AP Lang Vocab Quiz Review

Question 1

Ad hominem

Answer 1

Latin for “to the man,” this fallacy refers to the specific diversionary tactic of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker.

Question 2

Ad populum (bandwagon appeal)

Answer 2

This fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to “everybody’s doing it, so it must be a good thing to do.”

Question 3

Appeal to False Authority

Answer 3

This fallacy occurs when someone who has no expertise to speak on an issue is cited as an authority.

Question 4

Argument

Answer 4

A process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion.

Question 5

Begging the Question

Answer 5

A fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt. It “begs” a question whether the support itself is sound.

Question 6

Circular Reasoning

Answer 6

A fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence.

Question 7

Claim

Answer 7

Also called an assertion or a proposition, a claim states the argument’s main idea or position. A claim differs from a topic or subject in that a claim has to be arguable.

Question 8

Claim of fact

Answer 8

A claim of fact asserts that something is true or not true.

Question 9

Claim of policy

Answer 9

A claim of policy proposes a change.

Question 10

Claim of value

Answer 10

A claim of value argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong.

Question 11

Classical Oration

Answer 11

Five-part argument structure used by classical rhetoricians.

Question 12

Introduction (exordium)

Answer 12

Introduces the reader to the subject under discussion.

Question 13

Narration (narratio)

Answer 13

Provides factual information and background material on the subject at hand or establishes why the subject is a problem that needs addressing.

Question 14

Confirmation (confirmatio)

Answer 14

Usually the major part of the text, the confirmation includes the proof needed to make the writer’s case.

Question 15

Refutation (refutatio)

Answer 15

Addresses the counterargument. It is a bridge between the writer’s proof and conclusion.

Question 16

Conclusion (peroratio)

Answer 16

Brings the essay to a satisfying close.

Question 17

Closed thesis

Answer 17

A closed thesis is a statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make.

Question 18

Deduction

Answer 18

Deduction is a logical process whereby one reaches a conclusion by starting with a general principle or universal truth (a major premise) and applying it to a specific case (minor premise).

Question 19

Either/or (false dilemma)

Answer 19

A fallacy in which the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices.

Question 20

Faulty Analogy

Answer 20

A fallacy that occurs when an analogy compares two things that are not comparable.

Question 21

First-hand evidence

Answer 21

Evidence based on something the writer knows, whether it’s from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of the event.

Question 22

Hasty Generalization

Answer 22

A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence.

Question 23

Induction

Answer 23

From the Latin inducere, “to lead into”; a logical process whereby the writer reasons from particulars to universals, using specific cases in order to draw a conclusion, which is also called a generalization.

Question 24

Logical Fallacy

Answer 24

Logical fallacies are potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument. They often arise from failure to make a logical connection between the claim and the evidence used to support it.

Question 25

Open Thesis

Answer 25

An open thesis is one that does not list all the points the writer intends to cover in an essay.

Question 26

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Answer 26

This fallacy is Latin for “after which therefore because of which,” meaning that it is incorrect to always claim that something is a cause just because it happened earlier. One may loosely summarize this fallacy by saying that correlation does not imply causation.

Question 27

Quantitative evidence

Answer 27

Includes things that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers.

Question 28

Rogerian Argument

Answer 28

Are based on the assumption that having a full understanding of an opposing position is essential to responding to is persuasively and refuting it in a way that is accommodating rather than alienating.

Question 29

Second-hand evidence

Answer 29

Evidence that is accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, experts opinion, and quantitative data.

Question 30

Straw Man

Answer 30

A fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea.

Question 31

Syllogism

Answer 31

A logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion.

Question 32

Toulmin Model

Answer 32

An approach to analyzing and constructing arguments. This model uses the following template: because(evidence as support)→ therefore(claim)→ since(warrant)→ on account of(backing)→ unless(reservation).

Question 33

Warrant

Answer 33

In the Toulmin model, the warrant expresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience.