5 Steps to a 5: AP English Language Glossary Terms

abstract

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images. abstraction - a concept or value that cannot be seen (love, honor, courage, death, etc.)

ad hominem

In an argument, an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."

allegory

a work that functions on a symbolic level

allusion

a reference contained in a work to a character or theme found in another literary work.

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

anecdote

a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point.

antecedent

a word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. "If I could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it." A question might read: "What is the antecedent for "it"?

antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

attitude

the relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience.

balance

a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of a longer work.

cacophony

harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work

claim

rhetorically, a statement that asserts something is true

colloquial

the use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone.

comic relief

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event

conflict

a clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature, man vs. God, man vs. self

connective tissue

those elements that help create coherence in a written work

connotation

the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning

deduction

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example

denotation

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word

dialect

the re-creation of regional spoken language, such as a Southern dialect.

didactic

writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns

discourse

a discussion on a specific topic

ellipsis

an indication by a series of three periods that some material has been omitted from a given text.

epigraph

the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.

euphemism

a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable.

euphony

the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work

exigence

a problem that needs to be addressed and that pushes the speaker to write or speak

exposition

background information presented in a literary work

extended metaphor

a sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit. The extended metaphor is developed throughout a piece of writing.

image

a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion

induction

the process that moves from a given series to a generalization

inference

a conclusion one can draw from the presented details

invective

a verbally abusive attack

irony

an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. Verbal, situational, and dramatic.

logical fallacy

a mistake in reasoning

metonymy

a figure of speech in which a representative term in used for a larger idea- the crown

motif

the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters

narrator

the speaker of a literary work

oxymoronan

image of contradictory terms (bittersweet, jumbo shrimp)

pacing

the movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another

parable

a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson.

parody

a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original.

pathos

the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience. An appeal to emotion that can be used as a means to persuade

pedantic

a term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult and distant.

periodic sentence

presents its main clause at the end of the sentence for emphasis and sentence variety.

point of view

the method of narration in a work: first person, third person limited, third person multiple, third person omniscient. Instructions are in second person

pun

a play on words that often has a comic effect. Associated with wit or cleverness.

reductio ad absurdum

the Latin for "to reduce to the absurd." it reduces an argument to an either/or choice.

rhetoric

refers to the entire process of persuasive written communication.

rhetorical question

a question that does not expect an explicit answer.

rhetorical situation

the context around which the author, subject, and audience are involved

sarcasm

a comic technique that ridicules through caustic language. T

satire

a mode of writing based on ridicule, that criticizes the foibles and follies of society without offering a solution.

structure

the organization and form of a work

style

the unique way an author presents his ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to a particular style.

syllogism

the format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion

synecdoche

figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole, as in referring to cows as "heads" of cattle.

syntax

the grammatical structure of prose and poetry

synthesis

locating a number of sources and integrating them into the development and support of a writer's thesis/claim

tone

the authors attitude toward its subject. The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, cheerful, or any other existing attitude and is created by diction

transition

a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph

understatement (litotes)

the opposite of exaggeration.

Hyperbole

exaggeration

enigmatic

(adj.) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood

lassitude

lack of energy