AP glossary Flashcards
1
Q
Active voice
A
The subject of the sentence performs the action. This is a more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases.
2
Q
Example:
Active voice
A
“Anthony drove while Toni searched for the house.”
3
Q
Effect on the text:
Active voice
A
Using active voice will result in shorter, sharper sentences that are easier for the reader to follow.
4
Q
Passive voice
A
When the subject of the sentence receives the action.
5
Q
Example:
Passive voice
A
“The car was driven by Anthony.”
6
Q
Effect on the text:
Passive voice
A
This tends to make your writing wordier and harder to follow.
7
Q
Allusion
A
An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things
commonly known) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar.
8
Q
Example:
(Allusion
A
You’re acting like such a Scrooge! Alluding to Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this line means that the person is being miserly and selfish, just like the character Scrooge from the story.
9
Q
Effect on the text:
Allusion
A
Allusions can give a deeper meaning to a story by referring to another piece of work that most are familiar with.
10
Q
Alter-ego
A
A character that is used by the author to speak the author’s own thoughts; when an author
speaks directly to the audience through a character.
11
Q
Example:
Alter-ego
A
In Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest, Shakespeare
talks to his audience about his own upcoming retirement, through the main character in the play, Prospero.
12
Q
Effect on the text:
Alter-ego
A
it allows a person (not specifically only authors) to escape from reality. Another purpose of the alter ego is to allow a person to find them self as defined by their own terms, definitions, characteristics, and stereotypical thoughts.
13
Q
Anecdote
A
A brief recounting of a relevant episode.Anecdotes are often inserted into fictional or non
fictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.
14
Q
Example:
Anecdote
A
For example, if a group of coworkers are discussing pets, and one coworker tells a story about how her cat comes downstairs at only a certain time of the night, then that one coworker has just told an anecdote.
15
Q
Effect on the text:
Anecdote
A
Their effect is often to create an emotional or sympathetic response. An anecdote is usually used to help support a persuasive argument that the writer is putting forward.
16
Q
Antecedent
A
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
17
Q
Example:
Antecedent
A
John” in the sentence: “John loves his dog.” Going or coming before in time, order, or logic; prior; previous; preceding.
18
Q
Classicism
A
Art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional
themes and structures
19
Q
Example:
Classicism
A
any architecture, painting or sculpture produced during the Middle Ages or later, which was inspired by the art of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome, is an example of classicism
20
Q
Effect on the text:
Classicism
A
Classicism often arises out of a more primitive art form, and likewise gives rise to a more ornate, complex style.
21
Q
Comic relief
A
When a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood
somewhat.
22
Q
Example:
Comic relief
A
when a character slips on a banana peel: nobody onscreen is laughing, but the audience still finds it funny.
23
Q
Effect on the text:
Comic relief
A
lightening the mood through comic elements to give the audience a quick break.
24
Q
Diction
A
Word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types of words have significant effects
on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise
than street slang. You should be able to describe an author’s diction. You SHOULD NOT write in your
thesis, “The author uses diction…”. This is essentially saying, “The author uses words to write.” (Duh.)
Instead, describe the type of diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain).
25
Example:
| Diction
His diction is pure, his style correct, his versification smooth though monotonous. His speech and diction were plain, terse, forcible.
26
Effect on the text:
| Diction
It allows you to use the right words at the right time and avoid using the wrong wording.
27
Colloquial
Ordinary or familiar type of conversation.
28
Example:
| Colloquial
An example of colloquial is casual conversation where some slang terms are used and where no attempt is made at being formal.
29
Effect on the text:
| Colloquial
colloquial language can be useful in creating a bond between reader and writer that makes it easier for the reader to agree with the writer's point of view.
30
Connotation
Implied meaning rather than literal meaning. (For example, “policeman,” “cop,” and “The
Man” all denote the same literal meaning of police officer, but each has a different connotation.)
31
Example:
| Connotation
Blue is a color, but it is also a word used to describe a feeling of sadness, as in: “She's feeling blue.” Connotations can be either positive, negative, or neutral.
32
Effect on the text:
| Connotation
Positive (favorable) connotation—Words that make people feel good. Negative (unfavorable) connotation—Words that provoke a negative emotional response. Neutral connotation—Words that cause no emotional reaction at all.
33
Denotation
The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.
34
Example:
| Denotation
To give an example, the denotation for “blue” is the color blue. For example: The girl was blue. You mean the girl was quite literally the color blue.
35
Effect on the text:
| Denotation
To understand a word, phrase, or sentence in its literal form, without other implied, associated, or suggested meanings.
36
Jargon
The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity. Lawyers
speak using particular jargon, as do soccer players.
37
Example:
| Jargon
A business term, "due diligence" refers to the research that should be done before making an important business decision. AWOL: Short for "absent without leave," AWOL is military jargon used to describe a person whose whereabouts are unknown.
38
Effect on the text:
| Jargon
Jargon condenses meaning and allows us to share information effectively…it is deeply meaningful to the people who use it.
39
Vernacular
- 1. Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional
clan or group. 3. Plain everyday speech
40
Example:
| Vernacular
An example of vernacular is English in the US. Another example of vernacular is medical terms used by doctors.
41
Effect on the text:
| Vernacular
The use of vernacular honors diverse cultures and helps you understand them.
42
Didactic
A term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or
provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.
43
Example:
| Didactic
An example of didactic writing is Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1711), which offers a range of advice about critics and criticism.
44
Effect on the text:
| Didactic
It's primary purpose is to teach a lesson (moral, political, religious, etc) to the reader.
45
Adage
A folk saying with a lesson.
46
Example:
| Adage
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
47
Effects on the text:
| Adage
It expresses a general fact or truth about life, which becomes more and more popular before it is accepted as a universal truth.
48
Allegory
A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent
qualities or concepts. The interaction of these characters, things, and events is meant to reveal an
abstraction or a truth.
49
Example:
| Allegory
George Orwell, Animal Farm. Animal Farm is a great example of allegory. In this farm fable, animals run a society that divides into factions and mirrors the rise of Leon Trotsky and the Russian Revolution
50
Effect on the text:
| Allegory
Allegory allows writers to create some distance between themselves and the issues they are discussing, especially when those issues are strong critiques of political or societal realities.
51
Aphorism
A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. An aphorism
can be a memorable summation of the author's point.
52
Example:
| Aphorism
“A bad penny always turns up” is an aphorism for the fact that bad people or things are bound to turn up in life
53
Effect on the text:
| Aphorism
Writers and speakers can teach universal truths to audiences, allowing them to relate to the world around them and the words of the writer.
54
Ellipsis
The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.
55
Example:
| Ellipsis
In the baseball game, our team scored four homeruns, the other team, only two… In this example, the words “homeruns” is left out of the second part of the sentence.
56
Effect on the text:
| Ellipsis
They can be used to signify that part of a sentence is missing. It is mainly useful in dialogue.
57
Euphemism
A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.
Sometimes they are used for political correctness. Sometimes a euphemism is used to exaggerate correctness to add humor.
58
Example:
| Euphemism
Someone might say they're “taking an early retirement” instead of admitting they got fired.
59
Effect on the text:
| Euphemism
It is to disguise semantics and avoid saying what is meant.
60
Figurative Language
writing that is not meant to be taken literally.
61
Example:
| Figurative Language
- "America is a melting pot."
| - "He has a heart of stone."
62
Effect on the text:
| Figurative Language
Figurative language can transform ordinary descriptions into evocative events, enhance the emotional significance of passages, and turn prose into a form of poetry.
63
Literal Language
Writing that makes complete sense when you take it at face value.
64
Example:
| Literal Language
“I am very hungry” and “I slept really well last night.”
65
Effect on the text:
| Literal Language
Literal language is precise, and expresses exactly what the author or speaker means.
66
Analogy
An analogy is a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables.
67
Example:
| Analogy
For example, “Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you're gonna get.”
68
Effect on the text:
| Analogy
Analogies help persuade, making it easier for clients to make decisions.
69
Hyperbole
Exaggeration.
70
Example:
| Hyperbole
“My mother will kill me if I am late.”
71
Effect on the text:
| Hyperbole
it's to emphasize the magnitude of something through exaggerated comparison.
72
Idiom
A common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally.
73
Example:
| Idiom
“I got chewed out by my coach.”
74
Effect on the text:
| Idiom
Idioms can amplify messages in a way that draws readers in and helps to awaken their senses.
75
Metaphor
Making an implied comparison, not using “like,” as,” or other such words.
76
Example:
| Metaphor
“My feet are popsicles.”
77
Effects on the text:
| Metaphor
It allows writers to convey vivid imagery that transcends literal meanings, creates images that are easier to understand and respond to than literal language.
78
Extended metaphor
It's when the metaphor is continued later in the written
work. If I continued to call my feet “my popsicles” in later paragraphs, that would be an extended
metaphor. A particularly elaborate extended metaphor is called using conceit.
79
Example:
| Extended metaphor
Emily Dickinson, 'Hope' is the thing with feathers: Dickinson uses extended metaphor to great effect in her poem “'Hope' is the thing with feathers—”. She compares the feeling of hope to a little bird.
80
Effects on the text:
| Extended metaphor
They highlight a comparison in a more intense way than simple metaphors or similes.
81
Metonymy
Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept.
82
Examples:
| Metonymy
A famous example is, "The pen is mightier than the sword," from Edward Bulwer Lytton's play Richelieu.
83
Effect on the text:
| Metonymy
Metonymy has the effect of creating concrete and vivid images in place of generalities.
84
Synecdoche
A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its
parts, or vice versa.
85
Examples:
| Synecdoche
For example, "The captain commands one hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails" to refer to ships—ships being the thing of which a sail is a part.
86
Effect on the text:
| Synecdoche
It can reinforce a deeper meaning or compel the reader to reflect on a larger viewpoint than the specific statement.
87
Simile
Using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very
different things.
88
Example:
| Simile
“My feet are so cold they feel like popsicles.”
89
Effect on the text:
| Simile
A simile can create a vivid image in the reader's mind, helping to engage and absorb them.
90
Synesthesia
A description involving a “crossing of the senses.”
91
Examples:
| Synesthesia
“A purplish scent
| filled the room.”
92
Effect on the text:
| Synesthesia
Synesthesia allows authors to deliver another level of description in literature. It challenges readers to think out of the box and reinterpret their senses as they know them.
93
Personification
Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human.
94
Example:
| Personification
“The tired old truck
| groaned as it inched up the hill.”
95
Effect on the text:
| Personification
Personification connects readers with the object that is personified.
96
Foreshadowing
When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.
97
Example:
| Foreshadowing
Examples of Foreshadowing: A pipe is going to burst, but before it does, the author writes a scene where the family notices a small dark spot on the ceiling, but ignores it.
98
Effects on the text:
| Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing can make extraordinary, even fanciful events seem more believable; if the text foreshadows something, the reader feels prepared for the events when they happen.
99
Genre
The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose,
poetry, and drama. However, genres can be subdivided as well (poetry can be classified into lyric, dramatic,
narrative, etc.).
100
Example:
| Genre
Autobiography,
| biography, diaries, criticism, essays, and journalistic, political, scientific, and nature writing.
101
Effect on the text:
| Genre
The purpose of the genre label for readers is that it “sets a certain horizon of expectations and offers a key to understanding the text."
102
Gothic
Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death. Also refers to an architectural style
of the middle ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period.
103
Example:
| Gothic
Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
104
Effects on the text:
| Gothic
Gothic lit often elicits intense, suspenseful feelings of fear, shock, dread, or disgust in the reader.
105
Imagery
Word or words that create a picture in the reader's mind. Usually this involves the five senses.
Authors often use imagery in conjunction with metaphors, similes, or figures of speech.
106
Example:
| Imagery
Taste
| Sound
107
Effect on the text:
| Imagery
Imagery can make something abstract, like an emotion or theory, seem more concrete and tangible to the reader. By using imagery, writers can evoke the feeling they want to talk about in their readers.
108
Invective
A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.
109
Example:
| Invective
“A knave, a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave
110
Effect on the text:
| Invective
The use of invective from characters can also change the readers' perception of that character, often making them seen either more human because they have strong emotions or, sometimes, more dislikable.
111
Irony
When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
112
Example:
| Irony
A pilot has a fear of heights.
113
Effect on the text:
| Irony
It means to keep readers' interest on the story by creating a contrast between the character's present situation and the action that will unfold.
114
Verbal irony
When you say something and mean the opposite/something different. For example,
if your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it a "walk in the
park" it would be verbal irony. If your voice tone is bitter, it's called sarcasm.
115
Examples:
| Verbal irony
For example, a character stepping out into a hurricane and saying, “What nice weather we're having!”
116
Effects on the text:
| Verbal irony
It can help the reader gain insight into each character's personality.
117
Dramatic irony
When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the
character doesn't and would be surprised to find out.
118
Examples:
| Dramatic irony
For example, in many horror movies, we (the
| audience) know who the killer is, which the victim-to-be has no idea who is doing the slaying.
119
Effects on the text:
| Dramatic irony
It puts the audience and readers above the characters, and also encourages them to anticipate, hope, and fear the moment when a character would learn the truth behind events and situations of the story.
120
Situational irony
Found in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie. Sometimes it
makes you laugh because it's funny how things turn out.
121
Example:
| Situational irony
For example, Johnny spent two hours
planning on sneaking into the movie theater and missed the movie. When he finally did manage to
sneak inside he found out that kids were admitted free that day
122
Effects on the text:
| Situational irony
Situational irony can make a plot twist more interesting, draw attention to a reader's unwarranted biases, or show how a character handles an unexpected situation.
123
Juxtaposition
Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. Authors often use juxtaposition
of ideas or examples in order to make a point.
124
Example:
| Juxtaposition
For example, an author my juxtapose the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world in order to make a point of social commentary.
125
Effects on the text:
| Juxtaposition
They invite the reader to compare, contrast, and consider the relationship between those elements more closely.
126
Mood
The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction).
127
Example:
| Mood
Cheerful, Reflective,Gloomy, Humorous
128
Effect on the text:
| Mood
It evokes various emotional responses in readers and thus ensures their emotional attachment to the literary piece they read.
129
Motif
a recurring idea in a piece of literature.
130
Example:
| Motif
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea that “you never really
understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view” is a motif, because the
idea is brought up several times over the course of the novel.
131
Effects on the text:
| Motif
A motif may be used to establish mood and atmosphere, or to reinforce/further explore the overriding themes of a story.
132
Oxymoron
When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox.
133
Example:
| Oxymoron
“wise fool,” “eloquent silence,” “jumbo shrimp.”
134
Effect on the text:
| Oxymoron
An Oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader.
135
Pacing
The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.
136
Example:
| Pacing
In The Most Dangerous Game, the plot sequence moves forward quickly once Rainsford realizes that the general wishes to hunt him.The reader is hurled into the game of human cat and mouse and the pace of the hunt is quick, adding to the suspense of the story.
137
Effects on the text:
| Pacing
Pacing affects the mood of your story, helps develop ideas and themes, and allows your readers to connect to the characters and the events that surround them.
138
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.
139
Example:
| Paradox
“You can't get a job without
| experience, and you can't get experience without getting a job.”
140
Effects on the text:
| Paradox
A paradox allows readers to understand concepts in a different and even non-traditional way.
141
Parallelism
Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.
Parallelism is used to add emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing.
142
Examples:
| Parallelism
“Cinderella swept the
| floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rugs.”
143
Effects on the text:
| Parallelism
Parallelism is considered a great persuasive tool. Its repetitive quality makes the sentence or sentences symmetrical and therefore very memorable for the reader.
144
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or
clauses in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more
coherent.
145
Example:
| Anaphora
“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
146
Effect on the text:
| Anaphora
It adds rhythm to a word as well as making it more pleasurable to read and easier to remember.
147
Chiasmus
When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.
148
Example:
| Chiasmus
“Fair is foul and foul is fair.” “When the going gets tough, the tough get
going.”
149
Effects on the text:
| Chiasmus
It creates a highly symmetrical structure, and gives the impression of completeness.
150
Antithesis
Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel
structure.
151
Example:
| Antithesis
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
152
Effect on the text:
| Antithesis
Antithesis highlights the stark difference between opposing ideas by placing them side-by-side in exactly the same structure.
153
Zeugma (Syllepsis)
When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the
meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.
154
Example:
| Zeugma (Syllepsis)
“The butler killed the lights, and then the mistress.”
155
Effects on the text:
| Zeugma (Syllepsis)
Zeugmas will either confuse the reader or inspire them to think more deeply.
156
Parenthetical Idea
Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence.
157
Example:
| Parenthetical Idea
“In a short time (and the time is getting shorter by the
| gallon) America will be out of oil.”
158
Effect on the text
| Parenthetical Idea
The writer may choose to put additional information within parentheses or to set off the text using dashes or commas.
159
Parody
An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases
from an original, and pokes fun at it.
160
Example:
| Parody
Saturday Night Live does parodies famous persons and events.
161
Effects on the text:
| Parody
It makes satire more pointed and effective. Most importantly, a parody appeals to the reader's sense of humor.
162
Persona
The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story..
163
Example:
| Persona
For example, a child going to a new school for the first time wants others to think that he is popular, cool, and unafraid. He dresses in fashionable clothing, and he walks in with confidence and says hello to everyone. He is presenting a brave persona of a likable and popular kid.
164
Effect on the text:
| Persona
Authors use persona to express ideas, beliefs, and voices they are not able to express freely, due to some restrictions, or because they cannot put into words otherwise.
165
Poetic device
A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.
166
Example:
| Poetic device
Alliteration.
| Assonance.
167
Effects on the text:
| Poetic device
Poetic devices may enhance the timing and rhythm of the poem, the meaning of the words or the emotions felt by those reading it.
168
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
169
Example:
| Alliteration
“Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore”
170
Effect on the text:
| Alliteration
Alliteration focuses readers' attention on a particular section of text.
171
Assonance
The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.
172
Example:
| Assonance
“From the molten-golden notes”
173
Effect on the text:
| Assonance
It develops the internal rhyme that enhances the pleasure of reading. It creates a mood as well as a flow that allows the readers to connect with the subject matter.
174
Consonance
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words.
175
Example:
| Consonance
“Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door"
176
Effect on the text:
| Consonance
The use of consonance provides the structure of poetry with a rhyming effect.
177
Onomatopoeia
The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes.
178
Example:
| Onomatopoeia
Snap, rustle, boom, murmur
179
Effect the text:
| Onomatopoeia
It can add excitement, action, and interest by allowing the reader to hear and remember your writing.
180
Internal rhyme
When a line of poetry contains a rhyme within a single line.
181
Example:
| Internal rhyme
“To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!”
182
Effect on the text:
| Internal rhyme
The sound repetition due to internal rhyme makes a poem or story unified. It is employed to heighten the poem's effect,s and this internal rhyme can take place in the same line or two separate alternating lines.
183
Slant rhyme
When a poet creates a rhyme, but the two words do not rhyme exactly – they are merely similar.
184
Example:
| Slant rhyme
“I sat upon a stone, / And found my life has gone.”
185
Effect on the text:
| Slant rhyme
Using a slant rhyme instead catches the reader by surprise and subverts their expectations, delivering a satisfyingly unexpected twist. Slant rhymes allow for more creative word choice.
186
End rhyme
When the last word of two different lines of poetry rhyme.
187
Example:
| End rhyme
“Roses are red, violets are blue, / Sugar is sweet, and so are you.”
188
Effect on the text:
| End rhyme
End rhymes make it easy for readers to remember and recite poetry. This type of rhyme also gives poetry a musical quality that helps readers read the poem as it's meant to be heard.
189
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of a poem’s end rhymes.
190
Example:
| Rhyme Scheme
For example, the following lines have a
rhyme scheme of a b a b c d c d:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? a
Thou art more lovely and more temperate. b
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May. a
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. b
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines c
And often is his gold complexion dimmed d
And every fair from fair sometime declines c
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed d
191
Effect on the text:
| Rhyme Scheme
It helps establish the form.
192
Stressed and unstressed syllables
In every word of more than one syllable, one of the syllables is stressed, or said with more force
than the other syllable(s).
193
Example:
| Stressed and unstressed syllables
In the word
| “unhappiness,” the second of the four syllables is stressed.
194
Effect on the text:
| Stressed and unstressed syllables
It helps you determine what letters are emphasized in a word and what is not.
195
Meter
A regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poetry.
196
Example:
| Meter
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary"
197
Effects on the text:
| Meter
It helps readers understand rhythm as it relates to words and lines in a poem. It also helps writers create poetry with clearly defined structural elements and strong melodic undertones.
198
Free verse
Poetry that doesn’t have much meter or rhyme.
199
Example:
| Free verse
"so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens"
200
Effect on the text:
| Free verse
Free verse gives a greater freedom for choosing words, and conveying their meanings to the audience.
201
Iambic pentameter
Poetry that is written in lines of 10 syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.
202
Example:
| Iambic pentameter
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
203
Effect on the text:
| Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter may be used to make the poem sound monotonous like its subject.
204
Sonnet
A 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter. Usually divided into three quatrains and a couplet.
205
Example:
| Sonnet
“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in / my heart)” —e.e. cummings.
206
Effect on the text:
| Sonnet
The more or less set rhyme patterns occurring regularly within the short space of fourteen lines afford a pleasant effect on the ear of the reader, and can Create truly musical effects.
207
Polysyndeton
When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions. Normally, a
conjunction is used only before the last item in a list.
208
Example:
| Polysyndeton
“I walked the dog, and fed the cat, and milked the cows.”
209
Effect on the text:
| Polysyndeton
The use of polysyndeton can slow down the rhythm of a phrase, make it more memorable, or emphasize each individual item in a list.
210
Pun
When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way.
211
Example:
| Pun
“I was stirred by his cooking lesson.”
212
Effect on the text:
| Pun
To make an audience laugh or to lighten an audience up.
213
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication.
214
Example:
| Rhetoric
Political speeches often use rhetoric to evoke emotional responses in the audience. One famous example would be Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech.
215
Effect on the text:
| Rhetoric
Rhetoric gives you a framework to think critically about your writing and reading choices.
216
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
The relationships, in any piece of writing,
between the writer, the audience, and the
subject. All analysis of writing is essentially
an analysis of the relationships between the
points on the triangle.
217
Example:
| Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
logos, ethos, and pathos.
218
Effect on the text:
| Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
The Rhetorical Triangle is a tool that helps you to get your thoughts in order and present a clear position.
219
Rhetorical Question
Question not asked for information but for effect.
220
Example:
| Rhetorical Question
“The angry parent asked the child, ‘Are you finished interrupting me?”
221
Effect on the text:
| Rhetorical Question
A rhetorical question is used to emphasize a point or just to get the audience thinking.,
222
Romanticism
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
223
Example:
| Romanticism
Eros. This form of love is the fairytale head-over-heels love many of us experience in adolescence.
224
Effect on the text:
| Romanticism
Romanticism celebrated the individual imagination and intuition in the enduring search for individual rights and liberty.
225
Sarcasm
A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded. However, not all satire and
irony are sarcastic. It is the bitter, mocking tone that separates sarcasm from mere verbal irony or satire.
226
Example:
| Sarcasm
For example, let's say you see someone struggling to open a door and you ask them, "Do you want help?" If they reply by saying, "No thanks.
227
Effect on the text:
| Sarcasm
It shows that the speaker is being impatient or contemptuous. It's also a sign of disrespect toward the person being addressed, so the use of sarcasm can provide clues as to the relationship between the two characters.
228
Satire
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. Good satire usually has three layers: serious on the surface; humorous when you discover that it is satire instead of reality; and serious when you discern
the underlying point of the author.
229
Example:
| Satire
political cartoons–satirize political events and/or politicians.
230
Effect on the text:
| Satire
Satire in literature is to convey social commentary and/or criticism, this allows a writer to create awareness of issues and disparities in society.
231
Sentence
A sentence is group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.
232
Example:
| Sentence
I ate dinner.
233
Effect on the text:
| Sentence
If a short, simple sentence follows a series of longer, compound or complex sentences, it will stand out and create emphasis.
234
Appositive
A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its
meaning.
235
Example:
| Appositive
“Bob, the lumber yard worker, spoke with Judy, an accountant from the city.”
236
Effect on the text:
| Appositive
It gives meanings to different sentences in literary texts, and helps in identifying other nouns.
237
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
238
Example:
| Clause
She cried because her seashell was broken. A noun clause takes the place of a noun in the sentence.
239
Effect on the text:
| Clause
It helps you identify a subject and verb.
240
Independent clause
Expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
241
Example:
| Independent clause
The beach is a lot of fun, yet the mountains are better. A group of us went to the movie, and we agreed it was enjoyable. I went to the store, but I forgot to bring my shopping list.
242
Effect on the text:
| Independent clause
It expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence
243
Dependent, or subordinate
| clause
It cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.
244
Example:
(Dependent, or subordinate
clause)
“Other than baseball, football is my favorite sport.”
245
Effects on the text:
(Dependent, or subordinate
clause)
It does not express a complete thought.
246
Balanced sentence
A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each
other like equal weights on a scale. Both parts are parallel grammatically.
247
Example:
| Balanced sentence
“If a free
| society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
248
Effect in a text:
| Balanced sentence
A balanced sentence gives rhythmical flow to the text. It draws attention of the readers to the sentence and makes it stand out among the rest.
249
Compound sentence
Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent
| clauses.
250
Example:
| Compound sentence
"She did not cheat on the test, for it was the wrong thing to do."
251
Effect in a text:
| Compound sentence
Compound sentences can be used to add rationale, to make a simple sentence more persuasive.
252
Complex sentence
Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent
clause.
253
Example:
| Complex sentence
For example; My Dad laughed when I told a joke.
254
Effect on the text:
| Complex sentence
Complex sentences can force the reader to focus on one part of a sentence (one idea) rather than another part of a sentence.
255
Cumulative sentence
When the writer begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements.
256
Example:
| Cumulative sentence
“He doubted whether he could ever
again appear before an audience, his confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet
with perspiration.”
257
Effect on the text:
| Cumulative sentence
The effect can be natural as it parallels what often happens in speech.
258
Periodic sentence
When the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence.
The writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause.
259
Example:
| Periodic sentence
"His confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration, he doubted
whether he could ever again appear before an audience.”
260
Effect on the text:
| Periodic sentence
This is used for emphasis and can be persuasive by putting reasons for something at the beginning before the final point is made.
261
Simple sentence
Contains only one independent clause.
262
Example:
| Simple sentence
Joe waited for the train. The train was late.
263
Effect on the text:
| Simple sentence
Short, simple sentences or truncated sentences can create tension, haste or urgency.
264
Declarative sentence
States an idea. It does not give a command or request, nor does it
ask a question.
265
Example:
| Declarative sentence
“The ball is round.”
266
Effect on the text:
| Declarative sentence
It makes a declaration.
267
Imperative sentence
Issues a command.
268
Example:
| Imperative sentence
“Kick the ball.”
269
Effect on the text:
| Imperative sentence
When reading an imperative sentence, it will always sound like the speaker is bossing someone around.
270
Interrogative sentence
Sentences incorporating interrogative pronouns
271
Examples:
| Interrogative sentence
“To whom did you kick the ball?”
272
Effects on the text:
| Interrogative sentence
They are also used to convey such speech acts indirectly.
273
Style
The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes. Style may be conscious or unconscious.
274
Example:
| Style
For example, say an author needs to describe a situation where he witnessed a girl picking a flower: She picked a red rose from the ground.
275
Effect on the text:
| Style
An Author employs to create a distinct feel for a work.
276
Symbol
Anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually a symbol is something concrete
such as an object, actions, character...that represents something more abstract.
277
Example:
| Symbol
For example, a red octagon is a common symbol for "STOP"; on maps, blue lines often represent rivers; and a red rose often symbolizes love and compassion.
278
Effect on the text:
| Symbol
Symbolism is used to produce an impact, which it accomplishes by attaching additional meaning to an action, object, or name.
279
Syntax/sentence variety
Grammatical arrangement of words.
280
Example:
| Syntax/sentence variety
"Jillian hit the ball." "The boy ate pizza."
281
Effect on the text:
| Syntax/sentence variety
it can give it life and rhythm.
282
Theme
The central idea or message of a work. The theme may be directly stated in nonfiction works,
although not necessarily. It is rarely stated directly in fiction.
283
Example:
| Theme
Some common themes in literature are "love," "war," "revenge," "betrayal," "patriotism," "grace."
284
Effect on the text:
| Theme
Without a unifying theme, a story contains only arbitrary events and characters. Theme functions as the understated but essential ingredient to make a story or poem meaningful.
285
Thesis
The sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning,
or proposition. It should be short and clear.
286
Example:
| Thesis
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the best type of sandwich because they are versatile, easy to make, and taste good. In this persuasive thesis statement, you see that I state my opinion (the best type of sandwich), which means I have chosen a stance.
287
Effect on the text:
| Thesis
A good tentative thesis will help you focus your search for information
288
Tone
A writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and
organization. To identify tone, consider how the piece would sound if read aloud (or how the author wanted it to sound aloud).
289
Example:
| Tone
Tone can be: playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, somber, etc.
290
Effect on the text:
| Tone
Tone gives shape and life to a story. Through tone, the attitude and mood of a literary work are created and presented.
291
Understatement
The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant
than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous.
292
Example:
| Understatement
“Our defense played valiantly, and held the other team to
| merely eight touchdowns in the first quarter.”
293
Effect on the text:
| Understatement
Making an understatement minimizes the severity of a situation, draws in the reader and can be used to make others feel better. An understatements can also add a touch of humor to something quite serious.
294
Litotes
a particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement
which otherwise would be used. Depending on the tone and context of the usage, litotes either
retains the effect of understatement
295
Example:
| Litotes
The flavors of the mushrooms, herbs, and spices combine to make the dish not at all disagreeable)
296
Effect on the text:
| Litotes
It is a successful device in that it affirms a positive statement or sentiment typically through the use of double negatives
297
Argument
An argument is a piece of reasoning with one or more premises and a conclusion.
298
Example:
| Argument
President presents an argument for why Congress should approve military action, laying out reasons and evidence to support such a move.
299
Effect on the text:
| Argument
The purpose of argument is to change people's points of view or to persuade people to a particular action or behavior.
300
Premises
Statements offered as reasons to support a conclusion are premises.
301
Example:
| Premises
"All mammals are warm blooded"
302
Effect on the text:
| Premises
It is an assumption that something is true.
303
Conclusion
A conclusion is the end result of the argument – the main point being made.
304
Example:
| conclusion
"All Spam is pink, I am eating spam. I am eating something that is pink"
"I am eating something that is pink" is the conclusion.
305
Effect on the text:
| Conclusion
The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to synthesize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject.
306
Aristotle’s appeals
The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade an audience that one’s ideas are valid, or more
valid than someone else's.
307
Examples:
| Aristotle’s appeals
ethos, pathos, and logos.
308
Effect on the text:
| Aristotle’s appeals
They are means of persuading others to believe a particular point of view. They are often used in speech writing and advertising to sway the audience.
309
Ethos (credibility)
means being convinced by the credibility of the author. We tend to
believe people whom we respect. In an appeal to ethos, a writer tries to convince the
audience the he or she someone worth listening to, in other words an authority on the
subject, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.
310
Example:
| Ethos
"As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results."
311
Effect on the text:
| Ethos
By building credibility with the audience, the speaker or writer also builds trust with his or her audience.
312
Pathos (emotional)
Means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions.
313
Example:
| Pathos
"If we don't move soon, we're all going to die! Can't you see how dangerous it would be to stay?"
314
Effect on the text:
| Pathos
Pathos is to persuade by appealing to the audience's emotions. v
p;
315
Logos (logical)
Means persuading by the use of reasoning, using true premises and valid
arguments. This is generally considered the strongest form of persuasion.
316
Example:
| Logos
For example, when a speaker cites scientific data, methodically walks through the line of reasoning behind their argument, or precisely recounts historical events relevant to their argument
317
Effect on the text:
| Logos
Logos is about appealing to your audience's logical side. You have to think about what makes sense to your audience and use that as you build your argument
318
Concession
Accepting at least part or all of an opposing viewpoint. Often used to make one’s own argument
stronger by demonstrating that one is willing to accept what is obviously true and reasonable, even
if it is presented by the opposition.
319
Example:
| Concession
A politician arguing that his country needs to send troops into a warzone makes the following concession: I know that any time we send troops into harm's way, it is a risk that some will not come back.
320
Effects on the text:
| Concession
It allows for different opinions and approaches toward an issue, indicating an understanding of what causes the actual debate or controversy.
321
Conditional Statement
A conditional statement is an if-then statement and consists of two parts, an antecedent and a
consequent.
322
Example:
| Conditional Statement
“If you studied hard, then you will pass the test.”
323
Effect on the text:
| Conditional Statement
They help us express things that may happen in the present and future
324
Contradiction
A contradiction occurs when one asserts two mutually exclusive propositions.
325
Example:
| Contradiction
A person who professes atheism, yet goes to church every Sunday.
326
Effect on the text:
| Contradiction
They help us establish what is right and right and what makes sense.
327
Counterexample
A counterexample is an example that runs counter to (opposes) a generalization, thus falsifying it.
328
Example:
| Counterexample
"all students are lazy" is a universal statement which makes the claim that a certain property (laziness) holds for all students. Thus, any student who is not lazy (e.g., hard-working) would constitute a counterexample to that statement.
329
Effect on the text:
| Counterexample
Counterexamples exist all around us in the world and are often used in mathematics to prove propositions are false.
330
Deductive argument
An argument in which it is thought that the premises provide a guarantee of the truth of the
conclusion.
331
Example:
| Deductive argument
"All men are mortal. Harold is a man. Therefore, Harold is mortal."
332
Effect on the text:
| Deductive argument
Deductive reasoning is the kind of reasoning in which, roughly, the truth of the input propositions (the premises) logically guarantees the truth of the output proposition
333
Fallacy
A fallacy is an attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.
334
Example:
| Fallacy
Appeal to Ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam)
335
Effect on the text:
| Fallacy
They may be even "unsubstantiated assertions that are often delivered with a conviction that makes them sound as though they are proven facts".
336
Ad hominem
Latin for "against the man". Personally attacking your opponents instead of their
arguments. It is an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, feeling rather than
intellect.
337
Example:
| Ad hominem
Name calling.
338
Effect on the text:
| Ad hominem
Essentially, this means that ad hominem arguments are used to attack opposing views indirectly, by attacking the individuals or groups that support these views.
339
Appeal to authority
The claim that because somebody famous supports an idea, the idea must be
right.
340
Example:
| Appeal to authority
For example, if someone said, “Einstein said 'God does not play dice with the universe,' therefore God must exist.”
341
Effect on the text:
| Appeal to authority
When writers or speakers use appeal to authority, they are claiming that something must be true because it is believed by someone who said to be an "authority" on the subject.
342
Appeal to the bandwagon:
The claim, as evidence for an idea, that many people believe it, or used to believe it, or do it.
343
Example:
| Appeal to the bandwagon
In the 1800's there was a widespread belief that bloodletting cured
sickness. All of these people were not just wrong, but horribly wrong, because in fact it made
people sicker. Clearly, the popularity of an idea is no guarantee that it's right. .
344
Effect on the text;
| (Appeal to the bandwagon
The more people that adopt a particular trend, the more likely it becomes that other people will also hop on the bandwagon.
345
Appeal to emotion
An attempt to replace a logical argument with an appeal to the audience’s
emotions.
346
Example:
| Appeal to emotion
Common emotional appeals are an appeal to sympathy, an appeal to revenge, an appeal
to patriotism – basically any emotion can be used as an appeal.
347
Effect on the text:
| Appeal to emotion
Appeals to emotion are intended to draw inward feelings such as fear, pity, and joy from the recipient of the information with the end goal of convincing them that the statements being presented in the fallacious argument are true or false, resp.
348
Bad analogy
Claiming that two situations are highly similar, when they aren't.
349
Example:
| Bad analogy
“We have pure
food and drug laws regulating what we put in our bodies; why can't we have laws to keep
musicians from giving us filth for the mind?”
350
Effects on the text:
| Bad analogy
It is an informal fallacy because the error is about what the argument is about, and not the argument itself
351
Cliche thinking
Using as evidence a well-known saying, as if it is proven, or as if it has no
exceptions.
352
Example:
| Cliche thinking
“I say: ‘America: love it or leave it.’ Anyone who disagrees with anything our country
does must hate America. So maybe they should just move somewhere else.”
353
Effects on the text:
| Cliche thinking
Clichéd writing is lazy and makes plot and prose feel predictable, so that the reader might as well not bother reading on – there's no sense of discovery as cliché copies something that is already well-known.
354
False cause
Assuming that because two things happened, the first one caused the second one.
355
Example:
| False cause
“Before women got the vote, there were no nuclear weapons.
| Therefore women’s suffrage must have led to nuclear weapons.”
356
Effect on the text:
| False cause
Often a reader will mistake a time connection for a cause-effect connection.
357
Hasty generalization:
A generalization based on too little or unrepresentative data.
358
Example:
| Hasty generalization
“My uncle
didn’t go to college, and he makes a lot of money. So, people who don’t go to college do just as
well as those who do.”
359
Effect on the text:
| Hasty generalization
It is an informal fallacy that can lead to misinformation and stereotypes.
360
Non Sequitur
A conclusion that does not follow from its premises; an invalid argument.
361
Example:
| Non Sequitur
“Hinduism is one of the world’s largest religious groups. It is also one of the world’s oldest
religions. Hinduism helps millions of people lead happier, more productive lives. Therefore the
principles of Hinduism must be true.”
362
Effect on the text:
| Non Sequitur
often causing confusion due to lack of understanding.
363
Slippery slope
The assumption that once started, a situation will continue to its most extreme
possible outcome.
364
Example:
| Slippery slope
“If you drink a glass of wine, then you’ll soon be drinking all the time, and then
you’ll become a homeless alcoholic.”
365
Effect on the text:
| Slippery slope
In this fallacy, a person makes a claim that one event leads to another event and so on until we come to some awful conclusion.
366
Inductive argument
An argument in which it is thought that the premises provide reasons supporting the probable truth
of the conclusion.
367
Example:
| Inductive argument
"The coin I pulled from the bag is a penny. ... Therefore, all the coins in the bag are pennies." Even if all of the premises are true in a statement, inductive reasoning allows for the conclusion to be false
368
Effect on the text:
| Inductive argument
The conclusion is not always true when the premises are true. The probability of the conclusion depends on the strength of the inference from the premises.
369
Sound argument
A deductive argument is said to be sound if it meets two conditions: First, that the line of
reasoning from the premises to the conclusion is valid. Second, that the premises are true.
370
Example:
| Sound argument
The example given about toasters is valid, but not sound. However, the following argument is both valid and sound: In some states, no felons are eligible voters, that is, eligible to vote.
371
Effect on the text:
| Sound argument
It's trying to establish conclusive support for its conclusion.
372
Unstated premises
Not every argument is fully expressed. Sometimes premises or even conclusions are left
unexpressed.
373
Example:
| Unstated premises
If one argues that Rover is smart because all dogs are smart, he is leaving unstated
that Rover is a dog.
374
Effects on the text:
| Unstated premises
Once the unstated premise is added, the argument is logically valid.
375
Valid argument
An argument is valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises.
376
Example:
| Valid argument
The following argument is valid, because it is impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false: Elizabeth owns either a Honda or a Saturn. Elizabeth does not own a Honda.
377
Effect on the text:
| Valid argument
In effect, an argument is valid if the truth of the premises logically guarantees the truth of the conclusion.
