AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect.

Ethos

The credibility and trustworthiness of a speaker or writer.

Pathos

The element in an experience or in an artistic work that makes us feel compassion, pity, or sympathy.

Logos

A persuasive appeal to logic and reason.

Diction

An author's choice of words and their style of expression.

Parallelism

When words or phrases are repeated in succession and agree in both grammar and meaning.

Allusion

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Juxtaposition

The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Metonymy

The substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant. Example: suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing.

Asyndeton

The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Polysyndeton

A literary device that employs the repeated use of conjunctions (like "and," "or," "but") in close succession, often where they could be omitted for grammatical correctness.

Epistrophe

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

Exigence

The reason or motivation behind a piece of writing; the issue, problem, or situation that prompts the author to create the text.

Anadiplosis

A rhetorical device where the last word or phrase of a sentence, clause, or line is repeated at the beginning of the next.

Speaker

Who is the SPEAKER or SPEAKERS of the article?

Occasion

What is the OCCASION for which the article was written?

Audience

Who is the AUDIENCE? Are they Young? Old? Educated? Scientists? Artists?

Purpose

What is the author’s PURPOSE for writing the article? (This could be the same as the occasion)

Subject

What is the SUBJECT of the article? What will you be reading about?

Tone

What is the author’s ATTITUDE about the subject?