Set 1

Question 0

Ad Hominem:

Answer 0

in an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent’s ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning “against the man. “

Question 1

Abstract:

Answer 1

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places). The observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.

Question 2

Allegory:

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Alliteration:

Answer 3

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another: Mickey Mouse; Donald Duck.

Question 4

Allusion:

Answer 4

a reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from literature, history, etc. Example: Eden

Question 5

Analogy:

Answer 5

Comparison of two similar but different things, usually to clarify an action or a relationship, such as comparing the work of a heart to that of a pump. An analogy is a comparison to a directly parallel case.

Question 6

Anaphora:

Answer 6

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent. (Example: “There was the delight I caught in seeing long straight rows. There was the faint, cool kiss of sensuality. There was the vague sense of the infinite…”)

Question 7

Anecdote:

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Annotation:

Answer 8

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Question 9

Antithesis:

Answer 9

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, ask what you can do for your country…”

Question 10

Aphorism:

Answer 10

a short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life. “Early bird gets the worm”

Question 11

Apostrophe:

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Argumentation:

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Assonance:

Answer 13

repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants, such as in neigh/fade

Question 14

Asyndeton:

Answer 14

Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. Asyndeton takes the form of X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y and Z

Question 15

Cacophony:

Answer 15

harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.

Question 16

Caricature:

Answer 16

descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality.

Question 17

Colloquialism:

Answer 17

a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing nut that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all , ain’t )