AP English 11 Reading and Rhetoric Vocabulary List

Flashcards defining the AP English 11 Language and Composition Reading and Rhetoric Vocabulary List, covering Syntax and Grammar Terms, Rhetorical Devices, Rhetorical Structure, and Rhetorical Appeals.

Complex Sentence

A sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound Sentence

A sentence that includes at least two independent clauses.

Cumulative Sentence

A sentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on.

Declarative Sentence

A sentence that makes a statement, provides information, or states a fact.

Horative Sentence

A sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action.

Imperative Sentence

A sentence used to command or enjoin.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence whose main clause is withheld until the end.

Syntax

The arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence.

Allusion

A brief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art.

Analogy

A comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines.

Anecdote

A brief story used to illustrate a point or claim.

Antimetabole

The repetition of words in reverse order.

Antithesis

Opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a parallel construction.

Archaic Diction

An old-fashioned or outdated choice of words.

Asyndeton

The omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.

Concession

An acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable.

Counterargument

An opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward.

Diction

A speaker's choice of words.

Enthymeme

Essentially a syllogism with one of the premises implied and taken for granted as understood.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic orironic effect; an overstatement to make a point.

Imagery

A description of how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds.

Inversion

Inverted order of words in a sentence (a variation of the subject-verb-object order).

Irony

A figure of speech that occurs when a speaker or character says one thing but means something else, or when what is said is the opposite of what is expected, creating a noticeable incongruity.

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that compares two things without using like or as.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is represented by another thing that is related to it or emblematic of it.

Oxymoron

A paradox made up of two seemingly contradictory words.

Paradox

A statement or situation that is seemingly contradictory on the surface, but delivers an ironic truth.

Parallelism (parallel structure)

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

Personification

Attribution of a lifelike quality to an inanimate object or an idea.

Propaganda

The spread of ideas and information to further a cause.

Refutation

A denial of the validity of an opposing argument.

Rhetorical Question

A figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer.

Satire

The use of irony or sarcasm to critique society or an individual.

Simile

A figure of speech used to explain or clarify an idea by comparing it explicitly to something else, using the words like, as, or as though.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech that uses a part to represent the whole.

Trope

Artful diction or a figure of speech involving a shift or non-literal use of a word or phrase (such as metaphor, simile, or hyperbole).

Understatement

A figure of speech in which something is presented or described as less important, smaller, or less intense than it actually is, often for ironic or humorous effect..

Zeugma

A figure of speech in which a single word (usually a verb or adjective) applies to two or more nouns in different senses or connects grammatically dissimilar ideas.

Aristotelian Triangle

A diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in determining a text (also known as the rhetorical triangle).

Audience

The listener, viewer, or reader of a text.

Bias

A prejudice or preconceived notion that prevents a person from approaching a topic in a neutral or objective way.

Connotation

Meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition (denotation).

Denotation

The direct, explicit, literal dictionary definition or primary meaning of a word.

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere created by a text.

Occasion

The time and place a speech is given or a piece is written.

Persona

The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.

Polemical

An aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others.

Purpose

The goal the speaker wants to achieve.

Speaker

The person or group who creates a text.

Tone

A speaker's attitude toward the subject conveyed by the speaker's stylistic and rhetorical choices.

Ethos

An appeal to credibility and trustworthiness to demonstrate that the speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic.

Logos

An appeal to reason or logic by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, or evidence.

Pathos

An appeal to emotion to emotionally motivate the audience through their values, desires, or fears.