AP Glossary Flashcards
Active Voice
The subject of the sentence performs the action.
Example of Active Voice
“Anthony drove while Toni searched for the house. “
Effect of Active Voice on text
The subject of the sentence comes first and performs the action that the rest of the sentence describes.
Allusion
An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which reader is supposed to be familiar with.
Example of Allusion
“She felt like she had a golden ticket.”
Effect of Allusion on text
Allusion can be used to build trust with their readers, contextualize characters, and help disclose mysterious plots points.
Alter-ego
A character that is used by the author to speak the author’s own thoughts; when an author speaks directly to the audience through a character.
Example of Alter-ego
In Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, Shakespeare talks to his audience about his own upcoming retirement, through the main character in the play, Prospero.
Effect of Alter-ego on text
It lets authors explore other sides of themselves, or other sides of their characters.
Anecdote
A brief recounting of a relevant episode.
Example of Anecdote
In Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire by J K Rowling, Dumbledore uses an anecdote when talking to another headmaster. “I’d never dream to assume that I know all of the secrets of Hogwarts. Just this morning, for example, I had taken a wrong turn on my way to the bathroom, I then found myself inside a wonderfully proportioned room which I had not seen before, it contained a truly astonishing collection of chamber pots. I then returned to investigate but discovered the room had disappeared.“
Effective of Anecdote on text
They’re often inserted into fictional or nonfiction texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.
Antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
Example of Antecedent
“David plays football in the courtyard. All the children have gathered there.”
Effect of Antecedent on text
It can make the sense of a sentence clear to the readers.
Classicism
Art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures.
Example of Classicism
Dryden’s poetry, especially “MacFlecknoe” and “Annus Mirabilus are poems example.
Effect of Classicism on text
Classicism focuses more on the realistic aspect of the text and the theme is more realistic as well.
Comic Relief
When a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story.
Example of Comic Relief
The “gatekeeper scene” in Macbeth.
Effect of Comic Relief on text
Comic relief brings a relief to a time of darkness in the text and doesn’t make the story so negative.
Diction
Word choice, particularly as an element of style.
Example of diction
In “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair” in an example.
Effect of Diction on text
It’s the thing that sets the tone, mood, and atmosphere of a piece.
Colloquial
a form of diction; ordinary or familiar type of conversation. Colloquialism is a common or familiar type of saying.
Example of Colloquial
Y’all means you all and that’s an everyday life example.
Effect of Colloquial on text
In can give deep insights into the writer’s society and can tell us how people really talk in their real lives.
Connotation
Rather than the dictionary definition, the associations suggested by a word.
Example of Connotation
“Policeman,” “Cop,” and “The Man,” all mean police officer but they look different.
Effect of Connotation on text
It can cause creativity in writing when using figures of speech.
Denotation
The literal, explicit meaning of the word, without its connotations.
Example of Denotation
In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” the line “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” is an example.
Effect of Denotation on text
It gives a more direct meaning in expressions in the text to enhance the accuracy of the interpretation of the text.
Jargon
The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity.
Example of Jargon
Lawyers speak using particular jargon as do soccers players.
Effect of Jargon on text
It’s used to emphasize a situation or to refer something that will seem exotic to the reader.
Vernacular
language or dialect of a particular country; language or dialect of a regional clan or group; plain everyday speech.
Example of Vernacular.
In “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, “Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn’ hear sumf’n. Well, I know what I’s gwyne to do: I’s gwyne to set down here and listen tell I hears it agin” is an example.
Effect of Vernacular on text
It makes dialogues and phrases the can reinforce the setting of the text or add depth by creating a sense of realism so readers can relate to the text.
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.
Example of Didactic.
“Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan uses didactic in the form of spiritual allegory and it describes a religious and spiritual journey of a man on the way to deliverance.
Effect of Didactic on text
It can offer something additional to its reader rather than entertaining them when they read the text.
Adage
A folk saying with a lesson.
Example of Adage
“A rolling stone gathers no moss” is an example.
Effect of Adage on text
It can give awareness to the readers about some facts life and can be applied to any circumstance or situation to give wisdom and sum up the moral lesson of a story. It makes the text effective, compact and rich.
Allegory
A story, fictional or non fictional in which characters, things and events represent qualities or concepts. The interaction of these characters, things, and events is meant to reveal an abstraction or truth.
Example of Allegory
“Animal Farm,” by George Orwell is one.
Effect of Allegory on text
It can deliver difficult message in easy to read stories which makes them useful and expressive. This can help the readers understand the text.
Aphorism
A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle and can be a memorable summation of the author’s point.
Example of Aphorism
Ben Franklin wrote this in “Poor Richard’s Almanac” when he wrote “God helps them that help themselves,” and “A watched pot never boils.”
Effect of Aphorism on text
It can allow the writer to teach a moral and because they are so short, they can be easily remembered and the readers can relate the piece to real life and apply them to their lives.
Ellipsis
The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.
Example of Ellipsis
“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth…the proposition that all men are created equal” from the Gettysburg Address is an example.
Effect of Ellipsis on text
Leaving out words or phrases change the meaning of the text and they tell the readers something is missing.
Euphemism
A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.
Example of Euphemism
“Jimmy was sent to a correctional facility” is an example.
Effect of Euphemism on the text
It allows the text to seem softer towards difficult or unpleasant things and they can be use to avoid offensive texts and can put words in a more delicate manner.
Figurative Language
it’s writing that is not meant to be taken literally.
Example of Figurative Language
“You’re as cuddly as a cactus” from “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is an example.
Effect of Figurative Language on text
It can help express something in the text in a more imaginative and creative way to make concepts easier to understand.
Analogy
A comparison of one pair variables to a parallel set of variables.
Example of Analogy
“America is to the world as the hippo is to the jungle” is an example.
Effect of Analogy on text
This causes imagery in the text and can enhance the meaning and understanding of something in the text by presenting it in a creative way.
Hyperbole
An extreme exaggeration.
Example of Hyperbole
An example is “My mother will kill me if I am late.”
Effect of Hyperbole on text
It can be used to emphasize a characteristic something and how it feels. And communicate feelings in a creative way and make in more interesting.
Idiom
A common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally.
Example of Idiom
“I got chewed out by my coach” is an example.
Effect of Idiom on text
It can make the text more richer and add character to the writing to make it more exciting and interesting.
Metaphor
Making an implied comparison not using “like” or “as” or other words.
Example of Metaphor
“My feet are popsicles” in an example.
Effect of Metaphor on text
It can add detail to the text and it can make the text more interesting and it’s more imaginative. And if it’s written good, the reader can imagine it and sometimes even feel a scene or what a character is going through.
Metonymy
Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept.
Example of Metonymy
“Relations between London and Washington have been strained” is an example.
Effect of Metonymy on text
They can summarized complex process or programs into shortened phrases and they can emphasize the important and defining characteristic of the subject and creates imagery.
Synecdoche
A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa.
Example of Synecdoche
“The cattle rancher owned 500 head” is example.
Effect of Synecdoche
It can allow for connections with the reader and the text and they can enhance the expression. It allows for emphasize of certains parts of the whole by highlighting the importance of them for the whole.
Simile
Using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very different things.
Example of Simile
“My feet are so cold they feel like popsicles” is an example.
Effect of Simile on text
They can make the text more descriptive, entertaining, and more creative. You can generate thought and emotion through the way the simile is written when comparing to things and can create imagery for the reader.
Synesthesia
a description involving a crossing of the senses.
Example of Synesthesia
“A purplish scent filled the room” and “I was deafened by his brightly-colored clothing” are examples.
Effect of Synesthesia on text
This allows writers to show more creativity with they write their ideas about by making them more vivid and add more layer to a text which can make the work more interesting and appealing.
Personification
Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human
Example of Personification
“The tired old truck groaned as it inched up the hill” in an example.
Effect of Personification text
It can make a scene that doesn’t have anything that isn’t human more interesting in a creative way. This can make a concept in a text easier to understand and to enjoy.
Foreshadowing
When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.
Example of Foreshadowing
In “Romeo and Juliet,” when Romeo says “life were better ended by their hate, / Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love,” it foreshadows their suicides and the family conflict that exists afterwards.
Effect of Foreshadowing on text
It can be used to make the reader of the text feel almost text and can give the audience clues to what will happen later in the text without revealing the plot and can make the reader hook on the text.
Genre
The major category into which a literary work fits.
Example of Genre
Examples are poetry, prose, drama, fiction, and non-fiction.
Effect of Genre on text
This allows text to be classify and group together with whatever text they share similar characteristics with. And you can compare and contrast works with the same genre.
Gothic
Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death. Also refers to an architectural style of middle ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period.
Example of Gothic
“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe is an example of gothic in literature.
Effect of Gothic on text
The plot in gothic text bring an atmosphere with mystery and the setting of gothic text is also important in the text. It surrounds paranormal and creates melodrama in the text.
Imagery
Word or words that create a picture in the reader’s mind and usually involves the five senses and goes along with figures of speech.
Example of Imagery
“She smelled the scent of sweet hibiscus wafting through the air, its tropical smell a reminder that she was on vacation in a beautiful place” is an example using imagery with scent.
Effect of Imagery on text
Imagery in text helps the reader imagine what happening in text and creates creativity in text to engage the reader and make the text more interesting.
Invective
A long, emotionally violent attack using strong abusive language.
Example of Invective
“With such gallant bravery, you are sure to be alone for the rest of your days” is an example of invective.
Effect of Invective on text
When you insult someone in text, it can cause negative emotion in the text and make the reader feel that negative emotion.
Irony
When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
Example of Irony
“Describing someone who says foolish things a ‘genius” in an example of verbal irony.
Effect of Irony on text
Irony can create humor in the text and can help the reader point to the deeper meaning of the situation in the text.
Verbal Irony
When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.
Example of Verbal Irony
“Stating during a thunderstorm, ‘beautiful weather we’re having” is an example of verbal irony.
Effect of Verbal Irony
It can create a form of sarcasm in the text and when it’s used in the right time and in the suitable circumstance, it can help the reader analyze and think harder about a situation.
Dramatic Irony
When the audience of a drama, plau, movie, etc., knows something that the character doesn’t and wouldn’t be surprised to find out.
Example of Dramatic Irony
In horror movies, the audience knows who the killer is but the character and victims in the movies doesn’t.
Effect of Dramatic Irony on text
When it’s used in text, it can excite the readers’ interest and form a contrast between situation of characters and what’s happening in text. And it can make the reader curious in the text.
Situational Irony
Found in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie.
Example of Situational Irony
“Johnny spent two hours planning on sneaking into the movie theater and missed the movie. When he finally did manage to sneak inside he found out that kids were admitted free that day” is an example of that.
Effect of Situational Irony on text
It can lay emphasis on important scene and make it more vivid and create unexpected turns and plot twists in story.
Juxtaposition
Placing things side by side for the purpose of comparison and in can make a point.
Example of Juxtaposition
“A butler spends his days in a beautiful mansion dressed in a tuxedo, but returns home to a closet-sized apartment in a rundown part of town” is an example.
Effect of Juxtaposition on text
It can highlight contrast between two things in the text and can also compare two things. It can help readers gain a greater meaning through the elements in the texts.
Mood
The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice.
Example of Mood
“The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly on” from Charles Dickens’ “Pickwick Papers” gives a calm and peaceful mood.
Effect of Mood on text
Using setting, theme, diction, and tone can evoke a response in readers and can create an atmosphere in text.
Motif
A recurring idea in a piece of literature.
Example of Motif
“To Kill a Mockingbird” has a motif with the idea “you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view” is brought out up in the book many times.
Effect of Motif on text
It goes along with presenting a theme if the text by acting as a reinforcement and can help the readers understand the messages in the text.
Oxymoron
When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox.
Example of Oxymoron
“Act naturally” is an example.
Effect of Oxymoron on text
They can make the text seem more interesting to the reader and could confuse the reader before they think and understand the meaning of the context.
Pacing
The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.
Example of Pacing
Syntax, polysyndeton, anaphora, and meter can be used to change a writer’s pace from fast to sluggish to a vibrato.
Effect of Pacing on text
Pacing not allow impacts the speed of the text but it can also be use to determine how the story will appeal to its audience and what section of audiences will read the text.
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.
Example of Paradox
“You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without getting a job” is an example.
Effect of Paradox on text
It can create contradictions in the text surrounding characters and situations they are in. And it can create mystery in the text.
Parallelism
Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.
Example Parallelism
“Cinderella swept the floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rugs” is an example.
Effect of Parallelism on text
It can make the text more easier to read and make it easier to understand. It can provide symmetry is prose, poems, and speeches to create rhythm and repetition. It can add emphasis, organization, or pacing to the text.
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row.
Example of Anaphora
“I came, I saw, I conquered” is an example.
Effect of Anaphora on text
It can emphasize details of the text and can appeal to the audience and create an artistic effect on the text to make it more memorable.
Chiasmus
When the same words are used twice in succession. but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.
Example of Chiasmus
“Fair is foul and foul is fair” is an example.
Effect of Chiasmus on text
It creates a symmetric structure in the text and makes the text seem complete or full circle. But it creates an illusion and could leave important details out.
Antithesis
Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses or even ideas, with parallel structure.
Example of Antithesis
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is an example.
Effect of Antithesis on text
It contrasts something to its opposite in text and can emphasize key points in the text. It can express curious contradictions as well.
Zeugma (Syllepsis)
When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.
Example of Zeugma
“I quickly dressed myself and the salad” is an example.
Effect of Zeugma on text
It can create a surprise in the text and can make the phrase stand out. It can cause a dramatic effect and cause shock.
Parenthetical Idea
Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence, almost like a whisper.
Example of Parenthetical Idea
“In a short time (and the time is getting shorter by the gallon) America will be out of oil.
Effect of Parenthetical Idea
It can cause effect in the text, rather than repetition and can be used to set off dates and numbers.
Parody
An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes; it borrows words or phrases from an original, and pokes fun at it.
Example of Parody
“Your little sister puts on your father’s big shoes and stomps around in them, saying, “I need to make a business call. I am a very busy, very important businessman!” is an example.
Effect of Parody on text
It allows for criticism and question in the text without being aggressive. It’s more for a comedy relief by drawing attention to certain weak features of the text.
Persona
The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.
Example of Persona
In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, the lines “My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin —
(They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”) Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse” are examples because his paints the image of the characters perception and experiences.
Effect of Persona on text
It creates a dramatic monologue in the text and makes each character have different feelings and voices in the text. Ideas, beliefs, and voices can be express.
Poetic Device
A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.
Example of Poetic Device
Alliteration is an example of a poetic device.
Effect of Poetic Device on text
Poetic devices can make the text more creative and look more pleasing to the readers. It changes how the words sounds and how the lines look.
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
Example of Alliteration
“Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore” is an example.
Effect of Alliteration on text
It can impact the mood of the poem depending on the letter that is use and can make the piece look more attractive and appealing to the reader.
Assonance
The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.
Example of Assonance
“From the molten-golden notes” is an example.
Effect of Assonance on text
It can provide poetic writing with rhythm and musicality in poems and can mirror or change the mood of the poem to match the subject of the poem.
Consonance
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words.
Example of Consonance
“Some late visitor entreating entrance a my chamber door” is an example.
Effect of Consonance on text
It can make the text seem fun or cleverness or silly to the reader. And it can give the poem a rhyme effect when the reader sees it.
Onomatopoeia
The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes.
Example of Onomatopoeia
“Snap, rustle, boom, and murmur” are examples.
Effect of Onomatopoeia on text
It can describe sound and createthe real sound in the reader’s mind. It can create vivid experiences for the reader and allows the writer to be more expressive.
Internal Rhyme
When a line of poetry contains a rhyme wothin a single line.
Example of Internal Rhyme
“To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells” is an example.
Effect of Internal Rhyme on text
The repetition can make the poem or story unified and can make the effect of the pem better and can enhance the musical aspect of poems.
Slant Rhyme
When a poet creates a rhyme, but the two words do no rhyme exactly- there are merely similar.
Example of Slant Rhyme
“I sat upon a stone/And found my life has gone” is an example.
Effect of Slant Rhyme on text
It can create sounds the repeat in a pattern or rhyme scheme in the poem. It can create a range of words the poet could use in their poem to express themselves.
End Rhyme
When the last word of two different lines of poetry rhyme.
Example of End Rhyme
“Roses are red, violets are blue/Sugar is sweet, and so are you” is an example.
Effect of End Rhyme on text
It can make the text seem more enjoyable to the reader of the poem and gives the reader a chance to see pleasant words that the poet choose and make the reading experience more pleasurable.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of a poem’s end rhymes.
Example of Rhyme Scheme
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?/Thou are more lovely and more temperate./Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May./A summer’s lease hath all too short a date” has an ABAB rhyme scheme.
Effect of Rhyme Scheme on text
It creates the meter, length of phrase, and rhythm in the poem and can create balance using the words of the poem.
Stressed and Unstressed Syllables
In every word of more than one syllable, one of the syllables is stressed, or said with more force than the other syllable(s).
Example of Stressed and Unstressed Syllable
In the name “Nathan” the first syllable is stressed.
Effect of Stressed and Unstressed Syllables on text
It can increase the intensity of the rhyme depending on what syllables are stressed and which ones are not.
Meter
A regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poetry.
Example of Meter
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is an example of meter, but specifically iambic pentameter.
Effect of Meter on text
It can create a form of structure in the poem and can make the text seem more artistic and pleasurable to the reader. It allows for pattern in the poem using the syllables of words.
Free Verse
Poetry that doesn’t have much meter or rhyme.
Example of Free Verse
““A noiseless patient spider, I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated, Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding, It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself, Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them” from “A Noiseless Patient Spider” by Walt Whitman is an example.
Effect of Free Verse on text
It can have no rhythm or rhyme and can give the poet the ability to use different words since they do not have to focus on rhyme or rhythm or meter.
Iambic Pentameter
Poetry that is written in lines of 10 syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.
Example of Iambic Pentameter
In “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, the lines “Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland/In such an honour named. What’s more to do,/Which would be planted newly with the time,/As calling home our exiled friends abroad/That fled the snares of watchful tyranny;/Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen…/So, thanks to all at once and to each one,/Whom we invite to see us crown’d at Scone” are examples of it.
Effect of Iambic Pentameter
It can give the text a more natural flow and give a sense of metter in the poem to impact the reader.
Sonnet
A 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter. Usually divided into three quatrains and a couplet.
Example of Sonnet
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds/Admit impediments. Love is not love/Which alters when it alteration finds,/Or bends with the remover to remove:/O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,/That looks on tempests and is never shaken;/It is the star to every wandering bark,/Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken./Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks/Within his bending sickle’s compass come;/Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,/But bears it out even to the edge of doom./If this be error and upon me proved,/I never writ, nor no man ever loved”“Sonnet 116”, a Shakespearean sonnet is an example.
Effect of Sonnet on Text
Sonnets have a parameters that lead to structure and rhyme, which can lead to deliberate thoughtful and beautiful poems. And it can make themes be expressed through thoughts and emotions and they have defined form, meter, and rhyme.
Polysyndeton
When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions.
Example of Polysyndeton
“I walked the dog, and fed the cat, and milked the cows” is an example.
Effect of Polysyndeton on text
It can be used to slow down the pace of the writing and/or add an authoritative tone to the text and rhythm.
Pun
When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way.
Example of Pun
“The tallest building in town is the library — it has thousands of stories” is an example.
Effect of Pun on text
Puns can make the text seem more funnier to the reader and make them laugh.
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication
Example of Rhetoric
“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us” from Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” is an example.
Effect of Rhetoric on text
It can make an argument stronger and it can change the effectiveness of the argument to persuade others to your point of view.
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
The relationships, in any piece of writing, between the writer, the audience, and the subject. All analysis of writing is essentially of analysis of the relationships between the points on the triangle.
Example of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
It’s a triangle that connects the writer, subject, and audience together to get the author’s purpose through to their audience.
The effect Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle on text
It can help the speaker choose the right words and ways to present their points across to better appeal to their audience. It helps to organize thoughts about a positions.
Rhetorical Question
Question not asked for information but effect.
Example of Rhetorical Question
“The angry parent asked the child, ‘Are you finished interrupting me?” is an example.
Effect of Rhetorical Question on text
It can make the text seem more natural to the reader and it can make the line it is used in a dialogue. They can move an argument forward as well in text and creates a sense of flow.
Romanticism
Art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature; does not rely on traditional themes and structures.
Example of Romanticism
The poem “To Autumn” by John Keats is an example with the lines “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,/Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;/Conspiring with him how to load and bless/With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;/To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,/And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;/To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells/With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,/And still more, later flowers for the bees,/Until they think warm days will never cease,/For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.”
Effect of Romanticism on text
It can create texts that have romantic elements on the, and when it is used as a theme, it can celebrate freedom and breaking conventional rules in the work.
Sarcasm
A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded. However, not all satire and irony are sarcastic. It is the bitter, mocking tone that separates sarcasm from mere verbal irony or satire.
Example of Sarcasm
“Oh yes, you’ve been sooooo helpful. Thanks sooooo much for all your heeeelp” is an example.
Effect of Sarcasm on text
It’s used in dialogue and can show a way a character talks to another character and give clues to a relationship between to characters. Itt can show pain, anger, or frustration a character is feeling.
Satire
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect and targets human vices and follies, or social institution and conventions. Good satire has three layers; serious on the surface; humorous when you discover that it is satire instead of reality; and serious when you discern the underlying point of the author.
Example of Satire
Political cartoons are example of satire.
Effect of Satire on text
It can make people pay attention to social issues when they might have ignore it and it can help people think critically about the issues they talk about which are presented in a humorous way.
Sentence
A group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.
Example of Sentence
“When Sally goes to Billy house, they always play and watch TV together” is an example.
Effect of Sentence on text
Sentences are what make up the text and depending on what type of sentence you use, it can have different functions and structures on the text.
Appositive
A word or group of words places beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning
Example of Appositive
“Bob, the lumber yard worker, spoke with Judy, an accountant from the city” is an example.
Effect of Appositive on text
It can provide information in the text, either essential or additional and can give meaning to different sentence in the text to identify other nouns. It can define, explain, or clarify meaning of a sentence. It can combine sentences to avoid choppy and short sentences.
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.
Example of Clause
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” is an example and it has two independent clauses.
Effect of Clause on text
It gives a sentence its importance and value and links different parts of a sentence together.
Balanced Sentence
A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale; both parts are parallel grammatically; also called parallelism.
Example of Balanced Sentence
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich” is an example.
Effect of Balanced Sentence on text
It can give a rhythmical flow to the text and draw the attention of the readers to the sentence and make it stand out. It can emphasize certain ideas and can make the meaning of the sentences clearer.
Compound Sentence
Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses.
Example of Compound Sentence
“They want to go to the party, but they have to do their chores first” is an example.
Effect of Compound Sentence
It can provide more detail to the sentences and can combine sentences to make the text easier to read.
Complex Sentence
Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Example of Complex Sentence
“Because they were going to be late to class, they were running and rushing to their class” is an example.
Effect of Complex Sentence on text
They can add a fuller description on the text and allows the sentence to be more detailed. They can add depth to the text.
Cumulative Sentence
Also called a loose sentence; when the writer begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements.
Example of Cumulative Sentence
“He doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience, his confidence broke, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration” is an example.
Effect of Cumulative Sentence on text
They can make the text more easier to understand and makes it more straightforward and simple. The details in the sentence are important as they give the main idea of the sentence. It gives clarity.
Periodic Sentence
When the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence; the writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause.
Example of Periodic Sentence
“His confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration, he doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience” is an example.
Effect of Periodic Sentence on text
It can be used for emphasis and by putting the reasons of something at the beginning before the final point is made, it can be more persuasive and can create suspense or interest in the text.
Simple Sentence
Contains only one independent clause.
Example of Simple Sentence
“The pen is mightier than the sword” is an example.
Effect of Simple Sentence on text
It makes the text more simple and can be used as communication in the text. It can also be use as a proverb in the text and can make the sentence more clear to the reader and more precise.
Declarative Sentence
States an idea; does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question.
Example of Declarative Sentence
“The ball is round” is an example.
Effect of Declarative Sentence on text
It lets the reader know something specific and gives facts or opinions in the text the writer thinks is important.
Imperative Sentence
Issues a command.
Example of Imperative Sentence
“Kick the ball” is an example.
Effect of Imperative Sentence on text
It can give clear instructions or commands to the reader. It can also give advice to the reader.
Interrogative Sentence
Sentences incorporating interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, and whose).
Example of Interrogative Sentence
“To whom did you kick the ball?” is an example.
Effect of Interrogative Sentence
It allows the reader to get information and clear confusion is the text. It allows you to get better answer when they are used correctly and in a more straightforward manner.
Style
The choices in diction, tone, syntax that a writer makes; style may be conscious or unconscious.
Example of Style
“The waves waltz along the seashore, going up and down in a gentle and graceful rhythm, like dancing” is an example of the descriptive writing style.
Effect of Style on text
It can distinguish authors from one another depending on how the writer writes their text. It can give the author their voice in their text to be expressive in different ways.
Symbol
Anything that represents or stands for something else; usually a symbol is something concrete such as an object, actions, character that represents something more abstract.
Example of Symbol
The Whale in “Moby Dick” is an example/
Effect of Symbol on text
It can add layer to the text and they can enable the author to deliver a message in a narrative and on multiple levels. It can produce the theme of the text.
Syntax/Sentence Variety
Grammatical arrangement or words; it’s perhaps one of the most difficult concepts to master because a reader has to first examine the length of sentences (short or long); it’s the grouping of words.
Example of Syntax/Sentence Variety
In “Richard III” by William Shakespeare, the sentence “And all the clouds that lowered upon our house buried in the deep bosom of the ocean” is rearranged to “And all the clouds that lower’d upon our house in the deep bosom of the ocean buried” and that is an example.
Effect of Syntax/Sentence Variety on text
It can convey the meaning of the text and can change the mood or tone of the text and can also express the writer’s attitude.
Theme
The central idea or message of a work; may be directly stated in nonfiction works, although not necessarily and it is rarely stated directly in fiction.
Example of Theme
An example of theme is the lesson of importance of family.
Effect of Theme on text
It can convey an idea to an audience that causes the reader to learn from the text and think about what they learnt. It gives the story a deeper meaning. It can show how the writer views life.
Thesis
The sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning or proposition; it should be short and clear.
Example of Thesis
An example is “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” from “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.
Effect of Thesis on text
The introduce what the essay is about or what the argument the writer is writing about. It can organize ideas and guides the argument of the essay.
Tone
A writer’s attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and organization; to identify it, consider how the piece would sound if read aloud (or how the author wanted it to sound aloud).
Example of Tone
Tone can be playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal or somber, as well as many of other things.
Effect of Tone on text
It describes how the reader should read the text and how they should feel while they read it. It can affect how readers will respond to the text.
Understatement
The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is; the effect can be frequently by humorous.
Example of Understatement
“Our defense played valiantly, and held the other teams to merely eight touchdowns in the first quarter” is an example.
Effect of Understatement on text
It can create irony on text and create a comedic effect on the text as well. It can also crete a modest effect on the text and can understating discomfort or difficulties in the text.
Litotes
A particular form of understatement generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used; depending on the tone and context of the usage, litotes either retains the effect of understatement or becomes an intensifying expression.
Example of Litotes
“Hitting that telephone pole certainly didn’t do your car any good” and “The flavors of mushrooms, herbs, and spices combine to make the dish not at all disagreeable” are examples.
Effect of Litotes on text
They can emphasize an idea without taking away how important it is. It can state the affirmative without directly saying the affirmative.
Argument
A piece of reasoning with one or more premises and a conclusion; essentially, evey essay is an argument that begins with the conclusion (the thesis) and the sets up the premises; it is also called a claim, position, or a stance.
Example of Argument
An example are political debates if they are done properly.
Effect of Argument on text
It can help to persuade readers to a writer’s point of view using reasons and examples and using words carefully as well.
Premises
Statements offered as reasons to support a conclusion.
Example of Premises
“All Spam is pink” and “I am eating Spam” are premises.
Effect of Premises on text
It is the foundation of a text and can help establish the ideas for the text.
Conclusion
The end result of the argument-the main point being made; in an argument on expects that the conclusion will be supported with reason or premises; moreover these premises will be true and will, in fact, lead to the conclusion.
Example of Conclusion
“I am eating something that is pink” is an example.
Effect of Conclusion
It closes all the details in the text and ends the argument or text in a meaningful way and helps the reader come to a conclusion about their decision.
Aristotle’s Appeals
The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade an audience that one’s ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else’s; divided all means of persuasion (appeals) in three categories.
Example of Aristotle’s Appeals
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are the three categories of appeals.
Effect of Aristotle’s Appeals on text
They help persuade others to believe the author’s point of view. Depending on which one you use, it can have a different reaction and impact your audience to persuade them.
Ethos (Credibility)
Being convinced by the credibility of the author; a writer tries to convince the audience that he or she is someone worth listening to, in other words an authority on the subject, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect; an argument that relies too heavily on ethos, without corroborating logos, can become a fallacy.
Example of Ethos (Credibility)
“Our expertise in roofing contracting is evidenced, not only by our 100 years in the business and our staff of qualified technicians, but in the decades of satisfied customers who have come to expect nothing but the best” is an example.
Effect of Ethos (Credibility) on text
It can make the writer or speaker seem credibility and trustworthy to the eyes of the writer or listener. It depends on the choice of words they use and gives the writer and the author expertise on the subject they are talking about.
Pathos (Emotional)
Persuading by appealing to the reader’s emotions; an argument that relies too much on emotion, without any corroborating logos, can become a fallacy.
Example of Pathos (Emotional)
When you see tv commercial showing neglected or mistreated animals, it makes you feel bad for them and want them to help them, that uses Pathos.
Effect of Pathos (Emotional) on text
Appealing to the emotional side of your audience can make them want to support your cause because emotions were inspired from the writing and they can compel you to agree with the writer.
Logos (Logical)
Persuading by the use of reasoning, using true premises and valid arguments; generally considered the strongest form of persuasion.
Example of Logos (Logical)
“The wage system has made people believe that what a man needs is work. This, of course, is absurd. What he needs is the goods produced by work, and the less work involved in making a given amount of goods, the better … But owing to our economic system …where a better system would produce only an increase of wages or a diminution in the hours of work without any corresponding diminution of wages” from “Political Ideals” by Bertrand Russell is an example.
Effect of Logos (Logical) on text
Logos is used when you want to put facts in the text. It can appeal to the logical side of the audience and works on people and an audience who values rationality logic but it’s more for a formal setting surrounding scientific information than for the general audience.
Concession
Accepting at least part or all of an opposing viewpoint; often used to make one’s own argument stronger by demonstrating that one is willing to accept what is obviously true and reasonable, even if it is presented by the opposition; sometimes all called multiple perspectives because the author is accepting more than one position as tue; sometimes a concession is immediately followed by a rebuttal of the concession.
Example of Concession
“Dad, I know taking a trip to another country with my friends may be expensive and unsafe, but I have studied so hard the past year and I think I deserve a vacation. You already know how responsible I have been all my life; I don’t think there will be any problem” is an example.
Effect of Concession on text
It acknowledges that there can be different view to a story or argument and allows for different opinions, And by acknowledging them, it a pushes your argument forwards and make the writing more stronger and shows respect for the other side.
Conditional Statement
An if-then statement and consists of two parts, an antecedent and a consequent; are often used a remises in an argument.
Example of Conditional Statement
“If you studied hard, then you will pass the test” is an example.
Effect of Conditional Statement on text
Conditional statement provides backup to an argument and can support as a premise.
Contradiction
Occurs when one asserts two mutually exclusive propositions; since a claim and its contradictory cannot both be true, one of them must be false.
Example of Contradiction
“Abortion is wrong and abortion is not wrong” is an example.
Effect of Contradiction on text
Contradiction can often confuse readers if there is no information given before hand to counter the contradiction. If the reader understands the contradiction, then they can figure out the truth in the sentence.
Counterexample
An example the runs counter to (opposes) a generalization, thus falsifying it.
Example of Counterexample
“Jane argued that all whales are endangered. Belugas are a type of whale. Belugas are not endangered. Therefore, Jane’s argument is unsound” is an example.
Effect of Counterexample on text
It shows that an example is not completely true because there is statement or fact the can change the accuracy of the example.
Deductive Argument
An argument in which it is thought that the premise provide a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion; in a deductive argument, the premises are intended to provide support for the conclusion that is so strong that, if the premises are true, it would be impossible for the conclusion to be false.
Example of Deductive Argument
“All dogs are mammals. All mammals have kidneys. Therefore all dogs have kidneys” is an example.
Effect of Deductive Argument on text
When use, it can make an argument seem logical and very persuasive and convincing. Using examples can make it easier to reach a specific point and can make the argument more clear, rhetorical, and effective and removes anything that can cause confusion in an argument.
Fallacy
An attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning; writers don’t want to make obvious fallacies in their reasoning, but they often used unintentionally, or when the writer thinks they can get away with faulty logic.
Example of Fallacy
“Lots of people purchased this collection, so it must be great” is an example because it appeals to popular opinion.
Effect of Fallacy on text
This can cause weakness in text and can make critics and readers not trust the intentions of the writer because it is not a good piece of reading to support claims.
Ad Hominem
Latin for “against the man;” personally attacking your opponent instead of their arguments; it is an argument that appeals to emotions rather than reason, feeling rather than intellect.
Example of Ad Hominem,
“How can you argue your case for vegetarianism when you are enjoying that steak?” is an example.
Effect of Ad Hominem on text
It can point out the false connection in the argument to the person who is giving the argument. It evaluates the person who is giving the argument rather than the facts of the argument.
Appeal to Authority
The claim that because somebody famous supports an idea, the idea must be right; this fallacy is often used in advertising.
Example of Appeal to Authority
“Katherine loves Tom Cruise. One day, she meets Tom Cruise and he tells her unicorns live in New York City. Without searching to find out if fairy tales have sprung to life in midtown Manhattan, she believes it to be true” is an example.
Effect of Appeal to Authority on text
Because someone a reader admires or a famous person agrees with an idea, then it can influence the readers to agree with the statement, even if it is not true.
Appeal to the Bandwagon
The claim, as evidence for an idea, that many people believe it, or used to believe it, or do it.
Example of Appeal to the Bandwagon
“In the 1800’s, there was a widespread belief that bloodletting cured sickness. All of these people were not just wrong, but horribly wrong, because in fact it made people sicker” is an example.
Effect of Appeal to the Bandwagon on text
Because something is popular, someone people find it true or acceptable, even it the facts are not true. This can cause readers to believe a popular fact that is spreading around, even if it isn’t true.
Appeal to Emotion
An attempt to replace a logical argument with an appeal to the audience’s emotions.
Example of Appeal to Emotion
Appealing to someone’s sympathy, to someone’s revenge, or someone’s patriotism are examples.
Effect of Appeal to Emotion on text
By appealing to an audience’s emotion during an argument, the speaker can persuade their audience to support the point made across, even if the idea isn’t logical in the context of the argument.
Bad Analogy
Claiming that two situations are highly similar, when they are not.
Example of Bad Analogy
“We have pure food and drug laws regulating what we put in our bodies; why can’t we have laws to keep musicians from giving us filth for the mind?” is a example.
Effect of Bad Analogy on text
It compares two things that are different from one another and the inferences from the comparison do not agree with the argument that is being made. So it fails to provide support for a given claims.
Cliche Thinking
Using as evidence a well-known saying, as if it is proven, or as if it has no exceptions.
Example of Cliche Thinking
“I say: ‘America: love it or leave it.’ Anyone who disagrees with anything our country does must hate America. So maybe they should just move somewhere else” is an example.
Effect of Cliche Thinking
Using a well-known saying to support a claim in the argument can change how accurate the claim is and that well-known saying may not be true 100% of the time.
False Cause
Assuming that because two things happened, the first one caused the second one; sequence is not causation.
Example of False Cause
“Before women got to vote, there were no nuclear weapons. Therefore women’s suffrage must have led to nuclear weapons” is an example.
Effect of False Cause
It can inaccurately connect two things that have no connections to one another because it seems that one thing led to another thing.
Hasty Generalization
A generalization based on too little or unrepresentative data.
Example of Hasty Generalization
“My uncle didn’t go to college, and he makes a lot of money. So, people who don’t got to college do just as well as those who do” is an example.
Effect of Hasty Generalization text
Hasty Generalization uses data that doesn’t have much representative and because it doesn’t accurately support the claim, which can lead to the text to not be true all the time surrounding the claim.
Non Sequitur
A conclusion that does not follow from its premises; an invalid argument.
Example of Non Sequitur
“Hinduism is one of the world’s largest religious groups. It is also one of the world’s oldest religions. Hinduism helps millions of people lead happier, more productive lives. Therefore the principles of Hinduism must be true” is an example.
Effect of Non Sequitur on text
It can confuse the audience because the conclusion doesn’t match the premises given, which makes the argument invalid. It gives an unexpected conclusion to the author’s or speaker’s argument, which can confuse the audience.
Slippery Slope
The assumption that once started, a situation will continue to its most extreme possible outcome.
Example of Slippery Slope
“If you drink a glass of wine, then you’ll soon be drinking all the time, and then you’ll become a homeless alcoholic” is an example.
Effect of Slippery Slope on text
It jumps to conclusion too quickly and goes to the most extreme possibility without showing much evidence for it as it continues.
Inductive Argument
An argument in which it is thought that the premises provide reasons supporting the probable truth of the conclusion; the premises are intended only to be so strong that, if they are true, then it is unlikely that the conclusion is false.
Example of Inductive Argument
“This marble from the bag is black. That marble from the bag is black. A third marble from the bag is black. Therefore all the marbles in the bag are black” is an example.
Effect of Inductive Argument on text
It can help predict what can happen in the future and establish the possibility of what can come next. It can help argue a point without having to prove the facts because of the probability of what can happen next and further research can prove it wrong or right.
Sound Argument
A deductive argument is said to be sound if it meets two conditions: First, that the line of reasoning from the premises to the conclusion is valid; second, that the premises are true.
Example of Sound Argument
“In some states, no felons are eligible voters, that is, eligible to vote. In those states, some professional athletes are felons. Therefore, in some states, some professional athletes are not eligible voters” is an example.
Effect of Sound Argument on text
If an argument is a sound one, then it is a valid argument and all the facts and premises and the conclusion connect with one another and everything looks valid and sounds valid as well.
Unstated Premises
Not every argument is fully expressed. Sometimes premises or even conclusions are left unexpressed. Sometimes unstated premises are problematic, particularly if two parties in a discussion are making differing assumptions.
Example of Unstated Premises
“Rover is smart because all dogs are smart” is an example.
Effect of Unstated Premises on text
It works if it is obvious in context. But if there are different assumptions, then if can make the audience confuse and make the statement hard to understand and not valid.
Valid Argument
An argument is valid if the conclusion logically follows the premises.
Example of Valid Argument
“Either Elizabeth owns a Honda or she owns a Saturn. Elizabeth does not own a Honda. Therefore, Elizabeth owns a Saturn” is an example.
Effect of Valid Argument on text
Valid arguments make logical sense and the conclusion follows the premises. The argument can prove the speaker or author’s points and can make the audience support the argument they made because they have everything to make the argument sound logical and the conclusion goes with the evidence and claims they made.
