Paper 1 Vocabulary

A

Absolute Words
- Definition: Words that are extremely specific or definitive¹.
- Purpose: Often used to emphasize, convey bias, or be persuasive².
- Examples: Always, Never, All, None^333333333.
Ad Hominem
- Definition: Attacking the person instead of the issue⁴. It is a type of propaganda used to manipulate or persuade an audience⁵.
- Examples: "who is going to vote for a person looking like this?"⁶; "before you listen to her, I should remind you that she has been charged with embezzlement."⁷.
Anaphora
- Definition: Repetition at the start of successive clauses/lines⁸.
- Examples: "Give much, give often, give freely."⁹; "Stay safe. Stay well. Stay happy."¹⁰.
Anecdote
- Definition: A brief story used to illustrate a point or claim¹¹.
- Example: Sharing a story about a personal pet habit when discussing pets with coworkers¹².
Antithesis
- Definition: Words or ideas that oppose each other¹³.
- Examples: "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst"¹⁴; "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"¹⁵.
Asyndeton
- Definition: Omission of conjunctions¹⁶.
- Example: "The air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish."¹⁷.

B

Bandwagon Appeal
- Definition: Taps into people's desire to belong and join the crowd¹⁸. It is a type of propaganda¹⁹.
- Example: Suggesting a smartphone is the best choice because it is the best-selling phone right now²⁰.
Bias
- Definition: An author's opinion or preference²¹. It can be explicit or implicit²².
Buzz Words
- Definition: Words that are popular, and therefore useful in influencing people²³.
- Examples: Organic, Fat free, New normal, Pivot^24242424.

C

Card Stacking
- Definition: Piling up carefully selected information instead of showing the whole picture²⁵. It is a type of propaganda used to manipulate/persuade an audience²⁶.
- Example: A product advertisement that only focuses on the benefits while leaving out potential drawbacks²⁷.
Colloquial Language
- Definition: Informal, casual language²⁸.
- Examples: Ya’ll, Gonna, Chill, Fire²⁹.
Connotation
- Definition: What a word suggests or makes you think of³⁰.
- Example: The word 'heart' connotes love, romance, power, blood³¹.
Contrast
- Definition: Difference between things³².
- Example: Describing two characters where one is intelligent and quick-witted, and the other is innocent and childlike³³.

D

Declarative Sentence
- Definition: A sentence that makes a statement³⁴.
- Examples: My dog is sick³⁵; Pizza is the best³⁶.
Direct Address
- Definition: Speaking directly to the audience, often with 'you'³⁷.
- Purpose: The goal is to establish a relationship with the audience in order to persuade them³⁸.
- Examples: "You will be thankful that you bought this product"³⁹; "Dear readers our protagonist is about to go through a unique experience"⁴⁰.

E

Emotive Language
- Definition: Words or phrases meant to evoke emotion⁴¹.
- Example: Changing "The government will reduce interest rates" to the emotive version: "The government will slash interest rates"⁴².
Enumeration
- Definition: To mention separately as if in counting or listing⁴³.
- Example: A writer enumerates four different reasons in an essay⁴⁴.
Ethos
- Definition: An appeal to credibility, making an audience trust you in order to persuade them⁴⁵. Note: Ethos is something we build, not something we 'use'⁴⁶.
- Example: "As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results"⁴⁷.
Explicit vs Implicit Claims
- Explicit: Authors directly state their claims⁴⁸.
- Implicit: Readers have to infer the author’s claim⁴⁹.
- Example (Explicit): "The IB is the wrong choice for you."⁵⁰.
- Example (Implicit): "I should tell you that only highly organized people should take the IB."⁵¹.

F

False Dichotomy
- Definition: Claiming that there are only two sides to an issue⁵². It is a type of propaganda used to manipulate/persuade an audience⁵³.
- Example: Assuming a person must be a communist because they criticize capitalism⁵⁴.
Figurative Language
- Definition: Language that is not literal⁵⁵.
- Examples: Metaphors, Similes, Imagery, Hyperbole⁵⁶.

G

Glittering Generality
- Definition: Using broad appealing words ("feel good words") to fool an audience⁵⁷. Sometimes referred to as the use of virtue words⁵⁸.
- Examples: "The Best A Man Can Get" (Gillette Razors); "Think Different" (Apple Computer)⁵⁹.

H

Hierarchy
- Definition: On a website, infographic, etc., a system of organization with categories and subcategories⁶⁰.
Hyperbole
- Definition: Exaggeration⁶¹.
- Examples: "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse"⁶²; "I love you to the moon and back"⁶³.

I

Imagery
- Definition: Descriptive language (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)⁶⁴.
- Example: Auditory imagery: "The warden’s keys clanked as he walked past the cells"⁶⁵.
Imperative Statement
- Definition: A sentence that gives a command⁶⁶.
- Examples: Pass the salt⁶⁷; Clean your room⁶⁸.
Inclusive Pronoun
- Definition: A pronoun that invites the reader in (e.g., we, us)⁶⁹.
- Example: "We are all victims of climate change, but if we all work together, we can give our children a brighter future"⁷⁰.
Interactive Features
- Definition: Clickable items on a webpage⁷¹.
- Examples: Embedded videos, Hyperlinks, Buttons⁷².
Inverted Syntax
- Definition: When natural word order is reversed (also known as anastrophe or inversion)⁷³.
- Examples: "Shocked, I was"⁷⁴; "Tomorrow will come the decision"⁷⁵.

J

Jargon
- Definition: Language used by a particular group or profession⁷⁶.
- Examples: "Contempt of court" (legal jargon); "Myocardial infarction" (medical jargon)⁷⁷.
Juxtaposition
- Definition: Making one idea more dramatic by placing it next to its opposite⁷⁸.

L

Logos
- Definition: An appeal to logic, reasoning with an audience in order to persuade them⁷⁹. Note: Logos is built, not 'used'⁸⁰.
- Example: A toothpaste advertisement providing statistical evidence for its effectiveness at preventing cavities⁸¹.

M

Metaphor
- Definition: Comparing two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'⁸².
- Examples: "The classroom was zoo"⁸³; "He is a night owl"⁸⁴.
Modal Verbs
- Definition: Small verbs that measure certainty and strength⁸⁵.
- Examples: Must, Need, Should, Might, Could⁸⁶.

N

Name Calling
- Definition: Discrediting people and ideas by linking them to negative words⁸⁷.
- Examples: commie, fascist, terrorist, racist, snowflake⁸⁸.

P

Pathos
- Definition: An appeal to emotion, making the audience feel something in order to persuade them⁸⁹. Note: Pathos is built, not 'used'⁹⁰.
- Examples: "If we don't move soon, we're all going to die!" ⁹¹; appealing to the well-being of a family to sell security systems⁹².
Personification
- Definition: Giving human attributes to inanimate entities⁹³.
- Examples: "The sun kissed my cheeks"⁹⁴; "The wind howled"⁹⁵.
Polysyndeton
- Definition: Excessive use of conjunctions⁹⁶.
- Example: “And we’re going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan..."⁹⁷.

R

Refutation
- Definition: Denying the validity of an opposing argument⁹⁸.
- Example: Arguing against remote education by citing studies linking a rise in behavioral issues to it⁹⁹.
Rhetorical Question
- Definition: A question that does not expect an answer¹⁰⁰.
- Examples: "Who wouldn't want to be a millionaire?"¹⁰¹; "Do we really want our planet to survive?"¹⁰².
Rule of Three
- Definition: Grouping together 3 words, ideas, or phrases¹⁰³.
- Examples: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; "Blood, sweat, and tears"¹⁰⁴.

S

Semantic Field of Diction
- Definition: When an author uses a pattern of words that all relate to a similar topic or feeling¹⁰⁵.
- Examples: A semantic field of religious diction (church, pious, heaven, bless etc.); a semantic field of critical diction (wrong, obsessed, harmful etc.)¹⁰⁶.
Simile
- Definition: Comparison using 'like' or 'as'¹⁰⁷.
- Examples: As slow as a sloth; Runs like the wind¹⁰⁸.
Simple Solution
- Definition: Offering a basic answer to a complex problem (used as a way to manipulate)¹⁰⁹.
- Example: Advertisers suggesting that a product will make you beautiful, popular, and successful¹¹⁰.
Slang
- Definition: Very informal language, usually reserved for speaking¹¹¹.
- Examples: Boujee, Bussin’, Drip¹¹².
Subtext
- Definition: The unspoken or implied meaning behind someone’s words¹¹³.
- Example: A teacher asking a student, "Are you sure you want to turn this in?" after looking through a paper¹¹⁴.
Superlative
- Definition: Words of highest degree¹¹⁵.
- Examples: Best, Prettiest, Most fun¹¹⁶.
Synthetic Personalization
- Definition: When an author tries to develop a relationship with the reader by creating intimacy, forging a connection, etc.¹¹⁷.
- Example: "As a valued member of our community, we wanted to show our appreciation by giving you access to this special offer before anyone else"¹¹⁸.

T

Testimonial
- Definition: The words of a respected person/celebrity, used to influence an audience¹¹⁹.
Tone vs. Mood
- Tone: The author's own attitude toward the subject¹²⁰. Tone reveals the author's intention or purpose in writing¹²¹.
- Mood: The emotion the author wants readers to feel¹²². It is the text's atmosphere and feeling¹²³.
Transfer
- Definition: When a symbol that carries respect is used to make something look better¹²⁴.
- Examples: Putting the American flag next to a presidential candidate to make them seem more patriotic ¹²⁵; putting a celebrity in an advertisement to transfer feelings about the celebrity to the product¹²⁶.
Truncated Syntax
- Definition: A form of short sentence that is incomplete in some way¹²⁷.
- Example: "Short and brooding. Clad in black."¹²⁸.
Typography
- Definition: The style of printed words (look at font, size, bold, italics, underline, etc.)¹²⁹.