AP Rhetorical and Lit terms #1

Question 1

active voice definition

Answer 1

subject of the sentence performs the action

Question 2

active voice example + non example

Answer 2

Example: The cat ate the rat.
Non-example: The rat was eaten by the cat

Question 3

active voice impact

Answer 3

Lively, concise, interesting writing.

Question 4

Allusion definition

Answer 4

indirect reference to something the reader is supposed to be familiar with.

Question 5

allusion example

Answer 5

I’m Juliet to your Romeo

Question 6

allusion impact

Answer 6

enhance text by providing further meaning

Question 7

anecdote definition

Answer 7

brief recounting of a relevant episode.

Question 8

anecdote example

Answer 8

“remember when I fell down the stairs”

Question 9

anecdote impact

Answer 9

effective way of persuading an audience

Question 10

antecedent definition

Answer 10

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

Question 11

antecedent example

Answer 11

The AP language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences. “If I could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it.”

Question 12

classicism

Answer 12

art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures

Question 13

classicism example

Answer 13

his classicism led to his great limitations as an historian

Question 14

comic relief definition

Answer 14

when a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood somewhat

Question 15

comic relief example

Answer 15

The “gatekeeper scene” in Macbeth is an example of comic relief.

Question 16

diction definition

Answer 16

word choice, particularly as an element of style.

Question 17

colloquial definition

Answer 17

ordinary or familial type of conversation.

Question 18

colloquial example

Answer 18

y’all, gonna, wanna,

Question 19

colloquialism impact

Answer 19

to create a sense of community and society

Question 20

connotation definition

Answer 20

the associations suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning

Question 21

denotation meaning

Answer 21

the literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.

Question 22

jargon definition

Answer 22

the diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity.

Question 23

jargon example

Answer 23

lawyers speak using particular jargon, as do soccer players.

Question 24

jargon impact

Answer 24

creates barriers to understanding

Question 25

vernacular definition

Answer 25

1.language or dialect of a particular country 2. language or dialect of a regional clan or group 3. plain everyday speech

Question 26

didactic

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

didactic example

Answer 27

fables

Question 28

adage definition

Answer 28

A folk saying with a lesson

Question 29

adage example

Answer 29

“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”

Question 30

adage impact

Answer 30

communicate a particular message to readers

Question 31

allegory definition

Answer 31

A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts

Question 32

allegory example

Answer 32

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is an allegory.

Question 33

allegory impact

Answer 33

meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth

Question 34

aphorism definition

Answer 34

A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle

Question 35

aphorism example

Answer 35

Ben Franklin wrote many of these in Poor Richard's Almanac, such as “God helps them that help themselves,” and “A watched pot never boils.”

Question 36

aphorism impact

Answer 36

can be a memorable summation of the author's point

Question 37

ellipsis definition

Answer 37

The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.

Question 38

ellipsis example

Answer 38

“The whole day, rain, torrents of rain.”

Question 39

ellipsis impact

Answer 39

enhancing the emotional impact of a scene or dialogue

Question 40

euphemism definition

Answer 40

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts

Question 41

euphemism example

Answer 41

“Physically challenged,” in place of “crippled.”

Question 42

euphemism impact

Answer 42

help to avoid offending others and keep the peace.

Question 43

figurative language

Answer 43

writing that is not meant to be taken literally.

Question 44

analogy

Answer 44

comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables.

Question 45

analogy example

Answer 45

“America is to the world as the hippo is to the jungle.” Similes and metaphors are sometimes also analogies.

Question 46

analogy impact

Answer 46

help students remember new information by connecting it to framework or contexts they already know.

Question 47

hyperbole definition

Answer 47

exaggeration

Question 48

hyperbole example

Answer 48

“My mother will kill me if I am late.”

Question 49

hyperbole impact

Answer 49

creates an emphasis on something.

Question 50

idiom definition

Answer 50

A common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally.

Question 51

idiom example

Answer 51

“I got chewed out by my coach.”

Question 52

idiom impact

Answer 52

enhance your communication skills

Question 53

metaphor definition

Answer 53

Making an implied comparison, not using “like,” as,” or other such words.

Question 54

metaphor example

Answer 54

“My feet are popsicles.”

Question 55

metaphor impact

Answer 55

creates connection and empathy

Question 56

metonymy definition

Answer 56

Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept.

Question 57

metonymy example

Answer 57

“I could not understand his tongue,” means his language or his speech.

Question 58

metonymy impact

Answer 58

creating concrete and vivid images in place of generalities

Question 59

Synecdoche definition

Answer 59

A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa

Question 60

synecdoche example

Answer 60

“The cattle rancher owned 500 head.” “Check out my new wheels.”

Question 61

synecdoche impact

Answer 61

reinforce a deeper meaning or compel the reader to reflect on a larger viewpoint than the specific statement.

Question 62

simile definition

Answer 62

Using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very different things

Question 63

simile example + non example

Answer 63

example:“My feet are so cold they feel like popsicles.” non example: does she like strawberries ?

Question 64

simile impact

Answer 64

creates a figurative comparison, and the reader is forced to think about how those two separate objects are similar.

Question 65

synesthesia definition

Answer 65

a description involving a “crossing of the senses

Question 66

synesthesia example

Answer 66

“I was deafened by his brightly-colored clothing.”

Question 67

synesthesia impact

Answer 67

causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting color or feeling sounds.

Question 68

personification definition

Answer 68

Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human.

Question 69

personification example

Answer 69

“The tired old truck groaned as it inched up the hill.”

Question 70

personification impact

Answer 70

provide readers with information that can help them comprehend abstract ideas.