AP Lang unit 3 terms

AP Lang

Unit 3

Tone Vocabulary/Rhetorical Terms Test

Terms You Should Know

Antimetabole:

A figure of speech in which a phrase is repeated, but with the order of words reversed.
Ex. "I know what I like, and I like what I know".

Caricature:

Overexaggerating or oversimplifying certain characteristics when creating a character description.
Ex. When Ned Flanders from The Simpsons was meant to be essentially solely the opposite of Homer Simpson but morphed into a caricature of the overtly Christian white family man

Didactic:

A term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
Teaches moral or ethical principles.
Ex. 'The Tortoise and the Hare' or 'The Ant and the Grasshopper'

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.
Self-contradictory
Ex. Going back in time and killing my grandparents will prevent me from being born, therefore preventing me from killing my grandparents.
Ex. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Parody:

A parody is a form of humor that spoofs — or satirizes — something using the same form.
Ex. Shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show" parody newscasts by doing fake newscasts that look like the real thing. Comedians and comedy writers love to parody the President.

Satire:

The art of making someone or something look ridiculous, raising laughter in order to embarrass, humble, or discredit its targets.
Targets human vices and follies or social institutions with the aim to ridicule and/or reform it.
Recognized by the many devices used, including irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm.
Ex. South Park, The Simpsons, and Family Guy use humor, irony, and exaggeration to expose flaws in modern society.

Style:

The manner in which ideas are expressed, the combination of distinctive or unique features characterizing a writer or person.

Understatement:

The description of something as having much less of a particular quality than it does. That often involves representing something as less important, less valuable, or smaller than it is.
The ironic minimizing of a fact
Opposite of hyperbole
Ex.

Asyndeton:

Polysyndeton:

When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions.
Normally, a conjunction is used only before the last item in a list.
Ex. ‘Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.’

Induction/inductive reasoning:

Inductive reasoning is when you start with true statements about specific things and then make a more general conclusion.
Ex. This cat is black. That cat is black. A third cat is black. Therefore all cats are black.
Inducive reasoning can only garantee a probable conclusion.

Deduction/deductive reasoning:

Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is making an inference based on widely-accepted facts or premises.
Ex If a beverage is defined as "drinkable through a straw," one could use deduction to determine soup to be a beverage.
Ex. All men are mortal. Joe is a man. Therefore Joe is mortal. If the first two statements are true, then the conclusion must be true.

Syllogism:

A three-part logical argument, based on deductive reasoning, in which two premises are combined to arrive at a conclusion. So long as the premises of the syllogism are true and the syllogism is correctly structured, the conclusion will be true.
Makes use of a major and minor premise to reach a conclusion
Ex. All mammals are animals. All elephants are mammals. Therefore, all elephants are animals.

Aphorism:

A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author's point.
Ex “God helps them that help themselves,” and “A watched pot never boils.”

Appositive:

A noun is replaced with another as an explination
Ex. James, my husband, hates Fritz because hes jealous of the fact that hes six foot tall and nonchalant and loyal

Euphemism:

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. Sometimes they are used for political correctness or to add humor.
Ex “Physically challenged,” in place of “crippled.”

Conciliatory:

When you are conciliatory in your actions or behavior, you show that you are willing to end a disagreement with someone.
To placate, pacify, or stop someones discontent

Laudatory:

Pedantic:

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as “show-offy”; using big words for the sake of using big words).

Ebullient: