Ap English Terms & Tones

Front 1

Ad hom argument

Back 1

attack the person rather than the argument; use of emotion rather than intellect

Front 2

allegory

Back 2

symbolism: when a character or story elements represent something abstract or intangebile

huck finn is an allegory for maturation

Front 3

ambiguity

Back 3

not clear, open to multiple interpretations

Front 4

analogy

Back 4

comparison of unlike things to show connection

Front 5

antecedent

Back 5

noun to which a pronoun refers

Front 6

apostrophe

Back 6

emotional mood created by literacy work; created from objects and setting

Front 7

caricature

Back 7

literary or pictorial; subject distinctive features are deliberately exaggerated for comic or grotesque effect;

lampoon: making fun/mocking

parody or satire

Front 8

chiasmus

Back 8

parallelism in reverse

a>b, b>a

jfk ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country

Front 9

clause

Back 9

always has a noun and a verb

Front 10

independent (main) clause

Back 10

subject, verb, expresses a complete thought (can stand alone)

Front 11

dependent (subordinating) clause

Back 11

doesn't express a complete thought (can be used in beginning of a sentence followed by comma)

Front 12

phrase

Back 12

never has a verb

Front 13

colloquialism

Back 13

slang/informal speech or writing

Front 14

conceit

Back 14

very long, extended metaphor

Front 15

connotation

Back 15

nonliteral, associative meaning of the word

Front 16

denotation

Back 16

opposite of connotation; strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word

Front 17

diction

Back 17

word choice

Front 18

didactic

Back 18

intended to instruct, especially morals and ethics

Front 19

euphemism

Back 19

using a less harsh term to replace a harsh one

Front 20

extended metaphor

Back 20

comparison, conceit

Front 21

genre

Back 21

category of writing

Front 22

homily

Back 22

sermon: speech with moral or spiritual advice

Front 23

hyperbole

Back 23

extreme exaggeration

Front 24

inference

Back 24

draw reasonable conclusion from information; can never be directly stated

Front 25

imagery

Back 25

figurative language; similes; metaphors; personification; appeals to the senses

Front 26

invective language

Back 26

violent verbal denunciation or attack

Front 27

irony

Back 27

1. situational: common, opposite of what's expected occurs

2. verbal: saying the opposite of what you mean (sarcasm)

3. dramatic: audience knows something one of the characters doesn't (romeo&juliet)

Front 28

juxtaposition

Back 28

placing opposites next to each other to compare (antitheses)

Front 29

loose sentence

Back 29

traditional, subject (independent clause), comes first

Front 30

metaphor

Back 30

comparison of unlike things using is or are; abstract

Front 31

metonymy

Back 31

using something concrete to describe something abstract

Front 32

mood

Back 32

1. indicative: used for factual statements

2. subjunctive: conditional (if/then)

3. imperative: gives a command

Front 33

narrative

Back 33

tells a story (or tries)

Front 34

onomatopoeia

Back 34

a sound

Front 35

oxymoron

Back 35

(juxt., antithesis) two contradictory parts placed next to one another - insinuates paradox

Front 36

paradox

Back 36

statement that appears self contradictory, but when analyzed reveals a truth

"government is best which doesn't govern at all." hdt

Front 37

parallelism

Back 37

repetition of similar grammatical structures

Front 38

parody

Back 38

works that imitate style or content of another with aim of comic effect/ridicule

Front 39

pedantic

Back 39

language that is overly scholarly or bookish (no street sense)

Front 40

periodic sentence

Back 40

main clause comes at the end of the sentence

Front 41

loose sentence

Back 41

main clause comes first

Front 42

personification

Back 42

giving an inanimate object human characteristics

Front 43

point of view

Back 43

1st person narrator - I
3rd person omniscient narrator - godlike knowledge of everything
3rd person limited omniscient-narrator knows feelings/thoughts of one character

Front 44

verbs of being

Back 44

"to be"
be, am, is, was, were, being, are, been

Front 45

predicate adjective

Back 45

my boyfriend *is* tall and handsome
-sentence with 'to be'

Front 46

predicate nominative

Back 46

i, we; you, you; he, she, it - they; two subjects that can be switched around 'to be'

(subject compliment)

Front 47

prose

Back 47

anything not poetic-including fiction and nonfiction (not drama)

Front 48

repetition

Back 48

parallel structure

Front 49

rhetoric

Back 49

art of arguing persuasively, effectively

Front 50

logos

Back 50

appeal to logic

Front 51

ethos

Back 51

establishing credibility/reasonable (considered both sides)

Front 52

pathos

Back 52

appeal to emotion

Front 53

exposition

Back 53

explain or analyze information

Front 54

argumentation

Back 54

persuasive writing; get someone to agree

Front 55

description

Back 55

recreate or invent something through words

Front 56

narration

Back 56

tell a story

Front 57

rhetorical question

Back 57

not requiring an answer/response (assumed)

Front 58

sarcasm

Back 58

verbal irony saying the opposite of what you mean

Front 59

satire

Back 59

mocking/making fun of someone/thing in hopes of changing it

Front 60

subordinate clause

Back 60

(dependent) not complete thought, usually begins with subordinating conjunction, if, when , where, because, sincere

Front 61

syllogism

Back 61

example of deductive reasoning

1. major(broad) premise: all spitzes are beautiful
2. minor (specific) premise: bubchza is a spitz
3. conclusion: bubchza is beautiful

Front 62

simile

Back 62

comparing two unlike things things using like or as

Front 63

symbol

Back 63

represents something else

natural symbol-comes from nature

conventional symbol-meaning to specific group, religious/national

Front 64

literary symbol

Back 64

from literately works

Front 65

syntax

Back 65

structure

Front 66

theme

Back 66

control idea/message of work

Front 67

thesis

Back 67

directly states authors opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition

Front 68

tone

Back 68

authors attitude towards his material, the audience, or both

Front 69

transition

Back 69

word/phrase linking different ideas; in addition, likewise, on the contrary; orderly, logical

Front 70

understatement

Back 70

ironic minimizing of a fact, presents something as less significant

Front 71

threathening

Back 71

menacing, intimidating

possibility or promise of negative action against the subject

Front 72

provocative

Back 72

stimulating, exciting

exclamation marks, calls to action

Front 73

persuasive

Back 73

written to convince or win over

Front 74

sarcastic

Back 74

snide, mocking, verbal irony

what is said is the opposite of what is meant

Front 75

sardonic

Back 75

derisively mocking

Front 76

satiric

Back 76

satirizing, ironic, mocking, farcial
making fun in hopes of change

tongue in cheek

Front 77

disdainful

Back 77

arrogant, lordly, superior, unsympathetic

narrator has given up communication, feels he is superior

Front 78

condescending

Back 78

patronizing, arrogant
feeling that one is above one's surroundings or fellows.

Front 79

horrific

Back 79

appalling, shocking, gruesome (detail)

Front 80

simpering

Back 80

overly happy, gushy

Front 81

bantering

Back 81

teasing, joking

simple, straightfoward, as if author is telling a joke to a good friend

Front 82

amused

Back 82

of playful nature, entertained

Front 83

mock heroic

Back 83

ridiculing a 'hero'

expects others to share his misplaced idealism

Front 84

elegiac

Back 84

lamenting, poignant, funereal

regret, loss, mourning

Front 85

disappointed

Back 85

deceived, crestfallen, let down

absence of people, no noise, white, black, grey

Front 86

urgent

Back 86

imperative, critical, intensely necessary

tersed, strained dialogue, loose sentences, small details

Front 87

ominous

Back 87

fateful, illboding, foreboding, dire

something may go wrong

Front 88

apprehensive

Back 88

anxious, uneasy, worried

begins w short choppy sentences, then med/short, concludes w long rushing sents to emphasize wrongness in situation

Front 89

audacious

Back 89

daring, bold, insolent, blatant

Front 90

reverent

Back 90

venerating, worshipping (religious pieces)

Front 91

intimate

Back 91

devoted, affectionate, fond

two people devoted to each other

Front 92

whimsical

Back 92

capricious, fantastic

alice in wonderland

Front 93

reflective

Back 93

contemplative, introspective, meditative

use of 1st person

Front 94

regretful

Back 94

contrite, apologetic, sorry

Front 95

remorseful

Back 95

penitent, contrite, rueful

"would die a thousand times to save the innocent"

Front 96

factual

Back 96

certain, absolute, irrefutable, unbiased

lack of opinion, convey information

Front 97

detached

Back 97

aloof, impartial

used when situation is extremely good or bad

Front 98

pedantic

Back 98

scholarly, making show of book knowledge ostentatiously

unemotional

Front 99

sympathetic

Back 99

compassionate, sensitive

Front 100

tongue in cheek

Back 100

refers to humor in which a statement is not meant to be taken seriously, but it's lack of seriousness is subtle. not serious but appears to be.

Front 101

matter of fact

Back 101

straight forward, prosaic, practical, objective, unemotional