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
passive voice
A
when the subject of the sentence receives the action.
3
Q
Allusion
A
An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things
commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar.
4
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.
5
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.
6
Q
Antecedent
A
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
7
Q
Classicism
A
Art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional
themes and structures
8
Q
Comic relief
A
when a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood
somewhat.
9
Q
Diction
A
Word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types of words have significant effects
on meaning.
10
Q
Colloquial
A
Ordinary or familiar type of conversation. A “colloquialism” is a common or
familiar type of saying, similar to an adage or an aphorism.
11
Q
Connotation
A
Rather than the dictionary definition (denotation), the associations suggested by a
word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning.
12
Q
Denotation
A
The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.
13
Q
Jargon
A
The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity.
14
Q
Vernacular
A
- Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional
clan or group. 3. Plain everyday speech
15
Q
Didactic
A
- 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.
16
Q
Adage
A
A folk saying with a lesson.
17
Q
Allegory
A
- A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent
qualities or concepts.
18
Q
Aphorism
A
- A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. An aphorism
can be a memorable summation of the author’s point.
19
Q
Ellipsis
A
The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.
20
Q
Euphemism
A
A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.
21
Q
Figurative Language
A
“Figurative Language” is the opposite of “Literal Language.” Literal language is
writing that makes complete sense when you take it at face value. “Figurative Language” is the opposite:
writing that is not meant to be taken literally.
22
Q
Analogy
A
An analogy is a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables.
23
Q
Hyperbole
A
Exaggeration.
24
Q
Idiom
A
A common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally.
25
Metaphor
Making an implied comparison, not using “like,” as,” or other such words.
26
Metonymy
Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept.
27
Synecdoche
A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its
parts, or vice versa.
28
Simile
Using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very
different things.
29
Synesthesia
a description involving a “crossing of the senses.”
30
Personification
Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human.
31
Foreshadowing
When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.
32
Genre
The major category into which a literary work fits.
33
Gothic
Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death.
34
Imagery
Word or words that create a picture in the reader's mind.
35
Invective
A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.
36
Irony
When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
37
Verbal irony
When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.
38
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.
39
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.
40
Juxtaposition
Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.
41
Mood
The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction).
42
Motif
a recurring idea in a piece of literature.
43
Oxymoron
When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox
44
Pacing
The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.
45
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true
46
Parallelism
Sentence construction which
| places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.
47
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or
clauses in a row.
48
Chiasmus
When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of
the words is reversed.
49
Antithesis
Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel
structure.
50
Zuegma (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.
51
Parenthetical Idea
Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence.
52
Parody
An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases
from an original, and pokes fun at it.
53
Persona
The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.
54
Poetic device
A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.
55
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
56
Assonance
The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.
57
Consonance
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words.
58
Onomatopoeia
The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes.
59
Internal rhyme
When a line of poetry contains a rhyme within a single line.
60
Slant rhyme
When a poet creates a rhyme, but the two words do not rhyme exactly
61
End rhyme
When the last word of two different lines of poetry rhyme.
62
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of a poem’s end rhymes.
63
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).
64
Meter
A regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poetry.
65
Free verse
Poetry that doesn’t have much meter or rhyme.
66
Iambic pentameter
Poetry that is written in lines of 10 syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.
67
Sonnet
A 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter.
68
Polysyndeton
When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions.
69
Pun
When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way.
70
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication.
71
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
The relationships, in any piece of writing,
between the writer, the audience, and the
subject.
72
Rhetorical Question
Question not asked for information but for effect.
73
Romanticism
Art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the
world, and an emphasis on nature.
74
Sarcasm
A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded.
75
Satire
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect.
76
Sentence
A sentence is group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.
77
Appositive
A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its
meaning.
78
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
79
independent clause
expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
80
dependent, or subordinate
| clause
cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.
81
Balanced sentence
A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each
other like equal weights on a scale.
82
Compound sentence
- Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent
| clauses.
83
Complex sentence
Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent
clause.
84
Cumulative sentence
When the writer begins with an
| independent clause, then adds subordinate elements.
85
Periodic sentence
- When the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence.
86
Simple sentence
Contains only one independent clause.
87
Declarative sentence
States an idea.
88
Imperative sentence
Issues a command.
89
Interrogative sentence
Interrogative sentence
90
Style
The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes.
91
Symbol
Anything that represents or stands for something else.
92
Syntax/sentence variety
Grammatical arrangement of words.
93
Theme
The central idea or message of a work.
94
Thesis
The sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning,
or proposition.
95
Tone
- A writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and
organization.
96
Understatement
The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant
than it is.
97
Litotes
a particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement
which otherwise would be used.
98
Argument
An argument is a piece of reasoning with one or more premises and a conclusion.
99
Premise
Statements offered as reasons to support a conclusion are premises.
100
Conclusion
A conclusion is the end result of the argument – the main point being made.
101
Ethos (credibility)
(credibility) means being convinced by the credibility of the author.
102
Pathos (emotional)
means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions.
103
Logos (logical)
means persuading by the use of reasoning, using true premises and valid
arguments.
104
Concession
Accepting at least part or all of an opposing viewpoint.
105
Conditional Statement
A conditional statement is an if-then statement and consists of two parts, an antecedent and a
consequent.
106
Contradiction
A contradiction occurs when one asserts two mutually exclusive propositions
107
Counterexample
A counterexample is an example that runs counter to (opposes) a generalization, thus falsifying it.
108
Deductive argument
An argument in which it is thought that the premises provide a guarantee of the truth of the
conclusion.
109
Fallacy
A fallacy is an attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.
110
Ad hominem
Latin for "against the man".
111
Appeal to authority
The claim that because somebody famous supports an idea, the idea must be
right.
112
Appeal to the bandwagon
The claim, as evidence for an idea, that many people believe it, or
used to believe it, or do it.
113
Appeal to emotion
An attempt to replace a logical argument with an appeal to the audience’s
emotions.
114
Bad analogy
Claiming that two situations are highly similar, when they aren't.
115
Cliche thinking
Using as evidence a well-known saying, as if it is proven, or as if it has no
exceptions.
116
False cause
Assuming that because two things happened, the first one caused the second one.
117
Hasty generalization
A generalization based on too little or unrepresentative data.
118
Non Sequitur
A conclusion that does not follow from its premises; an invalid argument.
119
Slippery slope
The assumption that once started, a situation will continue to its most extreme
possible outcome.
120
Inductive argument
An argument in which it is thought that the premises provide reasons supporting the probable truth
of the conclusion.
121
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.
122
Unstated premises
Not every argument is fully expressed.
123
Valid argument
An argument is valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises.
