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AP Language and Composition Terms

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Term
Definition
Alliteration   The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words  
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Allusion   A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known. May be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion.  
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Ambiguity   The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, or a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.  
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Analogy   A similarity or comparison between two things or the relationship between them  
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Antecedent   The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun  
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Antithesis   The opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite  
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Aphorism   A statement (of known authorship) which expresses a general truth or a moral principle  
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Apostrophe   A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love  
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Atmosphere   The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice or objects that are described  
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Caricature   A verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person's features  
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Clause   A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb  
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Colloquial   The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing  
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Conceit   A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects  
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Connotation   The non-literal, associative meaning of a word  
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Denotation   The strict, literal definition of a word  
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Diction   Related to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices  
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Didactic   Intended or inclined to teach, preach, or instruct, often excessively.  
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Euphemism   More agreeable/less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept  
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Extended Metaphor   A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work  
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Figurative Language   Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid  
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Figure of Speech   A device used to produce figurative language (Apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synedoche, understatement)  
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Generic Conventions   Describes traditions for each genre; help define each genre  
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Genre   The major category into which a literary work fits. Basic divisions: prose, poetry, drama  
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Homily   "Sermon"; In can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice  
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Hyperbole   A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement  
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Imagery   The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions  
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Inference   To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented  
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Invective   An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language  
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Verbal Irony   When words literally state to opposite of the writer's meaning  
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Situational Irony   When events turn out the opposite of what was expected  
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Dramatic Irony   When facts or events are unknown to a character but known to the audience or other characters  
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Litotes   A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite  
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Metaphor   A figure of speech using implies comparison of seemingly unlike things; or the substitution of one for the other  
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Metonymy   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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Mood   The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura or a work  
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Narrative   The telling of a story or an account or an event  
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Onomatopoeia   Buzz, howl  
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Oxymoron   Jumbo shrimp, holy war  
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Paradox   A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth  
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Parallelism   Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. Also called parallel structure.  
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Anaphora   A sub-type of parallelism, when the exact repetition or words or phrases at the beginning or successive lines or sentences (I Have a Dream Speech)  
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Parody   Weird Al  
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Pedantic   An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish  
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Personification   A figure or speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions  
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Point of View   The perspective from which a story is told  
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Prose   One of the major divisions of genre, refers to fiction and nonfiction  
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Repetition   The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language  
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Rhetoric   Describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively  
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Rhetorical Modes   Describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing: exposition, argumentation, description, narration  
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Exposition   To explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion  
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Argumentation   To prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader  
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Description   To recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described  
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Narration   To tell a story or narrate an event or series of events  
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Sarcasm   Involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something; may use irony  
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Satire   A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule  
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Semantics   The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another  
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Style   An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices  
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Subject Compliment   The word or clause that follows a linking verb and complements, or completes, the subject of the sentence  
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Syllogism   A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion  
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Symbolism   Anything (usually something concrete such as an object, action, character, or scene) that represents itself and also stands for something more abstract  
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Synecdoche   A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, or the whole for a part.  
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Synesthesia   When one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another  
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Syntax   The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences  
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Theme   The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life  
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Thesis   The sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or position  
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Tone   The author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both  
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Transition   A word or phrase that links different idea  
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Understatement   Presents something as less significant than it is  
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Wit   Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights  
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Allegory   The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.  
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