Which is an example of an analogy?

Finding a good book in a disorganized library is like finding a needle in a haystack (compares the two because of how they are both time consuming)

antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers to, typically appearing earlier in a sentence.

What is an example of an antecedent?

In the sentence "The cat stretched after it woke up," the _______ is "the cat," which is referred to by the pronoun "it."

antithesis

A figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced gramatical structure. The resulting parallelism serves to emphasize opposition of ideas. The familiar phrase “Man proposes, God disposes” is an example of antithesis, as is John Dryden’s description in The Hind and the Panther: “Too black for heaven, and yet too white for hell.”

What is an example of antithesis?

In the statement "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," the contrast between a small step and a giant leap. Also contrasts the difference between one man and an entire mankind.

aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.)

Which is an example of aphorism?

"Actions speak louder than words," which conveys the idea that what one does is more significant than what one says.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, “Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee.”

Which is an example of apostrophe?

"O Death, where is thy sting?" where the speaker addresses Death as if it were a person capable of response.

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute, and it foreshadows events too.

Which is an example of atmosphere?

The use of dark, stormy weather in a horror story, which can evoke feelings of tension and dread, influencing the reader's emotional experience.

caricature

A representation, especially pictorial or literacy, in which the subject’s distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect. Sometimes it can be so exaggerated that it becomes a grotesque imitation or misrepresentation. Synonymous words, which include burlesque, parody, travesty, satire, lampoon.

Which would be an example of caricature?

A political cartoon that exaggerates a candidate's facial features and mannerisms to create humor or critique their character.