Ap Language And Composition

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ad hominem

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Rhetorical fallacy. Latin for "against the man," when a writer personally attacks his or her opponents instead of their arguments.

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allusion

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Reference to something the writer presumes the audience would know.

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ambiguity

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An event, situation, or writing that may be interpreted in more than one way.

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analogy

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Comparison of two similar but different things.

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anecdote

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Short, simple narrative, often humorous or used as an example.

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antecedent

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The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

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antithesis

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Opposite of the main point.

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aphorism

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Short statement that expresses a general truth or philosophy

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appeal to ignorance

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Rhetorical fallacy. Whatever has not been proven false must be true (or whatever has not been proven true must be false).

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appositive

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Definition of the subject as a parenthetical element with commas on either side.

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bandwagon appeals

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Rhetorical fallacy. Also known as "peer pressure". It's the idea that you should believe an assertion because everyone else does.

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circumlocution

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Literally, "talking around" a subject.

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cliché

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An overused word, phrase, or saying.

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colloquialism

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Slang or informalities, often regional.

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concession

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Granting some validity to the other side; conceding to the other side.

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didactic

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Intended to instruct.

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dogmatism

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The speaker presumes that his or her beliefs are beyond question. The logic: "I'm correct because I'm correct."

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equivocation

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A partial telling of the truth. The speaker deliberately hides the entire truth (lying by omission)/

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ethos

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The appeal of the author's credibility to his/her audience.

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euphemism

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Less offensive substitute for a generally impolite word or concept.

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false dichotomy

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Rhetorical fallacy. A consideration of only two extremes when there are one or more intermediate possibilities. Ex: "AP is so hard; either you get it or you don't."

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figurative language

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Writing or speech that is not intended as literal.

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gerund

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Verb ending in -ing that acts as a noun.

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hasty generalization

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Rhetorical fallacy. When someone tries to lead you to a conclusion by providing insufficient, selective evidence.

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hyperbole

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Intentional exaggeration as figurative language.

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imagery

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Writing that elicits clear images that often have meaning beyond simple description.

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inference

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A conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data, not directly disclosed.

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invective

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Intended to attack.

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irony

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Contrast between what appears to be true and what is actually true. Can be verbal, situational, or dramatic.

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jargon

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Specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group.

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juxtaposition

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The location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose.

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logos

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Appeal to the reader's loogic.

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metaphor

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A comparison of two items that does not use "like" or "as". Three different types: simple, controlling, extended.

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metonymy

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Using an object or person to represent what is associated with it. Ex: The White House did not offer a statement.

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non sequitur

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Latin phrase meaning "It doesn't follow". It's a statement that doesn't relate logically to what comes before it. Ex: Want to get a 5 on your AP exam? Then stop reading Harry Potter.

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onomatopoeia

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Words that sound like what they mean. Ex: bark.

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oxymoron

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Contradictory words. Ex: wise fool or jumbo shrimp.

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paradox

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Seemingly contradictory phrase that is actually true.

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parallelism

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Side by side arrangement of words, phrases, etc. to highlight similar form.

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parody

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Work of comedy through imitation and exaggeration.

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pathos

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The appeal to emotion.

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pedantic

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Ostentatiously scholarly.

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personification

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Applying human qualities to non-human objects.

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pun

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A particularly clever play on words that often adds to the humor or ironic nature of the subject at hand.

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red herring

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Rhetorical fallacy. An attempt to shift attention away from an important issue by introducing an issue that has no logical connection to the discussion at hand.

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refutation

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Arguing against the opposition.

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repetition

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Repeating words, phrases, etc. in a pattern to emphasize ideas.

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retraction

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Withdrawal of a previously stated idea or opinion.

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rhetoric

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The art of using words to persuade in writing and speaking.

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rhetorical question

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A question that is asked for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered.

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satire

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A work that mocks a topic in order to ridicule or promote thought.

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scare tactics

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Used to frighten the audience into agreeing with the speaker. Usually, the speaker doesn't have a logical argument to fall back on.

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simile

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An explicit comparison of two things using "like" or "as".

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slippery slope

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Rhetorical fallacy. An argument that suggests dire consequences from relatively minor causes. Ex: If men aren't required to wear coats and ties to a formal dinner, pretty soon they'll attend in their underwear.

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straw man argument

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Rhetorical fallacy. An oversimplification of an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

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syllogism

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A form of deductive logic including a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. The premises logically lead to the conclusion.

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symbol

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Something concrete that represents something abstract.

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synecdoche

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A figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole. Ex: "50 masts" representing 50 ships or "100 head of steer had to be moved to their grazing land".

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understatement

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The ironic minimalizing of fact, presenting something as less significant than it is. Ex: We have a small problem....

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wit

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Intellectually amusing language that is surprising or delightful.