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AP Midterm Vocabulary
AP terms
75
English
11th Grade
01/17/2008

Additional English Flashcards

 


 

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Term
Ad hominem argument
Definition

Latin "to or against the man," this is an argument that appeals to emotion reather than reason.

Term
Allegory
Definition

To represent an abstraction in addition to the litteral menaing.

Term
Alliteration
Definition

The repitition of sounds.

 

ex: 'she sells sea shells'

Term
Allusion
Definition

A direct of indirect reference to something commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

Term
Ambiguity
Definition
The multiple meanings[intentional or unintentional].
Term
Analogy
Definition

A similarity or comparison between two different things.

Term
Antecedent
Definition
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
Term
Aphorism
Definition

A terse1 statement of known authorship which expresses a moral principle.

 

1:Brief and to the point; effectively concise

Term
Apostrophe
Definition

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction such as liberty or love.

Term
Atmosphere
Definition
The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work
Term
Clause
Definition
An independent, or main, clause expressed a coplete 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.
Term
Colloquial/Colloquialism
Definition

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writting.

Term
Conceit
Definition
A conceit displays intellectual cleverness due to the unusual comparison being made.
Term
Connotation
Definition

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word.

Term
Denotation
Definition
The strict, literal,dictionary definition of a word.
Term
Detail
Definition
A fact or point of information that forms a larger picture or story.
Term
Diction
Definition
Related to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
Term
Didactic
Definition
Greek: "teaching"
Term
Ellipsis
Definition
The omission of a word or several words necessary for a complete construction that is still understandable.
Term
Epigram
Definition

A pithy1 saying, often using contrast.

 

1:Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief

Term
Euphemism
Definition
Greek "good speech" euphemisms are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unplesant word or concept.
Term
Extended Metaphor
Definition

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

Term
Figurative Language
Definition
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry a literal meaning.
Term
Figure of Speech
Definition
A device used to produce figurative language.
Term
Generic Conventions
Definition
This term describes traditions for each genre. These conventions help to define each genre; for example they differentiate between an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing.
Term
Genre
Definition
The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.
Term
Grotesque
Definition

Characterized by distortions or incongruities1

1:Lacking in harmony; incompatible

Term
Homily
Definition
This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moreal or spiritual advice.
Term
Hyperbole
Definition
A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Hyperbole often has a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible.
Term
Imagery
Definition
The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.
Term
Inference/Infer
Definition
To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.
Term
Invective
Definition
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.
Term
Irony/Ironic
Definition
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really ment.
Term
Jargon
Definition
The special language of a profession or group.
Term
Loose Sentence
Definition

A type of sentence in  which the main idea comes first, followed by dependent gramatical units such as phrases and clauses.

Term
Metaphor
Definition
A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.
Term
Metonomy
Definition

Greek:"changed label" or "substitute name"

a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for another closely associated with it.

Term
Mood
Definition
Speaker's attitude.
Term
Narrative Techniques
Definition
Methods used in telling a story.
Term
Onomatopoeia
Definition

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words

 

ex: buzz, hiss, hum, crack, etc.

Term
Omniscient Point of View
Definition

The narrator of the story knows and tells,

what is in the minds of all the characters.

Term
Oxymoron
Definition

Greek: "pointedly foolish"

A figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.

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

Greek: "beside one another"

 

ex: A famous example of parallelism begins Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..."

Term
Parody
Definition

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule

 

ex: Mark Day[YouTube comedian]

'this video is for parody purposes only'

Term
Pedantic
Definition
An adjective that describes words, phrases or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.
Term
Periodic Sentence
Definition
A sentence that presents its centeral meaning in a main clause at the end.
Term
Personification
Definition
A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing then with human attributes or emotions.
Term
Point of View
Definition
In literature, the perspective from which the story is told.
Term
Predicate Adjective
Definition
One type of subject complement -an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb.
Term
Predicate Nominative
Definition
A noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject.
Term
Prose
Definition
One of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, because they are written in ordinary language and most closely resemble everyday speech.
Term
Repetition
Definition
The duplication of any element of language, such as sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.
Term
Resources of Language
Definition
The techniques of language an author may use to accomplish his purpose.
Term
Rhetoric
Definition

Greek: "orator"

This term describes the principles of governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

Term
Rhetorical Modes
Definition
This flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing.
Term
Rhetorical Techniques
Definition
Devices of effective or persuasive language, such as contrast, repetition, rhetorical question, paradox, understatement, syllogism, and the many statagies of argument discused in a speech textbook.
Term
Rhetorical Question
Definition

A question asked for effect, not in expectation of a reply.

Term
Sarcasm
Definition

Greek: "to tear flesh"

Sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is ment to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

Term
Satire
Definition

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.

 

ex: irony, wit, parody, hyperbole, sarcasm etc.

Term
Semantics
Definition
The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words and their connotations.
Term
Simile
Definition
An explicit comparison, normally using like, as or if.
Term
Style
Definition

The way an author uses language to convey his/her ideas.

Term
Subject Complement
Definition
The word or cluse that follows a linking verb and compliments, or completes the subject of the sentence.
Term
Subordinate Clause
Definition
This -like all clauses- contains both a subject and a verb. The Subordinate clause depends on a main clause.
Term
Syllogism
Definition

Greek: "reckoning together"

A syllogism is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises[major and minor] that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.

Term
Symbol/Symbolism
Definition

Anything that represents or stands for somthing else.

Term
Syntax
Definition
The way to an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses and sentences.
Term
Theme
Definition
The centeral idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.
Term
Thesis
Definition
In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.
Term

Tone

Definition

Author's attitude toward his or her material.

Term
Transition
Definition
A word or phrase that links different ideas.
Term
Understatement
Definition
An understatement presents something as less significant than it is.
Term
Viewpoint
Definition

The attitude of the narrating persona towards events, other characters, or ideas.

Term

Wit

Definition
Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights-humorous.
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