Ap English Words

Front 1

Abstract

Back 1

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images.

Front 2

Ad Hominem

Back 2

in an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."

Front 3

Allegory

Back 3

a work that functions on a symbolic level.

Front 4

Alliteration

Back 4

the repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Front 5

Allusion

Back 5

a reference contained in a work.

Front 6

Analogy

Back 6

a literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items.

Front 7

Anecdote

Back 7

a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point.

Front 8

Antecedent

Back 8

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. The AP English Language and Composition Exam often expects you to identify the antecedent in a passage.

Front 9

Antithesis

Back 9

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..."

Front 10

Argument

Back 10

a single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer.

Front 11

Attitude

Back 11

the relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience.

Front 12

Balance

Back 12

a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of a longer work.

Front 13

Cacophony

Back 13

has and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.

Front 14

Character

Back 14

those who carry out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of characters.

Front 15

Colloquial

Back 15

the use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone. Hucklberry Finn is written in colloquial style.

Front 16

Comic Relief

Back 16

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.