AP English Language and Composition Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 1

Ensure you're prepared for the AP English Language and Composition Exam by learning the words in this collection of essential vocabulary. Our lists cover the language you'll see in test questions and writing prompts, important rhetorical and literary terminology, and vocabulary related to writing and grammar.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. counterargument
    an opinion offered in opposition to another position
  2. deductive
    relating to reasoning from the general to the particular
  3. didactic
    instructive, especially excessively
  4. ethos
    a rhetorical appeal that relies on the character or credibility of the speaker
  5. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
  6. exemplify
    clarify by giving an illustration of
  7. exposition
    an account that sets forth the intent of a story
  8. fallacy
    a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning
  9. implication
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
  10. inductive
    proceeding from particular facts to a general conclusion
  11. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  12. inversion
    the reversal of the normal order of words
  13. juxtaposition
    the act of positioning close together
  14. logos
    a rhetorical appeal to the audience's reason or rationality
  15. pathos
    a style that has the power to evoke feelings
  16. rebuttal
    the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary argument
  17. repetition
    the continued use of the same word or word pattern
  18. rhetoric
    using language effectively to please or persuade
  19. straw man
    a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
  20. synthesis
    the combination of ideas into a complex whole
Created on February 10, 2021 (updated February 10, 2021)

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