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Language & Comosition Terms
Practice for the AP exam
68
English
11th Grade
05/11/2010

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Term
abstract
Definition
language that describes concepts rather than concrete images. (Love, freedom, etc)
Term
ad hominem
Definition
In an argument this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas.
Term
allegory
Definition
a work that functions on a symbolic level
Term
alliteration
Definition
the repetition of consonant sounds, (Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers)
Term
allusion
Definition
a reference contained in a work
Term
analogy
Definition
literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison.
Term
anecdote
Definition
a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point
Term
antecedent
Definition
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.
Term
antitheses
Definition
the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. ("to be or not to be..." "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country")
Term
argument
Definition
a single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer.
Term
attitude
Definition
the relationship an author has toward his subject and audience
Term
balance
Definition
a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of a longer work
Term
cacophony
Definition
harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage
Term
character
Definition
those who carry out the action of plot in literature (major, minor, static, and dynamic are types)
Term
colloquial
Definition
the use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone.
Term
comic relief
Definition
the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event
Term
conflict
Definition
a clash between opposing forces in a literary work (man vs. mam; manvs. nature; man vs. god; man vs. self)
Term
connective tissue
Definition
elements that help create coherence in a written piece.
Term
Connotation
Definition
interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning
Term
deduction
Definition
process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
Term
deduction
Definition
process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
Term
denotation
Definition
literal or dictionary meaning of a word
Term
dialect
Definition
recreation of regional spoken language (southern, foreign, etc)
Term
diction
Definition
author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style as well as meaning
Term
didactic
Definition
writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns
Term
ellipsis
Definition
indicated by a series of three periods (...)
Term
euphemism
Definition
more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. ("He passed" for "he died")
Term
epigraph
Definition
use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.
Term
euphony
Definition
the pleasant presentation of sounds in a literary work
Term
exposition
Definition
background information presented in a work
Term
extended metaphor
Definition
sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit, it's developed throughout a piece of writing
Term
figurative language
Definition
the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. (metaphors, similes, symbols, etc.)
Term
flashback
Definition
device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, or episodes
Term
form
Definition
shape or structure of a literary work
Term
hyperbole
Definition
extreme exaggeration, often humorous
Term
image
Definition
verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion
Term
imagery
Definition
total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature
Term
induction
Definition
process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization.
Term
inference
Definition
conclusion one can draw from the presented details
Term
invective
Definition
verbally abusive attack
Term
logical fallacy
Definition
a mistake in reasoning
Term
metaphor
Definition
a direct comparison between dissimilar things (your eyes are stars)
Term
metonymy
Definition
a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a lager idea (the pen in mightier than the sword)
Term
monologue
Definition
speech given by one character
Term
motif
Definition
repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters
Term
narrator
Definition
the speaker of a literary work
Term
onomatopoeia
Definition
words that sound like the sound the represent (hiss, gurgle, pop)
Term
oxymoron
Definition
an image of contradictory term (bittersweet, pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp)
Term
pacing
Definition
the movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another
Term
parable
Definition
story that operates on more than one level and usually teach a moral lesson
Term
parable
Definition
story that operates on more than one level and usually teach a moral lesson
Term
parody
Definition
a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original. Can be utterly mocking or gently humorous
Term
pathos
Definition
aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience, an appeal to emotion that can be used as a means to persuade
Term
pedantic
Definition
writing that borders on lecturing, it is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult and distant
Term
periodic sentence
Definition
presents its main clause at the end of the sentence for emphasis
Term
personification
Definition
assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts
Term
pun
Definition
a play on words that often has a comic effect, associated with wit and cleverness ("grave topic of American funerals")
Term
stage directions
Definition
the specific instructions a play wright includes concerning sets, characterization, deliver, etc.
Term
structure
Definition
the organization and form of a work
Term
style
Definition
the unique way an author presents his ideas (certain diction, syntax, imagery, structure and content all contribute to style)
Term
syllogism
Definition
the format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
Term
symbol
Definition
something in a literary work that stands for something else. (plato has the light of the sun symbolize truth)
Term
symbol
Definition
something in a literary work that stands for something else. (plato has the light of the sun symbolize truth)
Term
synecdoche
Definition
a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole (all hands on deck)
Term
syntax
Definition
the grammatical structure of prose and poetry
Term
theme
Definition
the underlying ideas the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc
Term
transition
Definition
a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.
Term
voice
Definition
relationship between a sentence's subject and verb(active and passive) or "sound" of a writer's style
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