AP Vocabulary 1-20

Question 1

Anecdote

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Argumentation

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Allegory

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Annotation

Answer 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 readings.

Question 5

Antithesis

Answer 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.”

Question 6

Rhetoric

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Colloquialism

Answer 7

A word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing.

Question 8

Connotation

Answer 8

Words suggesting an implied meaning because of its association in a readers mind. This is opposite of “denotation”

Question 9

Caricature

Answer 9

Descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a persons apperance or a facet of a personallity.

Question 10

Consonance

Answer 10

Repetition of identical consonant sounds withing two or more words in close proximity:boot/beat/best/brag or even compound words fulfill,ping-pong.

Question 11

Coherence

Answer 11

the qulity of a piece of writing in which all parts contribute to the development of the central idea/ theme or organizing pricipale.

Question 12

Aphorism

Answer 12

A short often witty statement of a principle or truth about life. Benjamin Franklin was famous for “The early bird gets the worm”

Question 13

Apostrophe

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Cacophony

Answer 14

Also referred to as dissonance…hard,akward,or dissmant sounds used deliberatley in poetry or prose; the oppisite of Euphony.

Question 15

Connotation

Answer 15

Words suggesting an implied meaning because of its association in a readers mind. This is opposite of “denotation”

Question 16

Enumeration

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Analogy

Answer 17

An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite diffrent from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Only read the information below to help understand.

Question 18

Parallelism

Answer 18

Is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same, or similiar in thier construction,sound,meaning or meter. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversation.

Question 19

Allusion

Answer 19

Is a brief and indirect refrence to a person,place,thing, or idea of historical,cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person, place, or thing it refers to. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enougbh knowladge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.

Question 20

Metonymy

Answer 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 everyday both from literature and in everyday life. Not to be confused with a metephore since ir does not compare things.