AP Lang Essay and Rhetorical Terms

A collection of flashcards defining essential AP English Language and Composition terminology, covering essay structure, rhetorical choices, and analysis concepts.

Prompt

question or topic to which students respond

Summary

brief statement of the main points

Claim

an assertion

Defensible thesis

the overall claim of an essay (must be able to be justified or proven)

Evidence

facts, examples, details, etc. that prove a claim

Direct Quote

a portion of the text that has been restated directly (and placed in quotation marks)

Paraphrase

rephrasing the text while maintaining the same meaning

Embedded evidence/quote

a direct quote integrated into a sentence

Commentary

analysis; interpretation of a text; explanation of the significance of the evidence

Sophistication

elevated quality of writing due to a nuanced argument, vivid or descriptive details, or situating the issue in a broader context

Situating the issue in a broader context

examining the deep, complex, or wide-ranging implications of the issue beyond what has been provided in the passage

Line of Reasoning

logical progression of ideas, including effective transitions between or within paragraphs

Counterargument

opposite argument or opposing position

Counterclaim

a claim made to rebut a previous claim

Rebuttal

a refutation or contradiction

Concession

conceding/acknowledging the value or merit of the opposing position

Refutation

proving a statement or theory false

Synthesize

combine elements into a coherent whole

Synthesis essay

essay in which students synthesize information from at least three of the provided sources to support the thesis/argument

Source

original publication; for the synthesis essay, "source" refers to the provided documents (articles, charts, photos, cartoons, etc.)

Rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing

Rhetorical Analysis

examining the speaker/writer's use of rhetorical choices to convey a message, achieve a purpose, or develop an argument

Rhetorical Choice

something the writer intentionally "does" to convey a message, achieve a purpose, or develop an argument; typically phrased as a verb

Rhetorical Device

something the writer "uses" to convey a message, achieve a purpose, or develop an argument; typically phrased as a noun

Diction

word choice, which creates a tone for the piece of writing

Comparison

similarities identified as a rhetorical choice

Contrast (juxtaposition)

differences identified as a rhetorical choice

Call to Action

a demand/request by the speaker for the audience to do/believe something, typically occurring towards the end of a speech

Repetition

can be a word, phrase, or idea used by a writer/speaker to create meaning

Anecdotes

a short, amusing story about a real incident or person

Allusions

a reference to an outside source that the speaker thinks their audience will be familiar with, such as historical, literary, biblical, or pop-culture sources

Rhetorical Questions

questions where the answer is obvious and not expected; generally used to make a point about the obvious

Appeal to patriotism

a strategy used to encourage individuals to support a certain cause or decision on the basis that it aligns with the values and principles of their country

Rhetorical Appeal

logos (logic), ethos (credibility or morality), pathos (emotion), and kairos (urgency/time)

Ethos

an appeal to credibility or morality, such as a writer/speaker providing examples of how they worked hard through high school

Logos

an appeal to logic, such as a writer/speaker providing facts about a current environmental problem

Pathos

an appeal to emotion, such as a writer/speaker sharing personal anecdotes about working in an overcrowded animal shelter

Rhetorical situation

the set of circumstances from which a text arises, including speaker/writer, audience, context, exigence, purpose, and message/argument

Speaker

the person delivering a speech

Writer

the person who wrote a text

Audience

the person or people at whom a text is directed/targeted

Context

includes relevant local, national, international events, movements, or trends that happened in the same time period as the text or in the time period leading up to the text

Exigence

the impetus, catalyst, or inciting incident—what prompted the writer to write or the speaker to speak

Purpose

why the writer/speaker wrote the text and what they hoped to accomplish by doing so

Argument

a reason or set of reasons with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong

Message

a significant point or central theme, especially one that has social, political, or moral importance