| A | B |
|---|
| abstraction | a concept or idea without a specific example; idealized generalizations. |
| abstract noun | ideas or things that can mean many things to many people, such as peace, honor etc |
| allegory | a narrative or description with a secondary of symbolic meaning underlying the literal meaning. |
| alliteration | repetition, at close intervals, of beginning sounds |
| allusion | a reference to something in culture, history, or literature that expands the depth of the text if the reader makes the connection. |
| allusion, classical | a reference to classical (especially Greek or Roman) myth, literature, or culture |
| analogy | compares two things that are similar in several respects in order to prove a point or clarity an idea. |
| analogical comparison | another way to say the author has used an analogy |
| anecdote | a short narrative of an amusing, unusual revealing, or interesting event. |
| anticlimax, anticlimactic | an event experience that causes disappointment because it is less exciting that was expected or because it happens immediately after a much more interesting or exciting event. |
| antecedent | that which comes before; the antecedent of a pronoun is the noun to which the pronoun refers. |
| antithesis | the opposite of an idea used to emphasize a point; the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas. |
| antithesis, balanced | a figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase of grammatical structure, as in To err is human; to forgive, divine. |
| apostrophe | a speaker directly addresses something or someone not living, that connate answer back. |
| appeal to authority | one of several appeals strategies; in appealing to authority, the writer refers to expect opinion. |
| assertion | the claim or point the author is making. |
| bias | a preference or an inclination especially one that inhibits impartial judgment. |
| burlesque | a comic tool of satire, the writer uses ridiculous exaggeration and distortion. |
| cadence | the rhythm of phrases or sentences created through repetitive elements |
| candor | open and honest communication; truthfulness. |
| catalog | a list of details that reinforces a concept. |
| cause and effect | essay pattern in which the writer shows the immediate and underlying causes that led to an event or situation. |
| circular reasoning | type of faulty reasoning in which the writer attempts to support a statement by simply repeating the statement in different or stronger terms. |
| circumlocution | to write around a subject; to write evasively; to say nothing. |
| colloquial | common or regional language or behavior; referring to local custom or sayings |
| concrete versus abstract | concrete is observable, measurable, easily perceived versus abstract, which is vague and not easily defined. |
| counterexample | an exception to a proposed general rule |
| damn with faint praise | accolades with words which effectively condemn by seeming to offer praise which is too moderate or marginal to be considered praise at all. |
| diatribe | in contemporary terms, a rant. |
| diction, concrete | the writer chooses language that is concrete, quantifiable, based on facts, easily accepted by the reader, and generally understood. It is the opposite of abstract diction. |
| digress, digression | to move off the point, to veer off on to tangents |
| dilemma | basically an either/or situation, typically a moral decision. |
| dilemma false | simplifying a complex problem into an either/or dichotomy |
| discretion | refined taste; tact or the ability to avoid embarrassment or distress |
| double entendre | a phrase or saying that has two meanings, one generally being sexual or provocative in nature. |
| ellipsis | a mark or series of marks (…) used in writing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words. |
| empirical, empiricism | knowledge based on experience or observation; the view that experience, especially of the senses, is the only source of knowledge. |
| episodic | appearing in episodes, a long string or short, individual scenes, stories, or sections, rather than focusing on the sustained development of a single plot. |
| epigram | a short quotation or verse that precedes text that sets a tone, provides a setting, or gives some other context for the text. |
| epithet | a short, poetic nickname-often in the form of an adjective or adjectival phrase-attached to the normal name. |
| ethos | a speaker or writer’s credibility; his or her character, honesty, commitment to for he writing |
| euphemism | a kinder, gentler, less crude or harsh word or phrase to replace one that seems imprudent to use in a particular situation |
| exemplar | an example, especially one that is a model to emulate or particularly apt for the situation |
| explicit | expressly stated; made obvious or evident; clear |
| fact versus fiction | facts can be verified; fiction is supposed or imagined, and while it possess truthful elements, fiction is not actual in that it cannot be verified |
| fallacy, fallacious claim | an error of reasoning based on faulty use of evidence or incorrect inference |
| figurative language | language that is not meant to be taken literally; in general: metaphor: specifically: metaphor, simile, personification, metonymy, and more |
| footnote | an explanatory or documenting reference at the bottom of a page to text. |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration or overstatement-saying more than is warranted by the situation in order to expose reality y comparison; also, one of the main techniques in satire |
| hypothetical examples | examples based on supposition or uncertainly |
| idealism | the act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal form; seeing things as they could be or as you wish they were. |
| idiom, idiomatic | a figure of speech; a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language. |
| imagery | language (descriptions) that evoke the senses |
| imagery, concrete | Imagery that relies on concrete language |
| implicit | something that is implied |
| induction | reasoning by while a general statement is reached on the basis of particular examples |
| inference | an interpretation of the facts based on available details, drawing conclusions |
| ironic commentary | the commentator or opinion writer does not mean what she writes. The writer’s point is meant to taken ironically. |
| juxtapose (juxtaposition) | to place side by side in order to show similarities or differences. The placement often reveals irony. |
| list | see catalog |
| maxim | a saying or expression that proposes to teach or tell a truth |
| metaphor | a comparison of wo unlike things in order to show one more clearly or in a new way |
| metaphor, extended | the metaphor extends throughout the work or passage even forming the basis for the entire work. |
| mock (mockery) | to make fun of, to treat with ridicule or derision |
| musing | quiet, reflection upon a topic, pondering |
| naiveté | innocence in perception, lack of worldly knowledge |
| negation(s) | a negative statement; a statement that is a refusal or denial of some other statement or a proposition that is true if and only if another proposition is false. |
| neutrality | not taking a position, staying out of an argument |
| onomatopoeia | words whose sounds mimic their meaning |
| over generalization | also known as hasty generalization, drawing conclusions from insufficient evidence |
| oxymoron | a figure of speech in which two contradictory elements are combined for effect, such as “deafening silence” or “random order”. |
| paradox | the juxtaposition of incongruous or conflicting ideas that reveals a truth or insight. |
| parallel structure/syntax | the use of parallel elements in sentences or in the structure of an essay or prose passage. |
| parody | a humorous imitation of an original text meant to ridicule; used as a technique in satire. |
| pathos | the quality in literature that appeals to the audience’s emotions |
| personification | to give human attributes or qualities to something nonliving or nonhuman |
| propaganda | information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause; information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view |
| qualifying a claim/statement | "to qualify” means to show how a claim can be true in some ways but not true in others. |
| rebut, rebutting, rebuttal | to give an opposing point of view or to dismantle an opponent’s argument, showing its flaws. |
| refutation | an attack on an opposing view to weaken, invalidate, or make it less credible |
| repetition | any of a variety of devices that emphasize through repetition |
| rhetorical question | a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply. |
| rhetorical strategy | various strategies and appeals that writers use to persuade |
| satire | a type of literature (or a rhetorical strategy) that exposes idiocy, corruption, or other human folly through humor, exaggeration, and irony. |
| simile | a metaphor using like or as in the comparison. |
| simile, extended | the simile progresses throughout the passage or work and may provide the basis for the work in itself. |
| staccato phrases | phrases composed of a series of short, sharp sounds or words |
| suspense | an aspect of plot or narrative in which the author withholds information creating an urgent need to know in the reader |
| syllogism | a formula or deductive argument that consists of three propositions: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion |
| symbol | a thing, idea, or person that stands for something else |
| syntax | the order of words in a sentence; also the types and structure of sentences |
| thesis | the main idea of the essay; what the writer hopes to prove is true |
| tone | the speaker’s (author’s, narrator’s) attitude toward a person, place or thing; the emotional quality of a phrase or passage. |
| tongue-in-cheek | humorous or ironic statement not meant to be taken literally |
| truism | a statement that is obviously true and says nothing new or interesting |
| typography | techniques in print (type) used for emphasis: italicizing, bold font, variation in font, etc. |
| understatement | saying less than is warranted by the situation in order to emphasize reality |
| verb phrase | the verb and its object and modifiers. |
| vernacular | the ordinary, everyday speech of a region. |
| wit | clever use of language to amuse the reader, but more to make a point. |
