100 Key AP Language Terms for MC 英语文学手法词汇.doc

On these two pages you will find brief definitions of 100 grammatical, literary, and rhetorical terms that have appeared on the multiple-choice and essay portions of the AP? English Language and Composition exam. Ad Hominem An argument based on the failings of an adversary rather than on the merits of the case; a logical fallacy that involves a personal attack. Adjective The part of speech (or word class ) that modifies a noun or a pronoun . Adverb The part of speech (or word class ) that modifies a verb , adjective , or other adverb. Allegory Extending a metaphor so that objects, persons, and actions in a text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text. Alliteration The repetition of an initial consonant sound. Allusion A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event--real or fictional. Ambiguity The presence of two or more possible meanings in any passage. Analogy Reasoning or arguing from parallel cases. Anaphora The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses. Antecedent The noun or noun phrase referred to by a pronoun . Antithesis The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. Aphorism (1) A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion. (2) A brief statement of a principle. Apostrophe A rhetorical term for breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing. Appeal to Authority A fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a famous person or institution. Appeal to Ignorance A fallacy that uses an opponents inability to disprove a conclusion as proof of the conclusions correctness. Argument A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood. Assonance The identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words. Asyndeton The omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses (opposite of polysyndeton ). Character An individual (usually a person)