AP English Language and Rhetorical Analysis Vocabulary

A complete vocabulary review covering rhetorical concepts, diction, sentence syntax, figurative language, claims, types of evidence, and logical fallacies.

The rhetorical situation

Speaker, purpose, audience, context, exigence (& what each of these mean).

Concession

An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable, usually accompanied by a refutation.

Refutation

Denial of the validity of an opposing argument in part or in whole, usually accompanied by a concession in order to sound more reasonable.

Qualify (a claim)

To make a claim about qualities, or what something is, or is caused by, about what something affects, or about the nature or properties of a thing to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations; to provide insights into a problem or help to develop ideas or hypotheses or to provide the conditions under which a claim is true.

Aristotelian Triangle

A diagram that illustrates the relationships between speaker, subject, and audience in a rhetorical situation.

Ethos

Greek for “character”, established of speakers in what they say and who they are; appeals to audience’s trust in the character, authority, or expertise of speaker.

Logos

Greek for “embodied thought”, appeals to reason and logic by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony as backing for claims; usually primary mode to elicit audience agreement.

Pathos

Greek for “suffering” or “experience”, appeals to specific emotions like fear, patriotism, prejudices, anger, or hope; usually primary mode to elicit audience action.

Archaic language

Using language that is antiquated (old-fashioned).

Alliteration

Use of words with same consonant sound close together (or repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence).

Colloquialism

Using language that reflects the way people actually speak (slang).

Connotation

The implied or contextualized meaning that underlies the main meaning of a word.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Jargon

Using language that is specific to an occupation or field.

Repetition

Just as it sounds, in order to emphasize or reiterate.

Vernacular

Using language that is specific to a people, place, culture.

Cumulative sentence

Sentence where main clause is at the beginning and then more is added on.

Hortative sentence

Sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action.

Imperative sentence

Sentence that commands or demands.

Periodic sentence

Sentence where main clause is withheld until the end.

Anaphora

Repetition of words/phrases at beginning of successive phrases, clauses, lines.

Antimetabole/chiasmus

Repetition of words in reverse order.

Antithesis

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

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, words (speeds up).

Inversion

Inverted word order in a sentence (variation on subject-verb order).

Juxtaposition

Placements of two things closely together to emphasize differences.

Parallelism

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

Syndeton

Addition of multiple conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, words (slows down).

Allusion

Reference to another source (e.g. Bible, mythology, poem, work of art).

Assonance

Repeating vowel sounds.

Consonance

Repetition of identical or similar consonants in neighboring words.

Epithet

A characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name; a disparaging or abusive word or phrase.

Euphemism

The substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend.

Extended metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration.

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to all five senses (words used to paint a picture).

Metaphor

Comparison that replaces one object for another (stronger than simile).

Metonymy

The substitution of the name for an attribute of the thing meant.

Motif

Repeating symbol throughout a text.

Oxymoron

Using two contradictory words next to each other.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.

Personification

Describing an inanimate object as if it were a person.

Rhetorical question

Posing a question for effect rather than to get an answer.

Simile

Comparison that uses “like” or “as”.

Symbol

Object used to represent an idea/theme.

Synecdoche

Using one part to represent a whole.

Tone

Author’s attitude toward a subject and/or character.

Zeugma

Using two different meanings of the same word within a sentence/line.

Claims of fact

Asserts that something is true or not; is arguable on basis of fact.

Claims of value

Asserts something is good or bad, right or wrong, or is a cause or effect; draws conclusions from claims of facts.

Claims of policy

Suggests a course of action as a result of the claims of fact and value.

First-hand evidence

Based on something the writer knows from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of events.

Second-hand evidence

Accessed through research, reading, investigation, interviews, polls; includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data.

Open thesis

Does not list all the points the writer intends to include, is usually inductive in its claim, and suggests a more abstract or universal claim of value.

Closed thesis

Makes a more specific, limited claim of value, includes a list of the main points to follow.

Counter-argument

Usually starts with summary of primary counterargument, is preceded by “but” or “although”, and is usually followed by the writer’s primary claim.

Fallacies of Relevance

Using evidence that is actually irrelevant to the claim.

Ad hominem

(“against the man”) Attacking character of speaker instead of addressing topic.

Appeal to false authority

Using someone as “expert” who is not actually an expert.

Faulty analogy

Drawing a comparison between two things that is logically irrelevant.

Red herrings

Introducing new and unrelated topic before addressing argument topic.

Fallacies of Accuracy

Using evidence that is intentionally or unintentionally inaccurate.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (faulty causality)

(“after this, therefore because of this”) Assuming that because one event or action follows another, the first causes the second.

Slippery slope

Scare tactic that claims one action will lead to another, more extreme action.

Either/or (false dilemma)

Presenting two extreme options as the only possibilities.

Straw man

Oversimplifying an example to ridicule or refute opponent.

Fallacies of Insufficiency

Using evidence that is insufficient to prove the claim.

Bandwagon appeal

Evidence boils down to “everybody’s doing it, so it must be good”.

Circular reasoning

Presenting the claim as if it is the evidence.

Hasty generalization

Using a single anecdote or example to make major/larger point.

Stack the deck

Argument that shows only one side of the story and refuses to even admit the existence of counterargument.