Ap Language Notes 1-20

Question 1

a short, simple narrative of an incident, often used for humorous effect 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 writers intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning many be moral, religious, political, social or 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 headings

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 but 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 compositional techniques. This the CORE of AP Language Program

Answer 6

rhetoric

Question 7

a word of phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informational writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing. Ex: “y’all” “ain’t” “can’t” “somthin’”

Answer 7

colloquialism

Question 8

words suggesting implied meaning because of its association in the reader’s mind. opposite of denotation

Answer 8

connotation

Question 9

repetition of identical consonant sounds written two or more words in close proximity. Ex: boot/beat/best/brag or even compound words: 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 the 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 Richards 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 to a place, thing, or personified abstraction

Answer 13

apostrophe

Question 14

also referred to as DISSONANCE.. hard, awkward, or distant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose. opposite of EUPHONY

Answer 14

cacophony

Question 15

• how a word makes you feel when you read it in literature, the emotions behind it and why it was used there
• the dictionary definition for a word and what exactly it means

Answer 15

• connotation

- denotation

Question 16

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

Answer 16

enumeration

Question 17

a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another that is quite different from it. it aims at explaining that area of thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Ex: “structure of an atom is like a solar system. Nucleus is the sun and the electrons are the planets revolving around the sun”

Answer 17

analogy

Question 18

the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, and meaning or meter. examples are found in literary works as well as ordinary conversations

Answer 18

parallelism

Question 19

a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significants. 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 to have enough knowledge to spot it and grasp its importance

Answer 19

allusion

Question 20

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 this in both literature and everyday life. do not confuse this with a metaphor as it does not create a comparison.
Ex: “ I’m might glad Georgia waited til after Christmas before it secedes because it would have ruined the Christmas parties.”

Answer 20

metonymy