AP Lang Fall Final
Ethos: A rhetorical appeal to credibility and character, convincing the audience of the speaker's trustworthiness or authority.
Exigence: The issue, problem, or situation that prompts a writer or speaker to create a text.
Logos: A rhetorical appeal to logic and reason, often using facts, statistics, and logical arguments.
Passive Voice: A sentence structure where the subject is acted upon rather than performing the action (e.g., "The essay was written by the student" vs. "The student wrote the essay").
Pathos: A rhetorical appeal to the audience's emotions, aiming to evoke feelings to persuade.
Rhetorically Accurate Verbs: Specific verbs used to describe the action or tone of a writer or speaker (e.g., asserts, refutes, juxtaposes).
SPACECAT / Rhetorical Situation: A framework for analyzing rhetorical texts: Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Context, Exigence, Choices, Appeals, and Tone.
CHORES: Acronym for types of evidence in arguments: Current events, History, Observations, Reading, Experience, Science.
Classical Argument: A structured argument following five parts: introduction, narration, confirmation, refutation, and conclusion.
Concession: Acknowledging a point made by the opposition to show fairness and understanding.
Counterargument: Addressing and rebutting opposing viewpoints to strengthen one's own position.
Deductive Reasoning: Reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions.
Inductive Reasoning: Reasoning from specific observations to broader generalizations.
Line of Reasoning: The logical progression of ideas in an argument.
Qualifying Thesis: A nuanced claim that acknowledges complexity by limiting its scope (e.g., "While technology has benefits, it also creates significant challenges.").
Rebuttal: A response that disproves or weakens an opposing argument.
REHUGO: Acronym for developing arguments using: Reading, Entertainment, History, Universal truths, Government, and Observation.
S-Cubed: Acronym for analyzing arguments: State, Support, Significance.
Ad Hominem: Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.
False Cause / Post Hoc / Faulty Causality: Assuming that because one event follows another, the first caused the second.
False Dichotomy / Either-Or: Presenting only two options when more exist.
Hasty Generalization: Drawing a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence.
Moral Equivalence: Comparing minor misdeeds to major atrocities.
Red Herring: Introducing irrelevant information to distract from the main issue.
Slippery Slope: Claiming a small action will lead to extreme and inevitable consequences.
Straw Man: Misrepresenting an argument to make it easier to attack.
Allusion: An indirect reference to a well-known text, event, or figure.
Analogy: A comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Anecdote: A brief personal story used to illustrate a point.
Antithesis: Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses.
Aphorism: A concise statement expressing a general truth or principle.
Asyndeton: The omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence for effect.
Chiasmus: A rhetorical device where words or concepts are reversed in structure (e.g., "Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.").
Colloquial/Colloquialism: Informal language or expressions.
Conceit: An extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs an entire passage.
Connotation: The implied or associated meaning of a word beyond its dictionary definition.
Denotation: The literal, dictionary definition of a word.
Diction: Word choice used by a writer to convey tone or purpose.
Didactic: Writing intended to instruct or educate.
Euphemism: A mild or indirect word or phrase used in place of one that may be harsh or blunt.
Exposition: Writing or speech that explains or informs.
Homily: A sermon or moralizing lecture.
Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Hypophora: Raising a question and immediately answering it.
Irony/Ironic: A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting contradiction.
Juxtaposition: Placing two contrasting ideas close together for effect.
Litotes: An understatement that uses double negatives (e.g., "not bad" for "good").
Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things.
Metonymy: Substituting a related term for the object or concept (e.g., "The crown" for royalty).
Mood: The atmosphere or emotional feeling of a piece of writing.
Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds (e.g., "buzz," "crash").
Oxymoron: A figure of speech combining contradictory terms (e.g., "jumbo shrimp").
Paradox: A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.
Parallelism: The use of similar grammatical structures for effect.
Parody: A humorous imitation of a serious work.
Pedantic: Writing or speech that is overly concerned with rules or details.
Polysyndeton: The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions for effect.
Prose: Ordinary written or spoken language without metrical structure.
Rhetoric: The art of persuasion through speaking or writing.
Rhetorical Question [Erotesis]: A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer.
Sarcasm: A mocking or ironic remark.
Satire: A work that uses humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize or expose.
Semantics: The study of meaning in language.
Syllogism: A logical argument that applies deductive reasoning (e.g., "All humans are mortal; Socrates is human; therefore, Socrates is mortal.").
Symbol/Symbolism: Using an object or action to represent something beyond its literal meaning.
Synecdoche: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole (e.g., "all hands on deck").
Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences.
Tone: The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.
Understatement: Minimizing the importance of something for effect.