| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abstract language | language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. The observable or "physical" is usually described in concrete language |
| active voice | the subject of the sentence performs the action. This is a more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases. "Anthony drove while Toni searched for the house" |
| allusion | an indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar |
| ambiguity | an even or situation tha tmay beinterpreted in more than one way. Also; the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. Unintentional ambiguity is usually vagueness |
| analogy | a comparison to a direct parallel case. When a writer uses an analogy, he or she argues that claim reasonable for one case is reasonable for the analogous case |
| anecdote | a brief reocunting of a relevant episode. Anecdotes are often inserted into fictional or non fictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor |
| annotation | explanatory notes added to a text to explain, clarify, or prompt further thought |
| antecedent | word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences. "If I could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it." What is the antecedent for "it"? |
| apostrophe | A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. |
| classicism | art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world, sticks to traditional themes and structures. |
| concrete language | language that describes specific, observable things, people or places, rather than ideas or qualities. |
| models of discourse | persuasive, expository, description, and narrative |
| diction | word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types of words have significant effects on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang. |
| colloquial | ordinary or familiar type of conversation. A "colloquialism" is a common or familiar type of saying, similar to an adage or an anaphora. (subset of diction) |
| connotation | rather than the dictionary definition (denotation), the associations suggested by the word. Implied rather than literal meaning. (subset of diction) |
| denotation | the literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations |
| jargot | the diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity. |
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