AP Lang M/C TEST Terminology

slippery-slope fallacy

This is an argument that assumes that one action will lead to another similar action that in turn will lead to another and to another, ultimately resulting in something quite undesirable

cumulative sentence

sometimes called the "loose sentence;" They begin with the independent clause and then finish with a series of modifying constructions (phrases and/or clauses) [i.e. Sarah waited, anxious and concerned that the class had been canceled]

rhetorical question

A question posed by the speaker or writer not to seek an answer but instead to affirm or deny a point simply by asking a question about it. It is used to draw attention to a point and is generally stronger than a direct statement. As a rhetorical tool, it could be used to appeal to an audience's common sense or logic [i.e. Do you want to lose?]

generalization

A broad generalization takes in everything and everyone at once, allowing no exceptions [i.e. broad generalization about voters might be "All voters spend too little time reading about a candidate and to much time being swayed by 30-second sound bites"] It may be true that quite a few voters spend too little time reading about the candidates, but it is unfair to suggest that this is true of all voters [i.e. All teenagers spend too much time watching television]

aphorism

A concise statement, not unlike a maxim, of a principle or precept; e.g. "Life is short,... opportunity fleeting."

chiasmus

A crossing parallelism, where the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order. Instead of an A, B structure [i.e. learned unwillingly] paralleled by another A, B structure ["forgotten gladly"], the A, B structure will be followed by B, A ["gladly forgotten"]. So instead of writing "What is learned is forgotten gladly," you could write "What is learned unwillingly is gladly forgotten...It is used to intensify the contrast. As a rhetoric device, it is often used to place an emphasis on or draw attention to what is said

zeugma

A figure of speech in which one word, usually a preposition or a verb, yokes together two other elements that are unrelated [i.e. He maintained his composure "with" grace and sedatives and he "wrecked" his car and his life]

allusion

A figure of speech making in indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly know, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusion can be historical (like referring to Hitler) or literary (like referring to the Romeo figure in Romeo and Juliet, or like referring to the Noah figure in the Bible story of the flood, or like referring to the Atlas figure of Greek mythology). As a rhetorical tool, a speaker or writer may use an allusion as comparative tool which could appeal to an audience's emotions [i.e. a speaker who wants to discourage her audience from taking too great a risk, might remind them to live their lives like Daedalus, who warned his son, Icarus, to fly a middle course like him and not to fly close to the sun; Icarus did not heed his father's warning-he fly hazardously close to the sun and his wax wings melted]

satiric tone

A literary work in which human foolishness or vice is attacked through irony, derision, or wit

pun

A play on words based on the similarity of sound between two words of different meaning. It is often seen as a simple form of humor [i.e. The spoiled turkey was fowl (wordplay on foul)]

periodic sentence/effect

A sentence beginning with a series of subordinate modifying phrases and clauses, often creating a crescendo effect, and then ending with a forceful independent clause. The periodic sentence makes sense only when the end of the sentence is reached.

conditional sentence

A sentence that focuses on a question of truth or fact, introduced by if or its equivalent. As a rhetorical device, it often works as a a vehicle for a writer/speaker to appeal to an audience's logic or common sense [i.e. If we married, our parents would be happy]

declarative sentence

A sentence that makes a statement. As a rhetorical device, it could communicate or emphasize that the speaker/writer is confident [i.e. There is nothing to fear]

syllogistic reasoning

A series of statements in which a logical conclusion is drawn from inarguable premises

parallelism

A set of similarly structured words, phrases, or clauses that appears in a sentences, and paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and similarly phrased. As a rhetoric tool, speakers/writers may use this rhythmic technique as a subtle repetition device emphasizing what is said and making the content of what is said more memorable.

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something more familiar. Analogies can make writing more vivid, imaginative or intellectually engaging

qualified language

A word or group of words limiting or specifying another word, phrase, or clause

bandwagon appeal

An argumentative fallacy where language is used to appeal to everyone's sense of wanting to belong or be accepted. It suggests that a person should act or think like everyone else because everyone else acts or thinks a certain way [i.e. Everyone at school wears high tops. You should too.]

hyperbole

An exaggeration or embellishment for effect or to make a point [i.e. I could eat a horse]

either-or fallacy

An fallacy in argumentation in which language is used to suggest there are only two sides or perspectives in viewing an issue; it is a fallacy, because more often than not an issue is more complex than just seeing it from two sides or perspectives

metaphor

An implied comparison between two unlike things that does not use the word like, as, so, or than. It is the most important of all the tropes [i.e. His voice was a cascade of emotion]

ad hominem fallacy

Literally meaning "against the person," an ad hominem fallacy is a part of argumentation, and it does not address the soundness of another side's argument, instead it attacks the character of a person who conveys that other side of the argument [i.e. Congressman Smithers supports the tax break for the rich, because he is a greedy jerk, and it will put money in his pocket]

narrative pace

The pace of the writing is how quickly it moves from one event or action to another. It can aid in creating a mood, tone, attitude and significance of information [the narrative pace could be sped up in a piece of writing through the use of short, even fragmented sentence structures, and thus would convey a sense or urgency to the audience]

imperative sentence

Gives direct command to someone; its subject can sometimes be and implied "You." [i.e. Sit! or Read this book for tomorrow]

antiphrasis/antipharatic language

Irony of one word, often derisively through patent contradiction. This type of irony is usually only detectable through context. Examples: saying "hey shorty" to a tall person; saying someone is a good person (good really meaning its opposite)

exclusive language

Language that seeks to alienate, ostracize, and/or exclude other from a group and often create a sense of us vs. them [i.e. using pronouns like "they," "them," or "you"]

inclusive language

Language that seeks to reach out to include others into a group [i.e. using pronouns like "we," "us," or indefinite pronouns like "everyone"]

tense

PERFECT VERB TENSE: Past Perfect Verb Tense-indicates that an action was completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the past before something else happened. This tense is formed with the past tense form of "to have" (HAD) plus the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form) Present Verb Tense-formed with a present tense form of "to have" plus the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form). This tense indicates either that an action was completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the past or that the action extends to the present PROGRESSIVE VERB TENSE: indicates continuing action, something going on now. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the present tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending)

argumentum ad baculum

The fallacy committed when one appeals to a false or perceived the threat of force to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion [i.e. Chairman of the Board: " All those opposed to my arguments for the opening department, signify by saying, 'I resign']

antithetical language

The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas, often in parallel structure. It's used to show a contrast or opposition of thoughts

epistrophe

The repetition of a group of words at the end of successive clauses; As a rhetoric device, it is often used to place an emphasis on what is said [i.e. They saw no evil; they spoke no evil; they heard no evil]

anadiplosis

The repetition of the last word (or phrase) from the previous line, clause or sentence at the beginning of the next [i.e. ...a man could stand and see the whole wide reach of blue Atlantic, but he stayed ashore. He stayed ashore and plowed...]

antimetabole

The repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order. As a rhetorical device, it is often used to place emphasis on or draw attention to what is said

anaphora

The rhetorical device of repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis and rhythm. As a rhetorical device, it is often used to place an emphasis on or draw attention to what is said

polysyndeton

The use of many conjunctions to separate clauses and phrases; it often serves as tool to manipulate the narrative pace of the writing; while it tends to be used to slow the pace, it can also create a sense of build-up or crescendo

absolute language

This kind of language describes someone or something as having a quality that lacks degrees, absolutes express the idea someone or something possesses a quality that cannot be more or less. As a rhetorical device, absolutes may help a speaker convey a tone that is confident, self-assured, or strong [i.e unique, always, never, perfect, etc]

reductio ad absurdum

[i.e. reducing to the absurd] An argumentative fallacy in which a proposition is disprove by following its implications logically to an absurd consequence [i.e. All cats have four legs. All dogs have four legs. Therefore, all cats are dogs.]

salutation

a gesture or utterance made as a greeting or acknowledgment of another's arrival or departure

double entendre

a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning