English 2 EOC Review #2

semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another. Ex: Paying a child for chores may be considered a bribe or simply incentive.

Argument

The expression of a position or claim supported by reason; a discourse intended to persuade or convince. Ex. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

denouement

The resolution that occurs at the end of a narrative or drama, real or imagined. Ex: The denouement of World War II could be seen as the official surrender of Japan in 1945. This comes after the surrender of the Germans in May of 1945 and the horrific "climax" of the atomic bombs being dropped, the moment in which nothing could be the same afterwards.

rhetorical modes

This flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing. The four most common rhetorical modes (often referred to as "modes of discourse") are as follows:

homily

This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice. Ex: Judgment, Faith, Global warming

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or, occasionally, the whole is used to represent a part. Examples: To refer to a boat as a "sail"; to refer to a car as "wheels"; to refer to the violins, violas, etc. in an orchestra as "the strings." **Different than metonymy, in which one thing is represented by another thing that is commonly physically associated with it (but is not necessarily a part of it), i.e., referring to a monarch as "the crown" or the President as "The White House."

ellipsis

a figure of speech in which a word or short phrase is omitted but easily understood from the context Ex: I went...... before deciding to go home.

litotes

a form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. Litote is the opposite of hyperbole. Examples: "Not a bad idea," "Not many," "It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain" (Salinger, Catcher in the Rye).

analysis

a form of writing involving a separation of a whole into its component parts Ex. Ruff Draft, Breaking down an essay into parts

fantasy

a genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, esp. in a setting other than the real world Ex: Eragon and Harry Potter

Subjunctive Mood

a grammatical mood used to express various states of unreality such as wish, emotion, possibility, etc. Ex: Dream

parody

a humorous and often satirical imitation of the style or particular work of another author Ex: Star Wars Simpsons

Omniscient narrator

a narrator with unlimited awareness, understanding, and insight of characters, setting, background, and all other elements of a story Ex: The Scarlet Letter

annotation

a note of explanation; a comment added Ex: Avid Cornell Style

Rhetorical Question

a question to which the audience already knows the answer; a question asked for effect rather than a response Ex: Scary Movie

Montage

a quick succession of images or impressions used to express an idea Ex: Collage and Add

motif

a recurring idea, structure, contrast, or device that develops or informs the major themes of a literary work Ex: Throughout a story, there is surprisingly bad weather—snow, freezing rain, and even a tornado. These weather conditions further emphasize the larger theme of nature's power over humans.

understatement

a restrained statement that departs from what could be said; a studied avoidance of emphasis or exaggeration, often to create a particular effect

Identification

a rhetorical technique in which a speaker suggests his or her similarity or closeness to a particular group, such as an audience Ex: The author like to relate his own personal experience to his desired audience.

sarcasm

a sharp, caustic attitude conveyed in words through jibes, taunts, or other remarks; differs from the slightly more subtle irony

parable

a short narrative that illustrates a moral by means of allegory Ex: She got revenge in a way that was almost cruel. She forgave them.

epigraph

a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme. Ex: The author puts short quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

aphorism

a short, pithy statement of a generally accepted truth or sentiment; A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author's point. Ex: Actions speak louder than words.

eulogy

a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically someone who has just died Ex: Most families usually write something to remember a love one that passed away.

Claim

a statement or assertion that is open to challenge and that requires support Ex. Lumber jacking is an extremely dangerous occupation.

stream of consciousness

a style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind

sentiment

a synonym for view or feeling; also a refined and tender emotion in literature

device

a technique an author employs to achieve a certain literary or artistic effect Ex: poetry, symbolism, prose, metaphor

irony

a technique of detachment that draws awareness to the discrepancy between words and their meanings, between expectation and fulfillment, or, most commonly, between what is and what seems to be Ex: A person who claims to be a vegan and avoids meat but will eat a slice of pepperoni pizza because they are hungry. It may not make sense, but it is an illustration of irony.`

archetype

a theme, motif, symbol, or character that holds a familiar place in a culture's conscience Ex: The Hero: Spiderman

passive voice

a verb form in which the subject of the sentence seems to receive the action denoted by the verb Ex: The flat tire was changed by Sue.

Idiom

a way of speaking that is peculiar to a region, group, or class, or the conventional forms peculiar to a language; an expression that is odd or incorrect and yet accepted, or one that has a meaning that does nit clearly derives from the words that combine to form it Ex: a dime a dozen Ex: bent out of shape

pastoral

a work of literature dealing with rural life

explication

a writing that serves as a detailed explanation or clarification Ex: Biology book, Calculus book

nostalgia

a yearning for the past or for some condition or state of existence that cannot be recovered Ex: For I must now confess to you that I suffer from home-sickness— that I long so ardently and earnestly for home, as sometimes, when no one sees me, to pine for it. ... So dearly do I love the scene of my poverty and your kindness. O so dearly, O so dearly!

Critique

an analysis or assessment of a thing or situation for the purpose of determining its nature, limitations, and conformity to a set of standards Ex: Analyzing a time period or a book

invective

an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language. (For example, in Henry IV, Part I, Prince Hal calls the large character of Falstaff "this sanguine coward, this bedpresser, this horseback breaker, this huge hill of flesh.") Ex: Accusing someone who you believe was dishonest of being a filthy liar.

overstatement

an exaggeration of fact; hyperbole Ex: "his underjaw'd begin to stick out like the fo'castle of a steamboat, and his teeth would uncover, and shine savage like the furnaces."

parody

an imitation of a work meant to ridicule its style and subject

onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur. If you note examples of onomatopoeia in an essay passage, note the effect.

concrete detail

A highly specific, particular, often real, actual, or tangible detail; the opposite of abstract. Ex: DNA Evidence

apostrophe

A rhetorical term for breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing. Ex: Feet, don't fail me now.

anaphora

A sub-type of parallelism, when the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences. MLK used anaphora in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech (1963).

metonymy

A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example, a news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" is using metonymy.

transition

A word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and argumentative writing, transitions effectively signal a shift from one idea to another. A few commonly used transitional words or phrases are furthermore, consequently, nevertheless, for example, in addition, likewise, similarly, on the contrary, etc. More sophisticated writers use more subtle means of transition. Ex: Afterward, Although, Before

parallelism

Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase. (Again, the opening of Dickens' Tale of Two Cities is an example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of believe, it was the epoch of incredulity....") The effects of parallelism are numerous, but frequently they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm.

diction

An author's specific word choice to achieve correctness, clearness, or emphasis Ex. Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter...

In medias res

Latin for "in the middle of things"; refers to the technique of starting a narrative in the middle of the action Ex: The storied started in the middle of the fight. When instantly a bird flew by taking the reader back to the beginning.

Fallacy

incorrect belief or supposition based on faulty data, defective evidence, false information, or flawed logic Ex: 10+9=21

exposition

is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion. The AP language exam essay questions are frequently expository.

argumentation

is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader. Persuasive writing is a type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action.

description

is to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described. Sometimes an author engages all five senses in description; good descriptive writing can be sensuous and picturesque. Descriptive writing may be straightforward and objective or highly emotional an subjective.

narration

is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events. This writing mode frequently uses the tools of descriptive writing.

Imagery

language that brings to mind sense-impressions, especially via figures of speech and sensory language Ex: Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way

figurative language

language using words and phrases not meant to be taken at their literal meanings Ex: Idioms

narrative device

narrative device - a design or pattern in a literary work used to achieve a particular effect

Informal

refers to language appropriate for everyday, casual, or familiar conversation or writing Ex: She's decided to accept the job. Ex:The girl I met in Singapore was interested in working in Australia.

Hypothetical

relating to a hypothesis; an assumption granted for the sake of argument Ex: If a prisoner learns a work skill while in jail, then he is less likely to commit a crime when he is released.

reiteration

repetition of an idea using different words, often for emphasis or other effect

mood

the atmosphere of a work of literature; the emotion created by a work Ex: Angry, Happy, Sade, Frighten

frame

the basic structure of a text Ex: The author design his conclusion to go before his introduction to confuse the reader.

connotation

the implied meaning of a word Ex. A dove implies peace or gentility.

Subtext

the implied meaning that underlies the main meaning of an essay or other work Ex: A person coughing up blood can be implied that their about to die.

denotation

the literal, explicit meaning of a word Ex. Dove- Bird, Home- physical place that you live

climax

the moment of greatest intensity in a text, or the major turning point in the plot Ex. A little girl has been looking for her lost dog. She hears a bark coming from around the corner, and she looks around to see...

antithesis

the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.

predicate

the part of a sentence that is not the grammatical subject. It often says something about the subject.

melodrama

the use of sentimentality, gushing emotion, sensational action, or plot twists to provoke audience or reader response Ex: The Sixth Sense, The Iron Giant

retraction

the withdrawal of a previously stated idea or opinion

Canon

the works considered most important in a national literature or period; works widely read and studied Ex: The Bible

foreshadow

to provide clues in advance of a future event Ex: life were better ended by their hate, / Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. - Romeo and Juliet

subjunctive mood

used to express doubt or a conditional attitude; "Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer weiner! That is what I truly want to be." Ex: If I were President, I wouldn't put up with it.

situational irony

when events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen Ex: A fire station burns down.

dramatic irony

when 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. Ex: Two people are engaged to be married but the audience knows that the man is planning to run away with another woman.

synesthesia

when one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another. Ex: The sight of red ants makes you itchy. In literature, synesthesia refers to the practice of associating two or more different senses in the same image. Red Hot Chili Peppers' song title,"Taste the Pain," is an example. Ex: "Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provencal song, and sun burnt mirth!"

verbal irony

when the words literally state the opposite of them writer's (or speaker's) meaning Ex: That dog is as friendly as a rattlesnake.

oxymoron

From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness." This term does not usually appear in the multiple-choice questions, but there is a chance that you might find it in an essay. Take note of the effect that the author achieves with the use of oxymoron.

syllogism

From the Greek for "reckoning together," a syllogism (or syllogistic reasoning or syllogistic logic) is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called "major" and the second called "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion. A frequently cited example proceeds as follows: major premise: All men are mortal. minor premise: Socrates is a man. conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is a mortal.

Logos

Greek for "wisdom" or "reason"; in the context of rhetoric, refers to the process of persuading by means of logic and reason, as opposed to style, authority, or emotion Ex: All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

Audience

In the context of writing or literature, this term refers to the reading public of a specific group of intended readers Ex. The author writes mystery books to reach his desired reader.

Anecdote

a brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point Ex: New Article

farce

a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations Ex: Home Alone

dialogue

a conversation between two or more speakers; an exchange of ideas Ex: bob- how was you day? Mayson- great, thanks for asking. You? bob- terrible.

ethos

ethical appeal Ex: As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results.