AP English Language and Composition
Rhetorical Strategies and Stylistic Devices
The first nine are “big picture”
Term
1. Diction
2. Figurative language
3. Rhetorical devices
4. Structure
5. Style
6. Syntax
7. Theme
8. Thesis
9. Tone
Definition
The word choices made by a writer;
diction can help create tone.
Language employing one or more
figures of speech (simile, metaphor,
imagery, etc.) in order to make
imaginative (rather than literal)
associations
Literary techniques used to heighten the
effectiveness of essays/speeches, etc.
The arrangement or framework of a
sentence, paragraph, or entire work
The choices a writer makes; the
combination of distinctive features of a
literary work. (When analyzing style,
one may consider diction, figurative
language, sentence structure, etc.)
The manner in which words are
arranged into sentences. Syntax
includes length of sentence and
different types of sentences.
A central idea/message of a work
The primary position taken by a writer
or speaker
The attitude of a writer, toward the
subject or audience.
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The rest are specific strategies
10. Ad hominem
11. Allegory
12. Allusion
13. Analogy
14. Anaphora
15. Anecdote
16. Antithesis
17. Asyndeton
18. Colloquialism
19. Concrete details
20. Connotation
21. Denotation
22. Didactic
23. Dissonance
24. Ethos
25. Figurative Language
26. Hyperbole
27. Inductive reasoning
28. Inference
29. Invective
30. Inverted syntax
an argument attacking an individual’s character rather
than his or her position on an issue
a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions
represent abstractions
a reference to something literary, mythological, or
historical that enhances the reader’s understanding of the
author’s meaning (as long as the reader recognizes the
allusion)
a comparison of two different things that are similar in
some way
repetition of the same word or group of words at the
beginning of successive clauses
A short, simple narrative (story) used to make a point..
a statement in which two contrasting ideas are balanced
Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series
of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the
conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas
with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of
the sentence. Asyndeton takes the form of X, Y, Z as
opposed to X, Y, and Z.
A word or phrase used in conversation and informal
writing that is often inappropriate in formal writing
(slang)
Details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or
events
The implied or suggested meaning of a word (slender vs.
skinny; cheap vs. thrifty)
The literal meaning of a word
The feeling of a text with the primary purpose of
teaching or instructing.
Harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds
A persuasive appeal using author’s character or credibility
to gain audience’s confidence.
language that contains figures of speech in order to create
associations that are imaginative rather than literal.
Intentional exaggeration to create an effect
Deriving general principles from particular facts or
instances
A conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or
evidence
An intensely vehement, abusive verbal attack
A sentence constructed so that the predicate comes
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31. Irony
32. Jargon
33. Juxtaposition
34. Logos
35. Metaphor
36. . Motif
37. Non sequitur
38. Paradox
39. Parallel Structure
40. Parody
41. Pathos
42. Pedantic
43. Personification
44. Polysyndeton
45. Satire
46. Syntactic Permutation
47. Syllogism
48. Understatement
before the subject
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal
meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and
what actually occurs (situational, verbal, dramatic)
The specialized language or vocabulary of a particular
group or profession
Placing two elements side by side to present a
comparison or contrast
Appeal to reason or logic (using statistics, etc.)
A direct comparison of two different things
A standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that is
repeated throughout a work.
An inference that does not follow logically from the
premises (literally, “does not follow”)
An apparently contradictory statement that actually
contains some truth
Using the same pattern of words/ grammatical structure
to show that two or more ideas have the same level of
importance
A work that ridicules the style of another work by
imitating and exaggerating its elements.
An appeal to emotion to persuade the reader.
Often used to describe a writing style, characterized by an
excessive display of learning or scholarship. (Borders on
lecturing)
The attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or an
inanimate object .
Sentence which uses “and” or another conjunction (with
no commas) to separate the items in a
series. Polysyndeton appear in the form of X and Y and
Z, stressing equally each member of a
series. It makes the sentence slower and the items more
emphatic than in asyndeton.
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some
element of human behavior by portraying it in an
extreme way.
Sentence structures that are particularly involved and
complicated – often difficult for the reader to follow
A three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is
based on a major premise and a minor premise
The deliberate representation of something as lesser in
magnitude than it actually is
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