AP Test Terms

ambiguity

a statement with two or more meanings that may seem to exclude one another in context

lexical ambiguity

occurs when a word or phrase has multiple meanings, leading to confusion or misinterpretation

structural ambiguity

occurs when a phrase or sentence has more than one underlying structure

anecdote

usually a short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident, used to illustrate a point

appeals (ethos, logos, pathos)

ethos = character, logos = logic, pathos = emotions

concession

when you show an audience that you have anticipated potential opposition and objections, and have an answer for them, you diffuse the audience’s ability to oppose you and persuade them to accept your point of view

deductive reasoning

works from the general to the more specific, called the “top-down approach”

inductive reasoning

moves from a specific observation to broader generalizations and theories, called the “bottom-up” approach

logical fallacies

a component of an argument that is demonstrably flawed in its logic or form

begging the question

a faulty line of reasoning, you cannot assume what you are trying to prove

ad hominem

in an argument, an attack on the person rather than the opponent’s ideas, “against the man”

syllogism

In a syllogism the major premise is a general statement. The major premise is always universal, and may be positive or negative. The minor premise may also be universal or particular so that from these premises it is possible to deduce a valid conclusion.

enthymeme

a partial syllogism, It is based on the probable rather than positive premises and is based on implicit conjectures that are shared by the speaker and the audience, the speaker gives a premise, or reason, and assumes the audience will supply the missing knowledge in order to understand the conclusion given