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AP Language & Composition > Glossary #4 > Flashcards

Glossary #4 Flashcards

1
Q

The art of effective communication.

A

Rhetoric

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2
Q

The relationships in a piece of writing or a speech among the speaker/writer, the event(s) or experiences that inspired the subject (exigence), the audience, the message, the author’s purpose, and the appeals, tools, and techniques used to achieve that purpose. Context (history, environment, background information, culture) surrounds and influences every part of the triangle.

A

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

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3
Q

Definition - Question not asked for information but for effect.

A

Rhetorical Question

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4
Q

Example - “The angry parent asked the child, ‘Are you finished interrupting me?’”

A

Rhetorical Question

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5
Q

Impact - Encourages the audience to think more deeply about a topic by posing a question

A

Rhetorical Question

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6
Q

Definition - Art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature. Does not rely on traditional themes and structures

A

Romanticism

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7
Q

Example - “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

A

Romanticism

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8
Q

Definition - A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded.

A

Sarcasm

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9
Q

Example - “Oh, I just LOVE Mondays!”

A

Sarcasm

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10
Q

Impact - Creates humor using a sense of bitterness

A

Sarcasm

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11
Q

Definition - A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect. It targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions. (three layers: serious - humor - serious)

A

Satire

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12
Q

Example - Saturday Night Live (political ____)

A

Satire

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13
Q

Impact - Uses humor to mock aspects of society perhaps to provoke thought or inspire change

A

Satire

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14
Q

Definition - A group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.

A

Sentence

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15
Q

Definition - A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning.

A

Appositive

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16
Q

Example - “Bob, the lumber yard worker, spoke with Judy, an accountant from the city.”

A

Appositive

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17
Q

Impact - Provides additional information or clarification about a noun, enriching the meaning and adding detail without disrupting the flow of the sentence.

A

Appositive

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18
Q

Definition - A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

A

Clause

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19
Q

Definition - A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale. Both parts are parallel grammatically.

A

Balanced sentence

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20
Q

Example - “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

A

Balanced sentence

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21
Q

Impact - It creates symmetry and highlights contrast or comparison between two ideas in a simple way

A

Balanced sentence

22
Q

Definition - Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses.

A

Compound sentence

23
Q

Example - “I wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining.”

A

Compound sentence

24
Q

Definition - Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

A

Complex sentence

25
Q

Example - “Although it was raining, I decided to go for a walk.”

A

Complex sentence

26
Q

Definition - When the writer begins with an independent clause, and then adds subordinate elements.

A

Cumulative sentence

27
Q

Example - “He doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience, his confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration.”

A

Cumulative sentence

28
Q

Definition - When the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence. The writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause.

A

Periodic sentence

29
Q

Example - “His confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration, he doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience.”

A

Periodic sentence

30
Q

Definition - Contains only one independent clause.

A

Simple sentence

31
Q

Example - “She reads books.”

A

Simple sentence

32
Q

Definition - States an idea. It does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question.

A

Declarative sentence

33
Q

Example - “The ball is round.”

A

Declarative sentence

34
Q

Definition - Issues a command.

A

Imperative sentence

35
Q

Example - “Kick the ball.”

A

Imperative sentence

36
Q

Definition - Sentences incorporating interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, and whose).

A

Interrogative sentence

37
Q

Example - “To whom did you kick the ball?”

A

Interrogative sentence

38
Q

Definition - The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes. Style may be conscious or unconscious.

A

Style

39
Q

Definition - Anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually, a ______ is something concrete such as an object, action, or character…that represents something more abstract.

A

Symbol

40
Q

Example - The Raven in “The Raven.”

A

Symbol

41
Q

Impact - Uses representation to create layers of meaning

A

Symbol

42
Q

Definition - Grammatical arrangement of words.

A

Syntax/sentence variety

43
Q

Definition - The central idea or message of a work. The _____ may be directly stated in nonfiction works, although not necessarily. It is rarely stated directly in fiction.

A

Theme

44
Q

Example - The power of friendship.

A

Theme

45
Q

Definition - The sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition. It should be short and clear.

A

Thesis

46
Q

Example - “Cats are better pets than dogs.”

A

Thesis

47
Q

Definition - A writer’s attitude toward his subject matter is revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization. To identify ____, consider how the piece would sound if read aloud (or how the author wanted it to sound aloud).

A

Tone

48
Q

Example - can be: playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, somber, etc.

A

Tone

49
Q

Impact - Establishes the writer’s attitude toward the subject, which can affect the audience’s perceptiveness

A

Tone

50
Q

Definition - The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is.

A

Understatement

51
Q

Example - “Our defense played valiantly, and held the other team to merely eight touchdowns in the first quarter.”

A

Understatement

53
Q

Impact - Downplays to create irony or emphasize significance through contrast

A

Understatement

AP Language & Composition (4 decks)

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