Term
click below
click below
Term
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Syntax AP Lit
Term | Definition |
---|---|
antithesis | a direct contrast of structurally parallel word groupings for the purpose of contrast--"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." |
parallel structure | a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence. "I like running, skiing, and swimming." |
rhetorical question | a question that expects no answer--used to draw attention to a point? "What's the meaning of life?" "What am I doing here?" |
simple sentence | a sentence containing one subject and one verb |
declarative sentence | a sentence that makes a statement. "The sky is blue." "On that Tuesday in May when I'd forgotten my binder, I was late to class." |
Imperative sentence | A sentence that gives a command. "Tie my shoes." "Please turn in your assignment." |
Interrogative sentence | A sentence that asks a question. "Where are you going?" "Why did the chicken cross the road?" |
Exclamatory sentence | a sentence that makes an exclamation. "The witch is dead!" |
compound sentence | a sentence containing two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction |
complex sentence | a sentence containing an independent and one or more subordinate clauses |
compound-complex sentence | a sentence containing two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses |
loose sentence | a sentence in which the main clause comes first and any subordinate clauses or other phrases follow |
periodic sentence | a sentence that is not grammatically complete until the final clause or phrase |
balanced sentence | a sentence in which the phrases or clauses are similar to each other by virtue of their likeness in structure and/or length |
natural order | a sentence in which the subject comes before the predicate |
inverted order | a sentence in which the predicate comes before the subject |
split order | a sentence in which the subject appears in the middle of a split predicate |
anaphora | the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive poetic lines, prose sentences, clauses, or paragraphs to emphasize an idea |
epistrophe | the ending of a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words for emphasis or emotional impact |
ploce | repeating a word within the same line or clause, usually separated by intervening words, often with a different nuance of meaning or different part of speech. "Give me a break. Give me a break. Break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat bar!" |
syntax | the ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns, such as phrases, clauses, or sentences |
clause | a group of words containing a subject and its verb |
phrase | a group of related words within a sentence |
sentence | a group of words containing a subject and its verb which expresses a complete idea |
interrupted order sentence | a sentence in which the subordinate elements come in the middle, often set off by dashes "Students--thousands of them--stormed the plaza." |
polysyndeton | a stylistic device in which several coordinating conjunctions are used in succession in order to achieve an artistic effect. |
antimetabole | the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed order. "If you fail to plan, plan to fail." |