AP Language and Composition: Basic Terms to Know
Quarter One
Argumentation: The purpose of argumentation is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader. Persuasive writing is a type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action.
Artistic Appeal: Support for an argument that a writer creates based on principles of reason and shared knowledge rather than on facts and evidence.
Attitude: The writer's personal views or feelings about the subject at hand.
Concession: When writers concede, they accept all or a portion of a competing position or claim as correct, agree that the competing position or claim is correct under a different set of circumstances, or acknowledge the limitations of their own argument.
Connotation: the moods/associations/implications of a word or phrase, as opposed to its exact meaning
Counterargument: The argument(s) against the author's position.
Deductive: a form of logical argumentation that uses claims or premises, where the author assumes that you will accept the claims as true and that you will then deduce the correct conclusion from the accepted premises at the outset
Denotation: the literal meaning of a word; the dictionary definition
Description: The purpose of description is to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described. Sometimes an author engages all five senses in description; good descriptive writing can be sensuous and picturesque. Descriptive writing may be straightforward and objective or highly emotional and subjective.
Ethos: Setting up a source as credible and trustworthy.
Evidence: The information presented meant to persuade the audience of the author's position
Exigence: A part of the rhetorical situation that motivates a writer to create a text. It can be an event, situation, or problem that inspires, stimulates, or provokes a writer to respond through language and rhetoric. The term comes from the Latin word for "demand".
Explicit Thesis: An explicit thesis directly states the writer's main idea/position and provides a clear direction for the essay.
Exposition: The purpose of exposition (or expository writing) is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion. The AP language exam essay questions are frequently expository topics.
Hard Evidence: Support for an argument using facts, statistics, testimony, or other evidence the writer finds.
Implicit Thesis: An implicit thesis is a thesis statement that is suggested or hinted at through language, supporting details, and other elements rather than being explicitly stated. Implicit thesis statements are conveyed indirectly and can be found in multiple locations throughout a work
Inartistic Appeal: support for an argument using facts, statistics, eyewitness testimony, or other evidence the writer finds rather than creates.
Inductive Reasoning: Making a generalization based on specific evidence at hand.
Intended Readers: the actual, real-life people whom a writer consciously wants to address in a piece of writing.
Line of Reasoning: The formal structure of an argument. In other words, the way that claims and reasons are arranged to lead to the conclusion
Logos: Appealing to someone’s sense of concrete facts and logic.
Modifiers: Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that can be used to qualify an argument and convey perspective. They can add detail to a sentence, making it clearer, more specific, or more engaging. Modifiers can also help writers be confident when their evidence or claim is open to doubt
Narration: The purpose of narration is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events. This writing mode frequently uses the tools of descriptive writing.
Occasion: The reason or moment for writing or speaking.
Pathos: Aristotle’s appeal to someone’s emotions.
Phrase: a grouping of words that define or clarity; a group of words that is not a sentence because there is no verb
Purpose: The author’s persuasive intention.
Qualification/Qualifier: a limitation placed on a position/argument so as to avoid an absolute claim. Academic argument is typically about probability and possibility, not certainty, so it's more credible. Typically words or phrases that limit the scope of a claim: usually; in a few cases; under these circumstances, etc.
Rebuttal: When writers rebut, they offer a contrasting perspective on an argument and its evidence or provide alternative evidence to propose that all or a portion of a competing position or claim is invalid.
Refutation: When writers refute, they demonstrate, using evidence, that all or a portion of a competing position or claim is invalid
Rhetoric: From the Greek for “orator,” this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.
Rhetorical Analysis: Involves examining how the author structures their argument and uses rhetoric to achieve their purpose. You'll need to practice identifying the various rhetorical strategies in the texts you read.
Rhetorical Appeals/Aristotelian Appeals: They include ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). These appeals help authors persuade their audience.
Rhetorical Devices: Some examples include simile, metaphor, personification, parallelism, alliteration, and hyperbole. Becoming familiar with these devices will help you identify them in texts and strengthen your own writing.
Rhetorical Modes: This flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing. The four most common rhetorical modes (often referred to as “modes of discourse”) are as follows: Exposition, Argumentation, Description, & Narration
Rhetorical Shift: this occurs when the author of an essay significantly alters his or her diction, syntax, or both
Rhetorical Situation: The rhetorical situation can be described in five parts: purpose, audience, topic, writer, and context. These parts work together to better describe the circumstances and contexts of a piece of writing, which if understood properly, can help you make smart writing choices in your work.
Rhetorical Triangle: The triangle consists of the speaker, audience, and subject. Understanding the relationships between these elements will help you analyze texts more effectively.
Scope of the Argument: the breadth and complexity of the central concern of your paper, including all of the points that you must establish for your readers to understand your central concern, as well as all of the significant issues that you must address in order to present a fair, well-considered argument.
Speaker: The persona adopted by the author to deliver his or her message; may or may not actually be the same person as the author.
Style: The author's own personal approach to rhetoric in the piece; similar to voice.
Syntax and Sentence Structure: Includes sentence length, punctuation, parallelism, and variety. Analyzing syntax can help you uncover an author's style and determine how their writing contributes to their argument.
Synthesis: Combining sources or ideas in a coherent way in the purpose of a larger point.
Tone: the manner in which a writer expresses his/her attitude toward the subject and audience; mainly expressed through diction, syntax, and point of view
Voice: An author's unique sound. Similar to style.