ap lang shi

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using words such as like, as, than, or resembles to reveal an unexpected likeness.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly equates two essentially dissimilar things by stating one is the other, transferring emotional impressions between them.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration used to convey a lack of seriousness, irony, strong emphasis, or comic effect.

Understatement

A description that intentionally downplays something as being far less than it actually is for humorous, ironic, or dramatic impact.

Analogy

An extended comparison spanning multiple sentences or paragraphs that clarifies an unfamiliar or abstract idea using a concrete concept.

Personification

A figurative technique that attributes human qualities, motives, or characteristics to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work from literature or history (frequently drawing from Greek mythology, the Bible, or Shakespeare).

Symbolism

The use of concrete objects or representations to convey deeper, abstract meanings beyond their literal denotations.

Alliteration

The repetition of identical or similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words located close together to create emphasis or rhythm.

Onomatopoeia

A sound device that names a thing or action by imitating the sound associated with it (e.g., buzz, hiss, vroom).

Imagery

Descriptive sensory language that appeals directly to sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste to recreate vivid experiences.

Diction

An author's intentional selection of specific words to convey precise tone, emotional quality, and meaning.

Rhetorical Question

A question posed for persuasive effect or thematic emphasis rather than to elicit a literal response.

Subordination

The structural arrangement of combining dependent and independent clauses to signal that the main clause holds primary importance.

Coordination

The joining of grammatically equal ideas using coordinating conjunctions or a semicolon to establish balance between concepts.

Parallelism

The repetition of matching grammatical structures across phrases, clauses, or sentences to emphasize balance and rhythm.

Antithesis

The placement of contrasting or opposing ideas side by side, typically structured in a parallel grammatical framework.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of excessive conjunctions in close succession to slow reading speed, build intensity, or alter rhythm.

Asyndeton

The deliberate omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses to accelerate pace and create urgency.

Anaphora

The repetition of a specific word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive clauses or sentences.

Epistrophe

The repetition of a specific word or phrase at the end of consecutive clauses or sentences.

Chiasmus

A syntactical structure featuring an inverted relationship between parallel elements in corresponding phrases (an A-B, B-A pattern).

Ethos

A persuasive appeal grounded in establishing the moral character, authority, or credibility of the speaker.

Pathos

A persuasive appeal designed to evoke specific emotional responses and convictions in the audience.

Logos

A persuasive appeal grounded in logical reasoning, objective facts, structural proof, and statistics.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a concept or thing is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it.

Synecdoche

A specific figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or the whole represents a part.

Litotes

An understated statement formed by affirming an idea through the negation of its opposite.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object.

Zeugma

A figure of speech where a single word (usually a verb) applies to two other words in distinctly different semantic senses.

Anacoluthon

An abrupt syntactic shift within a single sentence that abandons the initial grammatical path mid-thought.

Synaesthesia

A figurative technique that describes one sensory experience using terms associated with a completely different sense.

Apophasis

A rhetorical technique of bringing up a topic by explicitly pretending or claiming not to mention it.

Analogy

An extended comparison spanning multiple sentences or paragraphs that clarifies an unfamiliar or abstract idea using a concrete concept.

Personification

A figurative technique that attributes human qualities, motives, or characteristics to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work from literature or history (frequently drawing from Greek mythology, the Bible, or Shakespeare).

Symbolism

The use of concrete objects or representations to convey deeper, abstract meanings beyond their literal denotations.

Alliteration

The repetition of identical or similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words located close together to create emphasis or rhythm.

Onomatopoeia

A sound device that names a thing or action by imitating the sound associated with it (e.g., buzz, hiss, vroom).

Imagery

Descriptive sensory language that appeals directly to sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste to recreate vivid experiences.

Diction

An author's intentional selection of specific words to convey precise tone, emotional quality, and meaning.

Rhetorical Question

A question posed for persuasive effect or thematic emphasis rather than to elicit a literal response.

Subordination

The structural arrangement of combining dependent and independent clauses to signal that the main clause holds primary importance.

Coordination

The joining of grammatically equal ideas using coordinating conjunctions or a semicolon to establish balance between concepts.

Parallelism

The repetition of matching grammatical structures across phrases, clauses, or sentences to emphasize balance and rhythm.

Antithesis

The placement of contrasting or opposing ideas side by side, typically structured in a parallel grammatical framework.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of excessive conjunctions in close succession to slow reading speed, build intensity, or alter rhythm.

Asyndeton

The deliberate omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses to accelerate pace and create urgency.

Anaphora

The repetition of a specific word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive clauses or sentences.

Epistrophe

The repetition of a specific word or phrase at the end of consecutive clauses or sentences.

Chiasmus

A syntactical structure featuring an inverted relationship between parallel elements in corresponding phrases (an A-B, B-A pattern).

Ethos

A persuasive appeal grounded in establishing the moral character, authority, or credibility of the speaker.

Pathos

A persuasive appeal designed to evoke specific emotional responses and convictions in the audience.

Logos

A persuasive appeal grounded in logical reasoning, objective facts, structural proof, and statistics.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a concept or thing is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it.

Synecdoche

A specific figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or the whole represents a part.

Litotes

An understated statement formed by affirming an idea through the negation of its opposite.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object.

Zeugma

A figure of speech where a single word (usually a verb) applies to two other words in distinctly different semantic senses.

Anacoluthon

An abrupt syntactic shift within a single sentence that abandons the initial grammatical path mid-thought.

Synaesthesia

A figurative technique that describes one sensory experience using terms associated with a completely different sense.

Apophasis

A rhetorical technique of bringing up a topic by explicitly pretending or claiming not to mention it.

Juxtaposition

The placement of two or more contrasting ideas, characters, images, or places side by side to emphasize their differences.

Euphemism

The substitution of a mild, indirect, or polite phrase for an expression considered harsh, blunt, or offensive.