100 Rhetorical Terms for AP English Lang

Allegory

A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

atmosphere rhetoric

the way an author uses setting, objects, or internal thoughts of characters to create emotion, mood, or experiences for the reader

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

Colloquial

Characteristic of ordinary conversation rather than formal speech or writing

Conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

Connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Denotation

The literal definition of a word

Diction

word choice

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Figurative Language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

figure of speech

a device used to produce figurative language

Genre

a major category or type of literature

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

Narrative

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

Parody

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

Periodic sentence

sentence whose main clause is withheld until the end

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Point of View

the perspective from which a story is told

Prose

written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

Repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

Rhetorical Modes

exposition, description, narration, argumentation

Sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

Satire

A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.

Syllogism

A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.

Symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Syntax

Sentence structure

Theme

Central idea of a work of literature

Thesis

a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

Tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Transition

(n.) a change from one state or condition to another

Understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Concrete Language

Language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities.

Phrase

A musical sentence

Sentence Fragments

incomplete sentences

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

Epistrophe

the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences

Epigram

a witty saying expressing a single thought or observation

Epithet

A descriptive name or phrase used to characterize someone or something

Explicit

clearly stated

Implicit

implied

Infer

to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply

Narration

writing that tells a story

Classification

The process of grouping things based on their similarities

Process Analysis

A method of paragraph or essay development by which a writer explains step by step how something is done or how to do something.

Exemplification

showing by example

Cause and Effect

The reason something happens and the result of it happening.

Induction

factual reasoning

Deduction

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example

Qualify

to modify or restrict

Qualifier

a word or phrase that clarifies, modifies, or limits the meaning of another word or phrase

Rebuttal

a refutation or contradiction

Counter-argument

an argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory developed in another argument.

False Analogy

When two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection between them.

Circular Reasoning

a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence

Bandwagon

A fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable.

Cliché

a worn-out idea or overused expression

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Subjective

based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions

Objective

not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts

Literal

Exactly true

Figurative

using figures of speech; symbolic, not literal

Unreliable testimony

when a person/characters version of an event can not be completely trusted

Ambiguity

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

Anecdote

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

Antecedent

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

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

Didactic

instructive

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

Invective

abusive language

loose sentence

A complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and the subordinate clause follows

mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Pedantic

tending to show off one's learning

Semantics

the set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning

Subordinate clause

Created by a subordinating conjunction, a clause that modifies an independent clause.

Circumlocution

talking in circles

Dialectic

logical argument

Idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

Jeremiad

an elaborate and lengthy tale of sadness

Red herring

A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion

reducto ad absurdum

Latin for "to reduce to the absurd." Useful technique for producing a comical effect.

Slippery slope

A fallacy that assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented

Solecism

(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake

Straw man

A fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea.

Tautology

unnecessary repetition

Epistolary

concerned with letters; through correspondence

Homily

a sermon

Generic Conventions

describes traditions for each genre

Epitaph

(n.) a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone