Ap Language And Composition Terms

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ad hominem argument

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This is an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather than intellect.

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Allegory

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The device of using character and or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

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Alliteration

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The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds, and two or more neighboring words. the repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, and/or supply of musical sound. Question

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Allusion

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A direct or indirect reference to something that is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Illusions can be historical, literary, religious, or mythical.

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Ambiguity

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The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage. Ambiguity also can include a sense of uncertainty or inexactness that a work presents.

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Analogy

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A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, and imaginative , and intellectually engaging.

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Anecdote

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A short, narrative account of something amusing, unusual, revealing, or interesting event. Used to clarify abstract points, to humanize individuals so that readers can relate to them, or to create a memorable image in the reader's mind.

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Antecedent

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The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The antecedent of a pronoun will be a noun.

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Antithesis

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A figure of speech involving a seemingly contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure. This emphasizes the opposition of ideas.

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Aphorism

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Aphorism terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle.

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Apostrophe

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A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love, or an inanimate object.

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Atmosphere

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The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described.

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Caricature

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A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.

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Chiasmus

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A figure of speech base on inverted parallelism. Where two clauses are related to each other through reversal of terms.

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Colloquialism

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Slang or informality in speech or writing.

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Conceit

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A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or a surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

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Connotation

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The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

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Denotation

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The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.

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Diction

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Refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

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Didactic

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Means instructive. The primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially teaching moral or ethical principles.

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Euphemism

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Are more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant words or concepts. Can be used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness, or dad humor or ironic understatement.

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Extended metaphor

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A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

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Homily

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It can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

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Homily

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It can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

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Invective

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An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

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Irony

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The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears to be and what is actually true.

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Verbal irony

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The words literally state the opposite of the writer's or speaker's true meaning.

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Situational irony

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Events turn out the opposite of what was expected.

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Dramatic irony

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Facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work.

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Juxtaposition

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Placing two similar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

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Logical fallacy

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A mistake in verbal reasoning. To be a fallacy , the reasoning must be potentially deceptive. They appeal to emotion, bandwagon, begging the question, circular reasoning, hasty generalization etc.

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Loose sentence

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A type of sentence in which the main idea come first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other suggesting some similarity.

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Metonymy

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A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

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Exposition

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Writing that intends to inform and demonstrate a point. A mode of discourse.

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Narration

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Writing that tells a story or that relates a series of events.

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Description

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Writing that creates sensory images, often evoking a mood or atmosphere. Mode of discourse.

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Argumentation

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Writing that takes a stand on an issue and supports it with evidence and logical reasoning. A mode of discourse.

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Onomatopoeia

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A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech in which the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.

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Paradox

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A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contain some degree of validity.

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Parody

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A work that closely imitates the style or content of another work with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. Parody distorts or exaggerated distinctive features of the original. It can also mimic the work by repeating and borrowing words, phrases, or characteristics in order to illuminate weaknesses in the original.

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Pathos

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An appeal to emotion

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Pedantic

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An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish

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Periodic sentence

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A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end.

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Predicate adjective

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One type of subject complement-- an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb.

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Predicate nominative

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A type of subject complement-- a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject.

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Prose

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Refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, because they are written in ordinary language and most closely resemble everyday speech. Anything that isn't poetry or drama is prose.

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Subject complement

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The word or clause that follows a linking verb and complement, or completes, the subject of the sentence by either renaming it or describing it.

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Natural symbols

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Use objects and occurrences from nature to represent ideas commonly associated with them.

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Conventional symbols

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Symbols that have been invested with meaning by a group (such as a religious symbol like the Star of David, national symbols such as the flag, or group symbols such as a skull and crossbones for pirates.)

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Literary symbols

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Sometimes also conventional in the sense that they are found in a variety of works and generally recognized.

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Understatement

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The ironic minimizing of a fact, understand my presents something as less significant than it actually is.

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Litotes

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A figure of speech by which an affirmation is made indirectly by denying its opposite.

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Meiosis

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A rhetorical figure by which something is referred to in terms less important than it actually deserves.

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Wit

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Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights