AP Lang Terms

Question 1

allegory

Answer 1

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

Question 2

alliteration

Answer 2

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in “she sells sea shells”).

Question 3

allusion

Answer 3

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical.

Question 4

ambiguity

Answer 4

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

Question 5

analogy

Answer 5

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar.

Question 6

antecedent

Answer 6

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Question 7

antithesis

Answer 7

the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.

Question 8

aphorism

Answer 8

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author’s point.

Question 9

apostrophe

Answer 9

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect may add familiarity or emotional
intensity.

Question 10

atmosphere

Answer 10

The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the
author’s choice of objects that are described.

Question 11

caricature

Answer 11

a verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person’s distinctive physical features or other characteristics.

Question 12

clause

Answer 12

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause, cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.

Question 13

colloquial/colloquialism

Answer 13

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing,
colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.

Question 14

conceit

Answer 14

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made.

Question 15

connotation

Answer 15

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

Question 16

denotation

Answer 16

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color. (Example: the denotation of a knife would be a utensil used to cut; the connotation of a knife might be fear, violence, anger, foreboding, etc.)

Question 17

diction

Answer 17

Related to style, diction refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you should be able to describe an author’s diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author’s purpose. Diction, combined with
syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author’s style.

Question 18

didactic

Answer 18

From the Greek, didactic literally means “teaching.” Didactic words have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.

Question 19

euphemism

Answer 19

From the Greek for “good speech,” euphemisms are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. The euphemism may be used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement. Saying “earthly remains” rather than “corpse” is an example of euphemism.

Question 20

extended metaphor

Answer 20

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

Question 21

figurative language

Answer 21

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and
vivid.

Question 22

figure of speech

Answer 22

A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Figures of speech include
apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.

Question 23

generic conventions

Answer 23

This term describes traditions for each genre. These conventions help to define each genre; for example,
they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing. On the AP language exam, try to distinguish the unique features of a writer’s work from those dictated by convention.

Question 24

genre

Answer 24

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, genre is a flexible term; within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called genres themselves.

Question 25

homily

Answer 25

This term literally means “sermon,” but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

Question 26

hyperbole

Answer 26

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. (The literal Greek meaning is “overshoot.”) Hyperboles often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, hyperbole produces irony. The opposite of hyperbole is understatement.

Question 27

imagery

Answer 27

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory. On a broader and deeper level, however, one image can represent more than one thing.

Question 28

inference/infer

Answer 28

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. When a multiple choice question asks for an inference to be drawn from a passage, the most direct, most reasonable inference is the safest answer choice. If an inference is implausible, it’s unlikely to be the correct answer. Note that if the answer choice is directly stated, it is not inferred and it is wrong. You must be careful to note the connotation – negative or positive – of the choices.

Question 29

invective

Answer 29

an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

Question 30

irony/ironic

Answer 30

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. Irony is often used to create poignancy or humor.

Question 31

verbal irony

Answer 31

when the words literally state the opposite of the writer’s (or speaker’s) meaning

Question 32

situational irony

Answer 32

when events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen

Question 33

dramatic irony

Answer 33

when facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work.

Question 34

litotes

Answer 34

a form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. Litote is the opposite of hyperbole.

Question 35

loose sentence/non-periodic sentence

Answer 35

A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by
dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many loose sentences often seems informal, relaxed, or conversational. Generally, loose sentences create loose style. The opposite of a loose sentence is the periodic sentence.

Question 36

metaphor

Answer 36

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful.

Question 37

metonymy

Answer 37

A term from the Greek meaning “changed label” or “substitute name,” metonymy is a figure of speech
in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Question 38

mood

Answer 38

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. Mood is similar to tone and atmosphere.

Question 39

narrative

Answer 39

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

Question 40

onomatopoeia

Answer 40

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such
words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur.

Question 41

oxymoron

Answer 41

From the Greek for “pointedly foolish,” an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include “jumbo shrimp” and “cruel kindness.”

Question 42

paradox

Answer 42

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

Question 43

parallelism

Answer 43

Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another.” It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase.

Question 44

anaphora

Answer 44

A sub-type of parallelism, when the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines
or sentences.

Question 45

parody

Answer 45

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. It exploits peculiarities of an author’s expression (propensity to use too many parentheses, certain favorite words, etc.) Well-written parody offers enlightenment about the original, but poorly written parody offers only ineffectual imitation. Usually an audience must grasp literary allusion and understand the work being parodied in order to fully appreciate the
nuances of the newer work. Occasionally, however, parodies take on a life of their own and don’t require knowledge of the original.

Question 46

pedantic

Answer 46

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as “show-offy”; using big words for the sake of using big words).

Question 47

periodic sentence

Answer 47

The opposite of loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect of a periodic sentence is to add emphasis and structural variety.

Question 48

personification

Answer 48

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by
endowing them with human attributes or emotions. Personification is used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects appear more vivid to the reader.

Question 49

point of view

Answer 49

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told.

Question 50

prose

Answer 50

one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. In prose the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the poet determines the length of the line.

Question 51

repetition

Answer 51

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Question 52

rhetoric

Answer 52

From the Greek for “orator,” this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

Question 53

rhetorical modes

Answer 53

describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing

Question 54

exposition

Answer 54

is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

Question 55

argumentation

Answer 55

is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader.

Question 56

Purpose of description

Answer 56

to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described. Sometimes an author engages all five senses in description.

Question 57

narration

Answer 57

to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events.

Question 58

sarcasm

Answer 58

From the Greek meaning “to tear flesh,” sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

Question 59

satire

Answer 59

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. Regardless of whether or not the work aims to reform human behavior, satire is best seen as a style of writing rather than a purpose for writing. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively by the satirist: irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm. The effects of satire are varied, depending on the writer’s goal, but good satire,
often humorous, is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition

Question 60

semantics

Answer 60

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.

Question 61

style

Answer 61

The consideration of style has two purposes:
(1) An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. Some authors’ styles are so idiosyncratic that we can quickly recognize works by the same author. We can analyze and describe an author’s personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the author’s purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace, incisive, laconic, etc.

(2) Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, we can see how an author’s style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance or the Victorian period, or a literary movement, such as the romantic, transcendental, or realist movement.

Question 62

subject complement

Answer 62

The word (with any accompanying phrases) or clause that follows a linking verb and complements, or
completes, the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it (the predicate nominative) or (2) describing it (the predicate adjective).

Question 63

predicate nominative

Answer 63

a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject. It, like the predicate adjective, follows a linking verb and is located in the predicate of the sentence.

Question 64

predicate adjective

Answer 64

an adjective, a group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb. It is in the predicate of the sentence, and modifies, or describes, the subject.

Question 65

subordinate clause

Answer 65

Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or
modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, the subordinate clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, the subordinate clause depends on a main clause (or independent clause) to complete its meaning. Easily recognized key words and phrases usually begin these clauses. For example: although,
because, unless, if, even though, since, as soon as, while, who, when, where, how and that.

Question 66

syllogism

Answer 66

From the Greek for “reckoning together,” a syllogism (or syllogistic reasoning or syllogistic logic) is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called “major” and the second called “minor”) that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.

Question 67

symbol/symbolism

Answer 67

Generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else. Usually a symbol is something
concrete – such as an object, action, character, or scene – that represents something more abstract. However, symbols and symbolism can be much more complex. One system classifies symbols into three categories:
(1) natural symbols are objects and occurrences from nature to symbolize ideas commonly associated with them (dawn symbolizing hope or a new beginning, a rose symbolizing love, a tree symbolizing knowledge).

(2) conventional symbols are those that have been invested with meaning by a group (religious symbols such as a cross or Star of David; national symbols, such as a flag or an eagle; or group symbols, such as a skull and crossbones for pirates or the scale of justice for lawyers).
(3) literary symbols are sometimes also conventional in the sense that they are found in a variety of works and are more generally recognized. However, a work’s symbols may be more complicated, as is the jungle in Heart of Darkness.

On the AP exam, try to determine what abstraction an object is a symbol for and to what extent it is successful in representing that abstraction.

Question 68

synecdoche

Answer 68

a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or, occasionally, the whole is used to represent a part.

Question 69

synesthesia

Answer 69

when one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another. Ex: The sight of red ants makes you itchy. In literature, synesthesia refers to the practice of associating two or more different senses in the same image.

Question 70

syntax

Answer 70

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is similar to diction, but you can differentiate them by thinking of syntax as groups of words, while diction refers to the individual words.

Question 71

theme

Answer 71

The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually theme is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the theme may be directly state, especially in expository or argumentative writing.

Question 72

thesis

Answer 72

In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or position. Expository writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proven the thesis

Question 73

tone

Answer 73

Similar to mood, tone describes the author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both. Tone is easier to determine in spoken language than in written language. Considering how a work would sound if it were read aloud can help in identifying an author’s tone

Question 74

transition

Answer 74

A word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and
argumentative writing, transitions effectively signal a shift from one idea to another. A few commonly used transitional words or phrases are furthermore, consequently, nevertheless, for example, in addition, likewise, similarly, on the contrary, etc.

Question 75

understatement

Answer 75

the ironic minimalizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can
frequently be humorous and emphatic. Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole.

Question 76

wit

Answer 76

in modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. A witty statement is humorous, while suggesting the speaker’s verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks. Wit usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement.