AP Language Terms Test Study Guide

SOAPSTone

A method to analyze text by looking at Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone.

DIDLS

Analyzes Diction, Imagery, Details, Language, and Syntax to understand writing style

Claim of Fact

A statement that can be proven true or false with evidence.

Claim of Value

A judgment about what is good, bad, right, or wrong.

Claim of Policy

An argument saying what should or should not be done.

Evidence

Facts, examples, or data used to support a claim.

Ethos

Credibility or trustworthiness of the speaker.

Pathos

Emotional appeal to the audience.

Logos

Logical reasoning or facts used to persuade.

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person instead of the argument.

Straw Man

Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.

Slippery Slope

Claiming one step will lead to extreme consequences.

False Dilemma

Presenting only two choices when more exist

Hasty Generalization

Making a broad claim from little evidence.

Red Herring

Distracting from the main issue.

Bandwagon (Ad Populum)

Saying something is true because everyone believes it.

Post Hoc

Assuming one event caused another just because it came before.

Non Sequitur

A conclusion that does not logically follow.

Appeal to Tradition

Arguing something is right because it’s always been done.

Emotional Appeal

Uses feelings over logic.

Faulty Authority

Uses unreliable expert.

Begging the Question

Using the claim itself as proof.

Guilt by Association

Judging something based on its connections.

Diction

Word choice used by the author.

Denotation

Literal dictionary meaning of a word.

Connotation

Author’s attitude toward the subject.

Mood

The feeling created for the reader.

Colloquialism

Informal, everyday language

Euphemism

A softer way of saying something harsh.

Loaded Language

Words chosen to strongly influence emotions.

Cliché

An overused phrase

Idiom

A phrase whose meaning isn’t literal.

Concrete Language

Words that describe physical things.

Abstract Language

Words that describe ideas or concepts.

Equivocation

Using unclear or vague language to mislead.

Double Entendre

A phrase with two meanings.

Pun

A joke using wordplay

Explicit

Clearly stated.

Implicit

Suggested but not directly stated.

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things.

Simile

A comparison using “like” or “as.”

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human things.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration.

Understatement

Making something seem less important.

Oxymoron

Two opposite words together.

Analogy

Explaining something by comparing it to something else.

Repetition

Repeating words for emphasis.

Parallelism

Using similar sentence structure.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Syntax

The arrangement of words in a sentence.

Inversion

Changing normal word order for emphasis.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence where the main idea comes at the end.

Loose Sentence

A sentence where the main idea comes first.

Simple Sentence

A sentence with one independent clause

Compound Sentence

A sentence with two independent clauses.

Complex Sentence

A sentence with one independent and one dependent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentence

A sentence with multiple clauses combined.

Anaphora

Repeating words at the beginning of sentences.

Epistrophe

Repeating words at the end of sentences.

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions. (and)

Polysyndeton

Using many conjunctions. (and)

Chiasmus

Reversing sentence structure for effect.

First Person

Uses “I” or “we.”

Second Person

Uses “you.

Third Person Limited

Shows one character’s thoughts.

Third Person Omniscient

Shows all characters’ thoughts.

Objective POV

Shows only actions, no thoughts.

Bias

A personal opinion that affects judgment.

Tonal Shift

A change in the author’s tone.

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what you mean.

Situational Irony

When the outcome is unexpected.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows more than characters.

Satire

Using humor or exaggeration to criticize something.

Citation

Giving credit to a source.

Paraphrase

Restating something in your own words

Summary

A shortened version of a text.

Direct Quote

• Using exact words from a source.

Plagiarism

Using someone else’s work without credit.

Works Cited

A list of sources used.

Thesis

The main argument of an essay.

Defend

Support a claim with evidence.

Challenge

Argue against a claim.

Qualify

Partly agree but add limits.

Empiricism

Knowledge comes from experience.

Rationalism

Knowledge comes from reasoning.

Skepticism

Doubting that knowledge is certain.

Positivism

Only observable things can be known.

Materialism

Only physical matter exists.

Dualism

Reality has two opposing forces.

Atomism

Everything is made of tiny particles.

Nihilism

Life has no meaning.

Humanism

Focus on human values and potential.

Existentialism

People create their own meaning.

Absurdism

Life is irrational and meaningless.

Hedonism

Pleasure is the most important goal.

Stoicism

Control emotions and accept hardship calmly.

Egoism

Self-interest is most important.

Asceticism

Self-denial leads to growth.

Atheism

Belief that no God exists.