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78 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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absolute
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a word free from limitations or qualifications
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adage
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a wise saying
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ad hominem
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attacking an individual's character
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anaphora
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the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of a sentence
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antecedent
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the word, phrase, or clause to which the pronoun refers
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antithesis
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a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced
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aphorism
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a concise statement that expresses a general truth or idea
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asyndeton
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a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions
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balanced sentence
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a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast
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bathos
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insecure or overly sentimental quality of writing intended to evoke pity
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chiasmus
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a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed
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colloquialism
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informal conversation
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complex sentence
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a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
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compound sentence
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a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses
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conceit
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fanciful expression
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concrete details
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details that relate to or describe actual, specific things, or events
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cumulative sentence
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a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases
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declarative sentence
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a statement that makes a declaration
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deductive reasoning
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reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case
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dialect
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a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation
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dilemma
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a situation that requires a person to choose between two equally attractive or unattractive alternatives
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dissonance
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harsh sounds
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elegy
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a formal poem presenting a mediation on a solemn theme
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ellipsis
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the omission of a word or phrase
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epigram
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a brief, paradoxical saying
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epigraph
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a saying or statement on the title page of a work
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epiphany
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a moment of sudden revelation
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epitaph
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an inscription on a burial place
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epithet
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a term used to point out a characteristic of a person
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eulogy
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a formal speech praising a person that died
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euphemism
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making something sound not as bad
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exclamatory sentence
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a sentence expressing strong feeling
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expletive
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a profanity
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fable
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a brief story that leads to a moral
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syllogism
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a three part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise
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synecdoche
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using one part of an object to represent the entire object
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synesthesia
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describing one kind of sensation in terms of another
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syntax
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word order
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tautology
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needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding
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trite
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overused
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vernacular
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everyday speech of a particular region
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romantic
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stresses emotion, imagination, and individualism
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sarcasm
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harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule
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satire
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the use of humor to emphasize human weakness or imperfections in social institutions
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scapegoat
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a person or group that bears the blame for another
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simple sentence
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a sentence with just one independent clause
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solecism
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nonstandard grammatical use
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surrealism
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an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control
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syllepsis
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a construction in which one word is used in two different senses
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hypothetical question
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a question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition
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inductive reasoning
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deriving general principles from from particular facts
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inference
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to draw conclusions from given clues
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invective
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an emotional verbal attack
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juxtaposition
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placing elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
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malapropism
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the mistaken substitution of one word for another
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maxim
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an adage
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non sequitor
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does not follow
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parable
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a simple story that illustrates a moral
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paradox
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a statement that at first seems to contradict itself but then upon further review actually makes sense
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parallelism
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the use of corresponding grammatical forms
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parody
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a humorous imitation of a serious work
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parenthetical
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a pause in the flow to explain something
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pathos
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type of writing to evokes pity in the reader
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pedantic
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a scholarly tone
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philippic
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a strong verbal denunciation
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polysyndeton
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the use of more conjunctions than is necessary
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pun
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a play on words
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invaluable
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priceless
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scandalous
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shameful or shocking
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sententiously
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of the nature of a maxim
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cynical
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distrusting of others
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creditors
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a person to whom money is due
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crumpets
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like a muffin
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morbid
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gruesome
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relapse
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to slip back into a former state
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expurgations
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to cleanse of moral offensives
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antithetical
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opposite
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indictment
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a formal accusation
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