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english > ap lang essay vocab > Flashcards

ap lang essay vocab Flashcards

1
Q

the moment or event that motivates someone to write or to speak about a specific issue, problem, or situation

A

exigence/exigency

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2
Q

language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.

A

rhetoric

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3
Q

indirect reference to something (usually literary text) that the reader should be familiar with

A

allusion

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4
Q

a brief recounting of a relevant episode, often inserted into text to either develop a point or inject humor
ex. That reminds me of when the entire family gathered around the TV to watch Nixon resign.

A

anecdote

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5
Q

the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
ex. “If i could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it.”
-the wealth

A

antecedent

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6
Q

***IMPORTANT THING ABOUT DICTION- diction is word choice so do NOT say in argument that the author uses diction, describe the type of diction instead ex. the author’s colloquial diction, ornate diction, plain diction, etc.

A
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7
Q

literal explicit meaning of a word

A

denotation

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7
Q

associations suggested by a word, implied meaning and not literal meaning

A

connotation

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8
Q

used to describe fiction nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral/provides a model of correct behavior or thinking ex. aesop’s fables

A

didactic

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9
Q

a story in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts, the interaction of those characters, things, and events is meant to reveal an abstraction/truth
ex. animal farm

A

allegory

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10
Q

a folk saying with a lesson ex. a rolling stone gathers no moss = people pay a price for being always on the move/ people who keep moving avoid picking up responsibilities and cares.
- the early bird gets the worm aka don’t be late to things

A

adage

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11
Q
  • less offensive substitute for offensive words or concepts ex. “physically challenged” in place of derogatory word “crippled”
    or “vertically challenged” instead of short (sometimes adds humor)
A

euphemism

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12
Q
  • form of figurative language
  • comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set
  • argues that the relationship between the first pair of variables is the same as the relationship between the second pair of variables
    ex. “America is to the world as the hippo is to a jungle”
A

analogy

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13
Q

blatant exaggeration ex. my mom will kill me if i get another bad grade

A

hyperbole

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14
Q

common, often used expression that just doesn’t check out if you take it literally ex. i got chewed out by my coach

A

idiom

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15
Q
  • makes an implied comparison
  • does NOT use “like” or “as”
  • ex. my feet are popsicles
A

metaphor

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16
Q

when the metaphor is continued later in the written work
- “You’re a snake! Everything you hiss out of your mouth is a lie. You frighten children, and you have no spine.”

A

extended metaphor

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17
Q

replacing an actual word or idea with a related word or concept
ex. I couldn’t understand his tongue aka his language

A

metonymy

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18
Q
  • a kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts or vice versa ex. check out my new wheels
  • The phrase “hired hands” can be used to refer to workers. .
A

synecdoche

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19
Q
  • uses like/as, makes a direct comparison to two different things
A

simile

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20
Q
  • a description involving a crossing of the senses ex. a purplish scent filled the room OR I was deafened by his brightly colored clothing
A

synesthesia

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21
Q

word/words used to create a picture in the reader’s mind which involves the 5 senses
- often used in conjunction with metaphors, similes, or figures of speech

A

imagery

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22
Q

long, emotionally violent attack using strong and abusive language ex. swear words, vitriol

A

invective

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23
Q

when the opposite of what you expect to happen does

A

irony

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24
Q
  • when you say something and mean the opposite.
  • if the tone is bitter, it’s sarcasm
A

verbal irony

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25
Q

when the audience of a drama, play, movie etc knows something that the character doesn’t and would be surprised to find out

A

dramatic irony

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26
Q
  • found in the plot/story line of a book, story. or movie
  • sometimes it makes you laugh because it’s funny how things turn out
A

situational irony

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27
Q
  • placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison to MAKE A POINT!!!
  • ex. placing the average day of the typical American vs someone in a 3rd world country for social commentary
A

juxtaposition

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28
Q
  • the atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished via diction
  • syntax often enhances this because of word order, sentence length, strength, and complexity affect pacing
    -setting, tone, and events all affect these
A

mood

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29
Q
  • a recurring idea in a piece of literature
    ex. in to kill a mockingbird, the idea that “you never really understand another person until you consider things from their point of view”
A

motif

30
Q
  • speed or tempo of an author’s writing
  • writers can use a variety of devices (syntax, polysyndeton, anaphora, meter) to change the pacing of the words
  • can be fast, sluggish, stabbing, vibrato, staccato, measured. etc
A

pacing

31
Q
  • a seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true
    ex. you can’t get a master’s without experience which you get through a job/internship but you can’t get a job or internship without a master’s
  • Hamlet: ‘‘I must be cruel, only to be kind’’.
  • Animal Farm: ‘‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
A

paradox

32
Q
  • sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other or repeats identical grammatical patterns
  • used to add emphasis, organize, or sometimes pacing to writing
  • ex. cinderella swept the floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rug
A

parallelism/parallel structure/balanced sentences

33
Q
  • repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row
  • deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent
  • emphasizing a specific idea or message
    ex. I came, I saw, I conquered
A

anaphora

34
Q
  • when the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed
    ex. fair is foul and foul is fair
  • also called antimetabole
  • used in writing to deepen an idea through contrast or emphasis. It is also often found in poetry and speechwriting because of its memorable repetition
A

chiasmus

35
Q
  • two opposite of contrasting words, phrases, clauses, or even ideas with parallel structure
  • ex. it was the best of times, the worst of times
  • enhances your writing by illuminating differences and making your point more persuasive
A

antithesis

36
Q
  • when a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each other words it governs or modifies
  • ex. “ I quickly dressed myself and the salad.” “the butler killed the lights and then the mistress.”
A

zuegma/syllepsis

37
Q
  • parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence
  • considered an aside/whisper
  • should be used sparingly for effect
  • can also be used to set off dates and numbers
    ex. in a short time (and the time is getting shorter by the gallon)
A

parenthetical idea

38
Q
  • form of allusion because it is referencing a previous text, event, etc
  • ex. snl skits
  • an exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes
  • ## it borrows words or phrases from an original. and pokes fun at it
A

parody

39
Q
  • the fictional mask or narrator that tells a story
A

persona

40
Q
  • the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words
  • sally sells seashells by the seashore
A

alliteration

41
Q
  • the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds
    ex. the molten golden gates
A

assonance

42
Q
  • the repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words
    ex. some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door
    ex. mike likes his new bike
A

consonance

43
Q
  • when a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions (usually a conjunction is used only before the last in a list
    ex. i walked the dog and fed the cat and milked the cows
    ex. or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcass of an unclean beast or a carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things…he shall also be unclean
A

polysyndeton

44
Q

a generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded
- however, not all satire and irony are sarcastic (is noticeably mocking and bitter)

A

sarcasm

45
Q

a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect (think a modest proposal)
- targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions
- good satire has 3 layers: serious on the surface, humorous when you discover that it is satire and not reality, and serious when you discern the underlying point of the author

A

satire

46
Q

a word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning
ex. Bob, the lumber yard worker…

A

appositive

47
Q
  • a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a bern
    independent- expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence
    dependent- cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause
A

clause

48
Q
  • a sentence in which 2 parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale
  • both parts are parallel grammatically
  • “if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich”
A

balanced sentence

49
Q
  • contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses
A

compound sentence

50
Q
  • contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
A

complex sentence

51
Q
  • when the writer begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements
    ex. “he doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience, his confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration.”
  • opposite of a periodic sentence
A

cumulative sentence aka loose sentence

52
Q
  • when the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence
  • writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause
  • ex. “his confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration, he doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience.”
  • opposite of cumulative sentence
A

periodic sentence

53
Q

states an idea, does not give command or request and does not ask a question
ex. the ball is round.

A

declarative sentence

54
Q

issues a command ex. kick the ball.

A

imperative sentence

55
Q
  • sentences incorporating interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, and whose)
    ex. to whom did you kick the ball?
A

interrogative sentence

56
Q
  • 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 wants it read aloud
  • can be playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, somber
A

tone

57
Q

a particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise be used
- either retains the effect of an understatement or becomes an intensifying expression
ex. hitting that telephone pole certainly didn’t do that car any good
ex. I can’t disagree with what you said

A

litotes

58
Q
  • thesis, then set up premises (statements offered as reasons to support a conclusion- the main point being made)
A

argument

59
Q

“the right place and the right time.”
ex. people were more likely to give to charities related to families and businesses soon after the 9/11 tragedy than they are now.

A

kairos

60
Q
  • credibility
  • writer tries to convince the audience they are worth listening to aka they have authority on the subject
  • risks fallacy of appeal to authority if it relies too much on it
A

ethos

61
Q
  • emotional
  • persuading by appealing to the reader’s emotions
  • if it relies on it too much, may fall victim to the fallacy of appeal to emotion
A

pathos

62
Q
  • persuading by means of reasoning and logic (NUMBERS, STATS) using true premises and valid arguments
  • generally considered strongest form of persuasion
A

logos

63
Q
  • accepting at least part of all of an opposing viewpoint
  • often used to make one’s own argument by demonstrating one is willing to accept what is obviously true and reasonable even if presented by opposition (followed up with a rebuttal)
A

concession

64
Q

if- then statement, two parts, antecedent and consequent
ex. if you studied hard then you will pass the test, i have studied hard ergo i will pass the test

A

conditional statement

65
Q
  • occurs when one aseerts two mutually exclusive propositions, such as “abortion is wrong and abortion is not wrong” it is contradictory and therefore one must be false
A

contradiction

66
Q

an example that runs counter to a generalization and falsifies it:
premise: he argued all whales are endangered, beluga is a type of whale and they aren’t endangered therefore his argument is unsound

A

counterexample

67
Q

an argument in which it is thought that the premises 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 then it is impossible for the conclusion to be false
ex. All dogs have four legs, John’s pet is a dog, therefore John’s pet has four legs.”

A

deductive argument

68
Q

claiming that two situations are highly similar when they aren’t
ex. we have pure food and drug laws regulating what goes into our bodies why can’t we have laws to keep musicians from giving us filth for the mind

A

bad analogy

69
Q
  • using as evidence a well know saying as if it proving.has no exceptions ex. love america or leave it, anyone who disagrees with anything our country does must hate america so they should just move (karinacore)
A

cliche thinking

70
Q

sequence is not causation, assuming that because 2 things happened, the first caused the second

A

false cause

71
Q

a generalization based on too little/unrepresentative data ex. my uncle didn’t go to college and he makes a lot of money so people who don’t go to college make just as much as those who do go

A

hasty generalization

72
Q

a conclusion that does not follow from its premises, an invalid argument ex.hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religion and helps millions of people live happier more productive lives, therefore the principles of hinduism must be true

A

non sequitr

73
Q

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 it is unlikely that the conclusion is false
- ex. Premise: All the tigers I saw on my safari trip to South Africa were orange. Conclusion: Therefore, all tigers are orange.

A

inductive argument

english (6 decks)

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