AP English Language & Composition Ultimate Guide

is the general manner of expression used in a text.

is an appeal to the emotions, values, or desires of the audience.

is the figurative device in which inanimate objects or concepts are given the thoughts, feelings, or actions of a human.

is an appeal to the speakers credibility- whether he or she is to be believed on the basis of his or her character and expertise.

refers to a words primary or literal significance

refers to the vast range of other meanings that a word suggests.

describe how an author uses language to construct a text.

is overstatement or exaggeration; it is the use of figurative language that significantly exaggerates the facts for effect.

is an appeal to reason and logic.

is figurative language that presents the facts in a way that makes them appear much less significant than they really are.

describes how the text makes the audience feel.

describes the speakers attitude toward the subject.

is a rhetorical strategy designed to capture the audiences attention.

is simply verbal irony used with the intent to injure.

is a form of communication in which the speaker's meaning is not directly expressed but implied, often through metaphors or other forms of figurative language.

is a word or words that are used to avoid employing an unpleasant or offensive term.

refers to the process of stating something but meaning the opposite of what is stated.

is a figure of speech in which words are used to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.

refers to a circumstance that runs contrary to what was expected.

is strictly defined as speech or writing that departs from literal meaning to achieve a special effect or meaning.

something is portrayed in a way thats deliberately distorted to achieve comic effect.

is a concrete object that represents an abstract idea.

in figurative language is when an author uses vivid or metaphorical language to create a mental image that helps readers visualize what's being described.

a broad term, including basic diction and syntax, as well as more complicated uses of figurative language.

is almost always used for comic effect.

________ in rhetorical strategies refers to the arrangement of words and phrases to achieve a desired effect.

This variable represents the specific rhetorical strategies an author uses

This variable refers to how the rhetorical strategies in the text impact the audience

refers to the individuals the speaker is trying to persuade

This variable represents a texts theme or argument

A simile is a comparison between two unlike objects, in which the two parts are connected with a term such as like or as

is a simile without a connecting term such as like or as

is precisely what it sounds like-it is a metaphor that lasts for longer than just one phrase or sentence

is a concrete object that represents an abstract idea

something is portrayed in a way thats deliberately distorted to achieve comic effect

are talking about language as a means of persuasion

will ask you to evaluate why an author’s choice of words is particularly effective, apt, or clear.

(and at times, author’s intent) determines which connotations may be appropriate for a word.

will carefully pick a particular word for its connotations, knowing or hoping a reader will make an additional inference as a result.

contains two elements which cannot both be true at the same time (although usually each one could be true on its own).

describes how the text makes the audience feel.

are ways of using language that are intended to have an effect on the audience.

are sometimes used to explain things that are difficult to understand by comparing them with things that are easier to understand.

The most famous philosophical analogy serves as the basis for Plato’s

Use analogy for

Do not use analogy for

When you’re asked to analyze and explain something

do not justify your classification unless this is somehow necessary to address a very bizarre free-response question.

is more important than quantity; poorly chosen examples detract significantly from your presentation.

________ can be an effective expository technique.

________ is a rhetorical mode thats used by writers when they want to explain either how to do something or how something was done.

________ is the process of applying a generalization to a specific case.

________ is chronological and usually fixed- think of recipes.

________ is a process in which specific examples are used to reach a general conclusion.

A narrative is a story in which ________ are arranged in chronological order.

________ can help make expository or argumentative writing lively and interesting and hold the readers interest, which is vital, of course.

________ can be an effective way of relating an experience.

________ involves the use of a generalization to draw a conclusion about a specific case.

effect relationship

visual, auditory, olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), and tactile

make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end

is a rhetorical mode that’s used by writers when they want to explain either how to do something or how something was done.

is chronological and usually fixed—think of recipes.

explains the processes responsible for the process.

can help make expository or argumentative writing lively and interesting and hold the reader’s interest, which is vital, of course.

is a story in which pieces of information are arranged in chronological order.

can be an effective expository technique.

is a process in which specific examples are used to reach a general conclusion.

involves the use of a generalization to draw a conclusion about a specific case.

is basically faulty reasoning leading to a conclusion the advertiser, author, or speaker wants you to make.

the evidence focuses on the person who supports a conclusion, not on the merits of the conclusion itself.

A certain political candidate is ahead in the polls.

This rhetorical fallacy focuses solely on the credentials or fame of the person recommending the product, without saying anything about the product itself.

This rhetorical fallacy turns to the other side of the coin and points out negative characteristics of the person who promotes an idea or action.

The conclusion must be correct because the author or speaker says it is and she can’t possibly be wrong.

This type of fallacy leaves out facts that a reader or listener would need in order to make a thorough assessment of the conclusion.

Charities often use this tactic when they ask for donations.

According to this rhetorical fallacy, if you eat at a fast-food takeout once, pretty soon you’ll never want to eat healthy, nourishing home-cooked meals again.

Here the speaker or author is trying to frighten you into agreeing with him.

Instead of addressing the key issues of an opposing argument, a red herring fallacy focuses attention on an insignificant or irrelevant factor.

The writer creates a straw man—something that’s easy to knock down and tear apart—as the opposing viewpoint.

One thing is compared with a second thing, but the comparison is exaggerated or misleading or unreasonable.

(also called Post hoc ergo propter hoc): This type of fallacy assumes that because one event happened shortly before another, the first event must have caused the second.

In this rhetorical fallacy, an assumption which is not proven is used as evidence that the conclusion is correct.

This fallacy says essentially the same thing in both the conclusion and in the evidence that allegedly supports it.

The author offers evidence that supports a conclusion—it’s just not the same conclusion that the author reaches.

This Latin term means, “it doesn’t follow.”

This rhetorical fallacy assumes a black-and-white world in which there is no middle ground, no other alternative.

Here the author or speaker assumes that a limited experience foreshadows the entire experience.

In this rhetorical fallacy, anything that has not been proven false is assumed to be true; the author doesn’t need to prove it’s true.