1. AP Lang Vocab review
Spring 2018

2. Allegory
A story or poem or picture that can be interpreted to reveal the hidden meaning
Example: The Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of a spiritual journey; Animal Farm is an allegory for the rise of Communism in the Soviet Union

3. alliteration
Same letters or sound at the beginning of closely connected words
“She sells seashells down by the seashore”

4. Allusion
An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly
“Don’t be a Romeo” – refers to Romeo and Juliet without actually saying it

5. Ambiguity Uncertainty of meaning of a word or phrase
When someone says a “A good life depends on the liver”; liver could be an organ or a living persion
“Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana”

6. Analogy
A comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification
“That movie was a roller coaster ride of emotions”

7. Antecedent The word a pronoun replaces
Fatima is smart; she will pass the test. “She” is the pronoun for the antecedent “Fatima”

8. Antithesis
A contrast or opposition between two things (the exact opposite idea)
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”

9. Aphorism A pithy observation that contains a general truth
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

10. Apostrophe Talking to something that cannot hear you
“Oh sun, please come out so I don’t have to drive home in the rain!”

11. Atmosphere
A type of feeling that readers get from a narrator based on details such as setting, background, etc.
In Rowling’s Harry Potter she spins a whimsical and suspenseful atmosphere.

12. Caricature
A picture or description or imitation of a person or thing in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated to create a comical effect
“Her ears were smoking and her hair was on fire – mom was mad!”

13. Clause A group of words that includes a subject and a verb
“Cara ate a cheese roll”

14. Colloquial/Colloquialism
Involving slang or informal conversation/language
“I’m blue” meaning someone is sad.

15. Conceit A metaphor that compares two objects that are nothing alike.
The mighty oaks are as abundant as the squirrels in the forest

16. Connotation An idea or feeling that a word makes
Inexpensive vs cheap – positive vs negative connotation

17. Denotation
The literal or primary meaning of a word – the dictionary definition
Home – a physical place where you live

18. Dichotomy A division into two parts
Good/evil, black/white, Cruella DeVille’s hair

19. Diction The use of words and phrases in writing
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

20. Didactic
Intended to teach or particularly in having moral instructions as an ulterior motive
The professor’s lectures were designed to be didactic; they only served to confuse the students.

21. Euphemism
An indirect word or expression substituting for one considered to be too harsh or blunt
Passed away instead of died

22. Extended metaphor
When an author uses a metaphor throughout a long passage or even an entire work
In R+J, Shakespeare uses an extended metaphor comparing Juliet to the sun

23. Figurative Language
Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation
Similes, metaphors, personification, imagery, etc.

24. Figure of Speech
A word or phrase used in a nonliterature sense for rhetorical or vivid effect
“He was a lion in a fight”

25. Generic Conventions
Features shown by a text that allows them to be put into a specific genre
Almost all westerns use cowboy hats, six shooters, and horses

26. Genre A category of artistic composition as in music or literature
Fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, essay, cartoon, etc.

27. Homily
A sermon but more informally it can mean any serious talks involving moral or serious matter
When a minister gives a sermon

28. Hyperbole
Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
“I’ve told you a million times!”

29. Imagery
Usually descriptive or figurative language – anything that paints a picture in your head
“She wears a long fur coat of mink”

30. Inference/Infer
A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence or reasoning
“There should be no inference drawn from the fact that he chooses not to be a witness”

31. Invective Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language
“He let out a stream of invectives”

32. Irony/Ironic
The expression of one’s meaning by using language that signifies the opposite for humorous or empathetic effect (the opposite of what is expected)
A McDonald’s right next to a gym

33. Litotes
A figure of speech that employs an understatement by using double negatives or in other words a positive statement expressed by its opposite (litotes is the opposite of hyperbole)
“Not too bad” = good

34. Loose/Non-periodic sentence
A type of sentence in which the main idea is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases
“He went into the town to buy groceries and to visit his friends and to go to the bookstores.”

35. Metaphor A comparison between two things without using like or as
“The classroom was a zoo”

36. Metonymy
A figure of speech that replaces the name of something with the name of something else that is closely related to it.
“The cup is quite tasty”
“The White House issued a press release today..”

37. Mood Including or suggestive of a particular feeling or state of mind
A scary story makes the reader feel nervous/scared

38. Narrative A story spoken or written document of connected events
Any book, movie, etc.

39. Onomatopoeia
The formation of a word from a sound associated with its name
(A word which is defined by its sound)
Boom, bam, bang, cliché

40. Oxymoron A figure of speech that seems contradictory
Cool kindness, living death, jumbo shrimp

41. Paradox Self contradictory statement that may prove to be true
I know one thing – that I know nothing.

42. Parallelism
A balance within one or more clauses that have the same grammatical structure
The “I have a dream” speech

43. anaphora
Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
I came, I saw, I conquered

44. Parody
A work created to imitate, make fun of, or comment on an original work
The movie A Haunted House or the Scary Movie series

45. Pedantic
Of or like a person who is excessively concerned with minor details
A person at a party who bores everyone by talking at length about the origins of a particular piece of pottery

46. Periodic Sentence
The main clause or predicate used at the end for emphasis
I couldn’t wait any longer; I went to sleep

47. Personification Giving human qualities of something that isn’t human.
“lightning danced across the sky.”

48. Point Of View Attitude or feelings towards a matter or a perspective.
A mixture of point of view towards that president’s speech

49. Prose A form of language that has no formal metrical structure
Verses in poems

50. repetition
The action of repeating something that has already been said.

51. Rhetoric Art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing
“The waiter at the restaurant suggested we add some of their sweet, delicious potato fries to for a dollar more”

52. Rhetorical modes
Describe the variety conventions and purposes of the major kinds of language based communication particularly writing and speaking
Narration, description, exposition, and argumentation

53. Sarcasm The use of irony to mock or convey contempt
“His voice hardened by sarcasm could not hide his resentment”

54. Satire
The use of humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticize peoples stupidity or vices

55. semantics Nitpicking at the literal meaning of a phrase or word
Arguing with a s/o over whether or not you said I love you

56. style
The authors word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement all work together to establish style
Expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative styles

57. Subject complement
The adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows a linking verb
The box is a present

58. Subordinate clause
It is typically introduced by a conjunction

59. syllogism Two logical statements that lead to a third statement
All birds are animals, all parrots are birds, all birds are animals

60. Symbol/symbolism
To give to foreign an object representing a deeper meaning
The Statue of Liberty - Freedom

61. synecdoche
Figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa
He asked for her hand in marriage

62. synesthesia Describing sensation in terms of another
The silence was as thick as the forest
Just looking at those ants makes me itchy
The food on TV looked so good I could taste it

63. syntax Arrangement of words or phrases to create proper sentences
Stop doing that, you’re driving me crazy.

64. Theme The main subject that is being discussed or described
The Hunger Games

65. Thesis/claim
A statement or theory put forward as a premise to be proved

66. tone
Similar to mood, the author’s attitude towards their written work

67. Transition A word or phrase that links different ideas
Furthermore, however, additionally, also, and so…

68. Understatement
The ironic minimizing f a fact to present it as something less important than it is. Similar to litotes, opposite of hyperbole

69. Wit
Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights