AP Vocabulary 23-40

Question 1

asyndeton

Answer 1

derived from Greek word asyndeton which 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 literary tool helps in reducing the indirect meaning of the phrase and presents it in a concise form. Asyndeton helps in speeding up the rhythm of words. Mostly this technique is employed in speech but can be used in writing works to.

Question 2

polysyndeton

Answer 2

comes from a Greek word meaning “bound together.” It makes use of coordinating conjunctions like “and”, “or”, “but”, and “nor” (mostly “and” and “or”) which are used to join successive words, phrases, or clauses in such a way that these conjunctions are even used where they might not be omitted.

Question 3

synecdoche

Answer 3

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

Question 4

tone

Answer 4

an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. It is something important for the reader to “sense” to determine an argument. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject.

Question 5

process analysis

Answer 5

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

Question 6

syntax

Answer 6

in plain English, “syntax” refers to HOW we choose to arrange words

Question 7

provocative diction

Answer 7

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

Question 8

classification

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

understatement

Answer 9

For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter “I am delighted”, you are making an understatement. Similarly, suppose a team loses to its opponent 50 to 0 in a soccer match and the captain of the team says in a post-match ceremony says, “We did not do well”, it is an understatement because he it trying to decrease the intensity of the loss. It is the opposite of HYPERBOLE or OVERSTATEMENT.

Question 10

colorful diction

Answer 10

diction is your conscious choice of words as a writer. It stands to reason that “Colorful Diction” is a very purposeful word choice that will serve to accentuate meaning and tone.

Question 11

counterargument

Answer 11

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/her argument. It is part of refutation of someone else’s claim to support your own “side” of the argument that you are making.

Question 12

claim

Answer 12

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 point should be accepted as logical.

Question 13

evidence

Answer 13

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

Question 14

fallacy

Answer 14

erroneous argument dependent upon an unsound or illogical contention. there are many fallacy examples that we can find in everyday conversations

Question 15

logical fallacy

Answer 15

in argumentation, a formal fallacy (aka deductive fallacy) is a pattern of reasoning/thinking rendered invalid be a flaw in it’s logical structure that can neatly be expressed in a standard logic system, for example propositional logic. An argument that is formally fallacious is always considered wrong.

Question 16

prophecy

Answer 16

has all three 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.

Question 17

prediction

Answer 17

a forecast made by those who calculate the parameters of the subject involved after evaluating the odds they can predict the future. The weather forecast is a good example. A “prediction” is limited to a time element, unlike a prophecy.