AP Lang. Vocab 1-20

Question 1

A short, simple narrative of an incident, often used for humorous effect or to make a point.

Answer 1

Anecdote

Question 2

Writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting “reasoned” arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation and is the focus of the AP Language and composition program.

Answer 2

Argumentation

Question 3

An extended narrative of an incident in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, social, of satiric.

Answer 3

Allegory

Question 4

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographic data. In AP Language you will need to demonstrate DETAILED Annotation on most of your feelings.

Answer 4

Annotation

Question 5

The presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. “To be or not to be…”, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Answer 5

Antithesis

Question 6

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other composition techniques. This is the CORE of the AP Language program.

Answer 6

Rhetoric

Question 7

A word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t, can’t, somethin’).

Answer 7

Colloquialism

Question 8

Words suggesting implied meaning because of it’s association in a readers’ mind. This is the opposite of denotation.

Answer 8

Connotation

Question 9

Repetition of the identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity: fulfill, ping-pong

Answer 9

Consonance

Question 10

Descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality

Answer 10

Caricature

Question 11

The “quality” of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea/theme or organizing principle

Answer 11

Coherence

Question 12

A short, often witty, statement of a principle or truth about life. Benjamin Franklin was somewhat famous for these in Poor Richard’s Almanac, e.g. “The early bird gets the worm.”

Answer 12

Aphorism

Question 13

Usually in poetry, but sometimes in prose: the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction

Answer 13

Apostrophe

Question 14

Hard, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of Euphony (also referred to as dissonance)

Answer 14

Cacophony

Question 15

The emotional definition given to a word; sometimes different from it’s denotation

Answer 15

Connotation

Question 16

The dictionary definition given to a word

Answer 16

Denotation

Question 17

A rhetorical device used for listing the details or a process of mentioning words or phrases step by step. In fact, it is a type of amplification of division in which a subject is further distributed into components or parts. Writers use this to clarify and detail understanding.

Answer 17

Enumeration

Question 18

A comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it . It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing to something that is familiar.
ex. “Structure of an atom is like a solar system. Nucleus is the sun and electrons are the plantets revolving around the sun.

Answer 18

Analogy

Question 19

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversation.
ex. “Like father, like son”
“The escaped prisoner was wanted dead or alive”
“Easy come, easy go”

Answer 19

Parallelism

Question 20

A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader and the writer expects the reader to posses enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.

Answer 20

Allusion

Question 21

It is a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated. We can come across examples of metonymy both from literature and in everyday life. Do not confuse this with a metaphor as a metonymy is not creating a comparison.
ex. “I’m almighty glad Georgia waited till after Christmas before it secedes, or it would have ruined the Christmas parties.”

Answer 21

Metonymy

Question 22

In writing or speech the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is known as anaphora.
ex. “This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…”

Answer 22

Anaphora

Question 23

Derived from Greek word that means turning upon, which indicates the same word returns at the end of each sentence. It’s a stylistic device that can be defined as the repetition of phrases or words at the end of the clauses or sentences. It is also called epiphora. Examples are frequently found in literary pieces, in persuasive writing and speeches. The opposite of epistrophe is???

Answer 23

Epistrophe

Question 24

Derived from a Greek word that means unconnected. It is a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and in the sentence, yet maintain the grammatical accuracy. This literacy tool helps in reducing the indirect meaning of the phrase and presents in a concise form. It helps in speeding up the rhythm of words. Mostly this technique is employed in speech but can be used in written works too.
“This is the villain among you who deceived you, who cheated you, who meant to betray you completely…”

Answer 24

Asyndeton

Question 25

Derived from a Greek word meaning “bound together.” It makes use of coordinating conjunctions like

Answer 25

Polysyndeton

Question 26

A literary device in which a part of something represents the whole or it may use a whole to represent a part. Distinguishing between this and metonymy often take some thoughtful consideration.

Answer 26

Synecdoche

Question 27

In written composition is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. It is important for the render to “sense” to determine and argument.

Answer 27

Tone

Question 28

A step-by-step breakdown of the phrases of a process, used to convey the details of each phrase of thinking, an operation, etc. It is often used to improve understanding and also to break down and argument to make it more comprehensible.

Answer 28

Process Analysis

Question 29

A set of rules in a language. It indicates how words from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a complete thought. In plain English, “Syntax” refers to how we choose to arrange our words. The choice of those specific words is called diction. Thus, the two are closely related in creating an argument.

Answer 29

Syntax

Question 30

“Diction” is our choice of words. Thus, “Provocative Diction” is the purposeful choice of words serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate a provocative question that will frame a rhetorical argument.

Answer 30

Provocative Diction

Question 31

The action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities or characteristics. This often is a strategy of argumentation or an argumentative response in an effort to provide the reader with structure to YOUR argument. It would be considered a support to both Logos and Ethos in presenting an argument.

Answer 31

Understatement

Question 32

An argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory developed in another argument. When writing in the argumentative mode, it is MANDATORY that the writer acknowledge the “other” side to his or her argument. It is part of the refutation of someone else’s claim to support your own “side” of the argument that you are making.

Answer 32

Counterargument

Question 33

If somebody gives an argument to support his/her position, it is called making a claim. Different reasons are usually presented to prove why a certain ppoint should be accepted as logical. A general model is given below to explain the steps following in making a claim.

Answer 33

Claim

Question 34

A type of literary device that appears in different categories of essays and these in the from of paraphrase and quotations. It is presented to persuade the readers and used with powerful arguments in the texts and essays. In rhetoric when a person makes a claim or presents an argument, he needs to present evidence in support of his claim and argument in order to establish the veracity and authenticity of his claim or argument.

Answer 34

Evidence

Question 35

The glue that holds an argument together. It links the evidence to the claim. It says something like, “This evidence supports the claim because…” and it is always in a similar form that is more of a statement of support of “WHY” your evidence supports your assertion/claim.

Answer 35

Warrant

Question 36

It’s is a pattern of reasoning/thinking rendered invalid by a flaw in its logical structure that can neatly be expressed in a standard logic. An argument that is formally fallacious is always considered wrong.

Answer 36

Logical Fallacy

Question 37

Many believe that a prediction and a prophecy are the same, but they are mistaken. It is true that both “forecast” the future, but there is a significant difference. A prophecy has all the elements of a prediction except the element of time. Without the element of time, a prophecy is hard to determine. A “prophecy” has more of a religious connotation since there is an element of uncertainty about time.

Answer 37

Prophecy

Question 38

A short, pointed and memorable saying based on facts, and is considered a veritable truth by the majority of people. Famous adages become popular due to their usage over a long period of time. In fact, and adage expresses a general fact or truth about life. As it b comes popular, it is then accepted as a universal truth.
Ex. “God helps those who helps themselves.”

Answer 38

Adage

Question 39

It comes from a french word, pedant, means “to teach or to act as pedagogue.” A pedantic is someone who is concerned with precision, formalism, accuracy, minute details in order to make an arrogant and ostentatious show of learning.
Ex. He could be a writer, a character, feelings, tone or words. “often corrects small mistakes that are not very important…”

Answer 39

Pedantic

Question 40

Lacking proper respect or seriousness. This is often associated wit the impatience of youth.
Ex. cute, smart-alack, flip, facetious, wise

Answer 40

Flippant

Question 41

The use of language that “suggests” meanings other than the denotative. Language that connects with emotions or feelings not associated with the actual meaning of a word.

Answer 41

Evocative

Question 42

Also called anastrophe, in literary style and rhetoric, the syntactic reversal of the normal order of the words and phrases in a sentence, as, in English, the pacing of an adjective after the noun it modifies (“the form divine”), a verb before its subject (“came the dawn”)

Answer 42

Syntactical Inversion

Question 43

Is a grammatical construction in which to elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to identify the other in a different way.

Answer 43

Apposition

Question 44

The word is frequently used for those literary texts which are overloaded with informative or realistic matter and are marked b the omission of graceful and pleasing details. Therefore, it becomes a derogatory term referring to the forms of literature that are ostentatiously dull and erudite. However, some literary texts are entertaining as well as didactic.

Answer 44

Didactic

Question 45

A figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors. Thus, it can have a surprising or shocking effect on the readers because they are novel comparisons unlike the conventional comparisons made in similes and metaphors.

Answer 45

Conceit

Question 46

Has the main clause or predicate at the end. this is used for emphasis and can be persuasive by putting reasons for something at the beginning before the final point is made. it can also create suspense or interests for the reader.
Ex. “In spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued.” “Because of adding a pool, spa and restaurant, the hotel is experiencing an increase in guests.”

Answer 46

Periodic Sentence

Question 47

It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. It is often used to make a reader think over an idea in an innovative way.
Ex. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal.” “I must be cruel to be…”

Answer 47

Paradox

Question 48

A figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.

Answer 48

Irony

Question 49

A stylistic device that comes from a Greek word, meaning to place or alongside. It’s a qualifying or explanatory sentence, cause or word that writers insert into a paragraph or passage. However, if they leave it out, even then grammatically it does not affect the text that is correct without it.

Answer 49

Parenthesis

Question 50

Grimly mocking, sarcastic, satirical, mocking in a humorous manner. This one of those “TONE” words that describe writing that fits the meaning.

Answer 50

Sardonic