AP english vocab 1

Rhetoric

the study of effective, persuasive language use; according to Aristotle, use of the “available means of persuasion”

Speaker

a term used for the author or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing

Purpose

one’s intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing

Audience

one’s listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed

context

the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. (i.e. what is happening in the world politically, socially, economically, etc.)

Exigence

an urgent problem or issue that a writer feels compelled to address

Choices

The moves a writer makes to enrich his/her writing (through patterns of diction, syntax, organization, rhetorical strategies, etc.)

Appeals

rhetorical strategies, specifically these three: logos, pathos, and ethos; when used in a balanced way, they create an effective use of rhetoric

tone

the speaker’s attitude toward the subject or audience

logos

a Greek term that means “word”; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals

Pathos 

a Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals. Think of this as an effort to incite empathy.

Ethos

a Greek term referring to the character of a person; his or her “ethics.” one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals

Narration

recalling an event or series of events; telling a story

Description

writing that includes many specific details and emphasizes the senses by painting a picture of how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels (utilizes imagery)

Exemplification

writing that provides a series of examples—facts, specific cases, or instances—and turns a general idea into a concrete one to make an argument clearer and more persuasive to the reader

Compare&Contrast

writing that juxtaposes two things to highlight their similarities and differences

Classification&Division

writing that sorts material or ideas into major categories so that readers can make connections between things that might otherwise seem unrelated

Definition

writing that establishes common ground or identifies areas of conflict to ensure that writers and their audiences are speaking the same language

Cause&Effect

writing that analyzes the causes that lead to a certain effect or, conversely, the effects that result from a cause

Process Analysis

writing that explains how something works, how to do something, or how something was done

Trope

Artful diction the use of language in a non literal way

diction

Word choice

scheme

a pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect (example: parallelism, as in “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”)

Syntax

Sentence structure

Style

the distinctive quality of speech or writing crated by the selection and arrangement of words and figures of speech

Repetition

Repeating a word or phrase within a sentence or poetical line in order to emphasize an idea

Parallelism

The repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things side by side for emphasis

Cumulative sentence

An independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional detail

Periodic sentence

A sentence that builds towards and ends with the main clause

Hortative sentence

A sentence that urges or strongly encourages

Inverted sentence

A sentence in which the verb precedes the subject

Rhetorical question

A question asked more to produce an effect than to summon an answer

Alliteration

The repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of the consecutive words or syllables

Anaphora

The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses

Antimetabole

The repetition in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast

Simile

A figure of speech that uses the words “like” or “as” to make a comparison between two things

Metaphor

A figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison

Imagery

Vivid use of language that evokes a reader’s senses

Allusion

An indirect reference, often to another text or a historical event

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, and clauses

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of a series of conjunctions

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis

Irony

A contradiction between what is said and what is meant

Metonymy

A metaphoric use of an aspect of something to represent the whole

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true

Personification

Assigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects

Zeugma

A construction in which one word modifies or governs often in different, sometimes incongruent ways

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, including a historical, political, philosophical, or religious one

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun

Connotation

The non literal, associative meaning of a word

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word

Didactic

Writing that is meant to teach or instruct

Euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept

Mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura or work

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim or comic effect

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule