Shared Flashcard Set

Details

AP Terms and Definitions
English Language and Comp. AP
49
English
11th Grade
10/11/2008

Additional English Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
ad hominem fallacy
Definition
person's character or motive is attacked instead of argument
Term
ad populum fallacy
Definition
widespread occurence of something is assumed to make it true or right
Term
allegory
Definition
story in which people, places, and things represent general concepts and/or moral qualities
Term
allusion
Definition
brief reference to a presumed pre-known piece of work, such as the Bible
Term
analogy
Definition
comparison between two things; the most complex is explained in terms of the more simple
Term
anecdote
Definition
short account of some happening
Term
anticlimax
Definition
sudden drop from the significant to the trivial for humorous effect
Term
appeal to authority
Definition
citing information from trustable and legitimate sources
Term
argumentation
Definition
investigating all sides of a problem
Term
begging the question
Definition
assumes as true what one is trying to prove
Term
cause and effect
Definition
examination of causes and effects of a situation
Term
chronological ordering
Definition
arrangement in order in which things occur
Term
classification as a means of ordering
Definition
arrangement of objects according to class
Term
colloquial expression
Definition
words and phrases used in everyday speech but avoided in formal writing
Term
damning with faint praise
Definition
intentional use of a positive statement that has a negative implication
Term
deduction (deductive reasoning)
Definition
reasoning that begins with a generalization, then applies it to a specific case or cases
Term
digression
Definition
temporary departure from main subject
Term
ellipsis
Definition
omission of word or word that are not necessary for sound meaning
Term
euphemism
Definition
use of word or phrase that is less direct, but also less distasteful or offensive than another
Term
expository writing
Definition
writing aimed to explain or analyze
Term
false dilemma
Definition
too few of the available alternatives are considered
Term
hyperbole
Definition
exaggeration of fact for a serious or comic effect
Term
imagery
Definition
lively descriptions meant to paint pictures in the audience's mind
Term
induction (inductive reasoning)
Definition
works from a body of fact to reach a generalization
Term
inverted syntax
Definition
reversal of the normal word order in a sentence
Term
irony
Definition
sarcastic expression when the intended meaning is opposite of usual meaning
Term
litotes
Definition
affirmative is expressed by a negation of the contrary
Term
metaphor
Definition
comparison between two things portrayed as being the same
Term
non sequitir
Definition
statement that does not follow logically from its precedents
Term
order of importance
Definition
method of organizing a paper based on significance of subtopics
Term
oxymoron
Definition
contradictory terms are combined
Term
parable
Definition
short story from which a lesson may be drawn
Term
parallel syntactic structure
Definition
using same part of speech or synctactic structure in different situations
Term
paradox
Definition
statement which seems self-contradictory, but it may be true
Term
parody
Definition
composition that imitates a serious work in order to achieve humor or satire
Term
pedantry
Definition
display of narrow-mindedness
Term
personification
Definition
an inanimate object or abstract concept is given human characteristics
Term
periodic sentence structure
Definition
sentence that can not be fully understood until the end
Term
point of view
Definition
way in which something is viewed by the writer or speaker
Term
post hoc fallacy
Definition
assumes that a preceding incident is the cause of the second incident
Term
rhetoric
Definition
using words for means of influence or persuasion
Term
rhetorical question
Definition
question in which the answer is already known by the questioned
Term
simile
Definition
comparison using "like" or "as"
Term
spatial ordering
Definition
organization using spatial cues such as top to bottom, left to right, etc.
Term
syllogism
Definition
two premises are presented and a logical conclusion is made
Term
symbol
Definition
something that stands for another thing
Term
syntax
Definition
the arrangement of words as elements in a sentence to show their relationship
Term
tone
Definition
way of wording that expresses the attitude of the speaker/writer toward the subject
Term
understatement
Definition
deliberatley conveying something as much less than it actually is
Supporting users have an ad free experience!