AP English Language and Composition: Glossary of Key Terms (MC and Essay Sections)

83 Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key AP Lang terms used in MC and essay sections.

ad hominem argument

An argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, targeting the person rather than the issue.

allegory

A narrative in which characters and events symbolize a deeper moral, political, or spiritual meaning beyond the literal level.

alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words, often used for emphasis or musical effect.

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to a well known person, place, event, or work.

ambiguity

The presence of two or more possible meanings in a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

analogy

A comparison that explains something unfamiliar by relating it to something familiar.

antecedent

The word or phrase that a pronoun refers to.

antithesis

A figure of speech that contrasts two opposite ideas in a balanced grammatical structure.

aphorism

A terse statement expressing a general truth or moral principle, with authorship sometimes known or unknown.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction.

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entire work, often shaped by setting and details.

caricature

A representation that exaggerates a subject's features for comic or grotesque effect.

predicate adjectives

A type of subject complement: an adjective or group of adjectives that follow a linking verb and describe the subject.

predicate nominative

A type of subject complement: a noun or noun phrase that renames the subject after a linking verb.

prose

The major division of genre comprising fiction and nonfiction written in ordinary language.

repetition

The duplication of a word, phrase, clause, sentence, or sound for emphasis or cohesion.

rhetoric

The principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

rhetorical appeal

Aristotle's three appeals: logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion).

rhetorical modes

The four major kinds of writing and their purposes: exposition, argumentation, description, and narration.

rhetorical question

A question asked for effect that does not expect a reply.

sarcasm

Bitter or caustic language intended to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

irony

The contrast between what is stated and what is really meant, with verbal, situational, or dramatic forms.

juxtaposition

Placing dissimilar items side by side for comparison or contrast.

loose sentence

A sentence where the main idea comes first, followed by dependent phrases and clauses.

metaphor

A figure of speech that makes an implicit or implied comparison between unlike things.

metonymy

A figure of speech where the name of one object is substituted for something closely associated with it.

mood

The literary mood or atmosphere of a work, and also the grammatical mood indicating the speaker's attitude.

narrative

The telling of a story or account of events.

onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms for a paradoxical effect.

paradox

A statement that appears self-contradictory yet contains truth or insight.

parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures in related phrases or sentences for balance and emphasis.

parody

A work that imitates another's style for comic effect or ridicule.

pedantic

Characterized by an overly scholarly or bookish tone.

periodic sentence

A sentence that delays its main idea until the end, with introductory phrases or clauses.

personification

Giving human attributes to nonhuman things or abstractions.

point of view

The perspective from which a narrative is told, such as first person or third person.

chiasmus

A figure of speech based on inverted parallelism, often for balance or emphasis.

clause

A grammatical unit with a subject and a verb; independent clauses can stand alone, dependent clauses cannot.

colloquialism

Slang or informal expressions not generally acceptable in formal writing.

conceit

A fanciful extended metaphor with elaborate and surprising comparisons.

connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word—the ideas, emotions, or attitudes it suggests.

denotation

The strict, literal dictionary definition of a word.

diction

The writer's word choices and style, including levels of formality and exactness.

didactic

Writing whose primary aim is to teach or instruct, often moral or ethical.

euphemism

A mild or indirect term used in place of a harsh or offensive one.

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at length, often throughout a work.

figurative language

Language that uses figures of speech to go beyond literal meanings.

figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, or personification.

generic conventions

Traditions or patterns that define a genre and its typical features.

genre

A major category of literary work, such as prose, poetry, or drama, with subcategories.

symbol

A concrete object that represents an abstract idea beyond its literal meaning.

symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning.

attitude

The writer's stance or emotional position toward the subject, often complex.

concrete detail

Nouns naming physical objects; concrete details support arguments and persuade readers.

descriptive detail

Sensory details used to describe a person, place, or thing.

devices

The figures of speech, syntax, diction, and other stylistic elements used to create effects.

language

The overall use of diction, syntax, and figures of speech to express ideas.

narrative devices

The tools of the storyteller, such as ordering events and withholding information for effect.

narrative technique

The style of telling a story, focusing on the order of events and detail.

persuasive devices

Words with strong connotations and rhetorical strategies that strengthen an argument.

persuasive essay

An essay that presents a coherent argument and aims to convince the reader.

resources of language

All devices of composition available to a writer, such as diction, syntax, and figures of speech.

rhetorical features

The structure and stylistic choices that shape how a passage achieves its purpose.

sentence structure

The arrangement of words into simple, compound, or complex sentences and their variations.

stylistic devices

Elements that contribute to a work's style, including diction, syntax, tone, and figures of speech.

tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience as reflected in language and style.

transition

A word or phrase that links ideas and signals shifts or progression.

understatement

The ironic minimizing of a fact, often for humorous or emphatic effect.

syllogism

A deductive argument with major and minor premises that lead to a conclusion.

synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.

syntax

The arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences and how this affects meaning.

simile

A direct comparison using like or as.

argumentation

The purpose of proving the validity of a point of view through reasoned argument.

exposition

The purpose of explaining information and presenting evidence.

description

Writing that uses sensory details to create a vivid picture.

narration

The act of telling a story or recounting events.

logos

Appeal to reason; using logic and evidence to persuade.

ethos

Appeal to credibility or character of the speaker or writer.

pathos

Appeal to the audience's emotions to persuade.

subject complement

The part of a sentence that follows a linking verb and either renames the subject or describes it; includes predicate nominative and predicate adjective.

dependent clause

A clause that cannot stand alone and depends on an independent clause to complete its meaning.

subordinate clause

A dependent clause that cannot stand alone and is introduced by a subordinating conjunction.