AP Language - Rhetorical Terms Test #3

Infer

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. When a multiple-choice question asks for an inference to be drawn from a passage, the most direct and reasonable inference is the safest answer choice. If an inference is implausible, it’s unlikely to be correct. If the answer choice is directly stated, it is not inferred. Be careful to note the connotation (negative or positive) of the choices. (Ex. The character keeps checking the clock and looking toward the door, so you can infer that they are waiting for someone.)

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language. (Ex. The politician launched into an invective-filled speech, calling his opponent a corrupt liar.)

Irony/Ironic

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be true and what actually is true. There are three major types: verbal irony, when the words literally state the opposite of the speaker’s true meaning; situational irony, when events turn out differently from what was expected; and dramatic irony, when the reader or audience knows something that a character does not. Irony is often used to create humor or poignancy. (Ex. Verbal: Saying “What beautiful weather!” during a thunderstorm. Situational: A fire station burns down. Dramatic: The audience knows a character is walking into a trap, but the character does not.)

Juxtaposition

When two words, phrases, images, or ideas are placed close together or side by side for comparison or contrast. (Ex. A writer places an image of a wealthy neighborhood next to an image of a poor neighborhood to emphasize the difference between them.)

Litotes

A figure of thought in which a point is affirmed by negating its opposite. It is a special form of understatement in which the surface denial reinforces the underlying assertion. (Ex. “He’s no fool” implies that he is wise. “Not uncommon” implies that something happens frequently.)

Loose Sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea, or independent clause, comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, it would be a complete sentence. Writing containing many loose sentences often seems informal, relaxed, and conversational. Generally, loose sentences create a loose style. (Ex. Aruba is a vacationer’s paradise, with its pristine beaches, sun-drenched days, and breathtaking sunsets.)

Metaphor

A figure of speech using an implied comparison between seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one thing for another, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought-provoking, and meaningful. (Ex. “The classroom was a zoo” compares the noisy classroom to a zoo without using “like” or “as.”)

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which the name of one object or concept is substituted for another that is closely associated with it. The substituted term often carries a stronger emotional response. (Ex. “The White House announced a new policy” uses “the White House” to refer to the President or presidential administration.)

Mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional feeling created by a literary work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. Mood can also have a grammatical meaning: the indicative mood expresses facts, the subjunctive mood expresses hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations, and the imperative mood expresses commands. (Ex. A dark, stormy setting with frightening events can create a tense or ominous mood.)

Narrative

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events. (Ex. The novel uses a first-person narrative to tell the story of a teenager growing up in a small town.)

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Examples include buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur. (Ex. “The bees buzzed around the garden” uses “buzz” to imitate the sound made by the bees.)

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms are grouped together to suggest a paradox. (Ex. “Jumbo shrimp” and “cruel kindness” are oxymorons because they combine seemingly contradictory terms.)

Paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but, upon closer inspection, contains some degree of truth or validity. (Ex. “The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.”)

Parallelism

Also called parallel construction or parallel structure, parallelism refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give them structural similarity. It can involve repetition of grammatical elements, such as prepositions or verb phrases. Parallelism often attracts the reader’s attention, adds emphasis and organization, or creates a musical rhythm. (Ex. “She likes reading, writing, and swimming” uses the same grammatical structure for each activity.)