Glossary
Appeals to Emotion (Pathos)
A rhetorical strategy that attempts to persuade an audience by evoking their feelings, such as pity, fear, anger, or joy.
Example:
An advertisement showing sad, neglected animals to encourage donations is a clear appeal to emotion.
Argumentation
The process of developing and presenting a claim supported by evidence and reasoning, often with the goal of persuading an audience.
Example:
A strong argumentation essay will not only state a position but also effectively refute counterarguments with logical evidence.
Author's Background
The personal history, experiences, affiliations, and beliefs of a writer that can influence their perspective and the way they present information.
Example:
Understanding an author's author's background as a former politician might help explain their strong stance on government reform in their latest book.
Author's Purpose
The primary reason an author writes a particular text, which could be to inform, persuade, entertain, or express an opinion.
Example:
The author's purpose in writing a satirical essay might be to critique societal norms while also entertaining the reader.
Bias
A predisposition or inclination that prevents impartial judgment, often influenced by personal experiences, culture, or community.
Example:
A journalist's article about local politics might show a clear bias towards one candidate, highlighting their strengths while downplaying their opponent's.
Evidence and Analysis
The combination of specific textual details (evidence) used to support a claim, followed by an explanation (analysis) of how that evidence proves the claim and connects to the overall argument.
Example:
In your essay, providing a direct quote from the text (evidence) and then explaining how that quote demonstrates the author's use of irony (analysis) is key to strong evidence and analysis.
Free Response Questions (FRQs)
Essay questions on the AP English Language exam that require students to write analytical or argumentative essays in response to a prompt and provided texts.
Example:
The Free Response Questions section of the exam includes the Rhetorical Analysis, Argument, and Synthesis essays.
Loaded Language
Words or phrases that carry strong emotional connotations, used to evoke a particular feeling or opinion in the audience rather than to convey objective information.
Example:
Describing a new policy as 'tyrannical' or 'revolutionary' instead of 'new' or 'proposed' is an example of using loaded language.
Logical Fallacies
Flaws in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument, often used intentionally or unintentionally to mislead an audience.
Example:
Assuming that because one event followed another, the first event caused the second (post hoc ergo propter hoc) is a common logical fallacy.
Multiple Choice (Questions)
A type of assessment question where students select the correct answer from a list of provided options.
Example:
On the AP Lang exam, multiple choice questions often test your ability to identify rhetorical strategies or understand an author's argument in a given passage.
Rhetorical Analysis
The process of examining a text to understand how an author uses language and rhetorical strategies to achieve a particular purpose with a specific audience.
Example:
In a rhetorical analysis essay, you might explore how a speaker uses vivid imagery and emotional appeals to rally support for a cause.
Selective Reporting
A form of bias where a news outlet or author chooses to include only information that supports a particular viewpoint while omitting contradictory evidence.
Example:
A documentary on climate change might engage in selective reporting by only interviewing scientists who agree with a specific theory, ignoring dissenting voices.
Sinecure
A position requiring little or no work but yielding status or financial benefit.
Example:
After years of hard work, the CEO was given a comfortable sinecure on the board, attending only a few meetings a year.
Sophistication
In AP Lang essays, a quality that demonstrates a nuanced and complex understanding of the text, rhetorical situation, and the implications of the author's choices.
Example:
An essay showing sophistication might discuss the subtle ways an author's tone shifts throughout a passage, reflecting a complex attitude towards the subject.
Subconscious Biases
Unintentional and automatic mental shortcuts that influence our perceptions and decisions without our conscious awareness.
Example:
Even someone who believes in equality might unknowingly hold subconscious biases that lead them to favor certain groups over others in hiring decisions.
Surreptitious
Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.
Example:
The student made a surreptitious attempt to check their phone during the exam, hoping the teacher wouldn't notice.
Synthesis (Essay)
An essay type that requires students to read multiple sources, understand their perspectives, and use them to develop and support their own argument on a given topic.
Example:
For a synthesis essay on renewable energy, you would integrate information from various articles, studies, and expert opinions to build your own informed argument.
Thesis
A concise statement, typically in the introduction of an essay, that presents the main argument or controlling idea of the paper.
Example:
A strong thesis for a rhetorical analysis essay might state how the speaker uses appeals to logic and emotion to persuade a skeptical audience.
Transgress
To go beyond the bounds of (a moral principle or other established standard of behavior); to violate a law or command.
Example:
By sharing the confidential information, the employee chose to transgress the company's strict privacy policy.
Transmute
To change in form, nature, or substance.
Example:
Alchemists once dreamed they could transmute base metals like lead into precious gold.
Vicarious
Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
Example:
Reading adventure novels allowed him to live a vicarious life of exploration from the comfort of his armchair.