AP LANG- RHETORICAL TERMS questions and
answers with solutions 2025
allegory - ANSWER A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
alliteration - ANSWER Repetition of consonance sounds at the start of a word or in a stressed syllable
(sea shells sea shells)
allusion - ANSWER A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
ambiguity - ANSWER multiple meanings of a word,phrase,sentence, or passage
anadiplosis - ANSWER Repetition of the last word of one clause, that is at the beginning of the following
clause (Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate)
analogy - ANSWER A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
anaphora - ANSWER when the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines
or sentences
anecdote - ANSWER A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.
anthimera - ANSWER the substitution of one part of speech for another , often turning a noun into a
verb
antithesis - ANSWER the placing of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
aphorism - ANSWER A brief statement, usually one sentence long, that expresses a general principle or
truth of a moral principle
apostrophe - ANSWER A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a
personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.
, asyndeton - ANSWER Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words, speeds up flow
of sentence
polysyndeton - ANSWER Deliberate use of many conjunctions (w and x and y and z)
atmosphere - ANSWER the mood created by the entirety of a literary work; partly by setting
chiasmus - ANSWER A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally
reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")
clause - ANSWER an expression including a subject and predicate but not constituting a complete
sentence
colloquial/colloquialism - ANSWER The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
coherence - ANSWER A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the
meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible.
conceit - ANSWER A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising
analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
conduplicatio - ANSWER repeats a key word (not just the last word) from a preceding phrase, clause, or
sentence, at the beginning of the next phrase
connotation - ANSWER An implied meaning of a word. non-literal
denotation - ANSWER Literal meaning of a word; defintion
diction - ANSWER A writer's or speaker's choice of words
answers with solutions 2025
allegory - ANSWER A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
alliteration - ANSWER Repetition of consonance sounds at the start of a word or in a stressed syllable
(sea shells sea shells)
allusion - ANSWER A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
ambiguity - ANSWER multiple meanings of a word,phrase,sentence, or passage
anadiplosis - ANSWER Repetition of the last word of one clause, that is at the beginning of the following
clause (Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate)
analogy - ANSWER A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
anaphora - ANSWER when the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines
or sentences
anecdote - ANSWER A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.
anthimera - ANSWER the substitution of one part of speech for another , often turning a noun into a
verb
antithesis - ANSWER the placing of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
aphorism - ANSWER A brief statement, usually one sentence long, that expresses a general principle or
truth of a moral principle
apostrophe - ANSWER A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a
personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.
, asyndeton - ANSWER Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words, speeds up flow
of sentence
polysyndeton - ANSWER Deliberate use of many conjunctions (w and x and y and z)
atmosphere - ANSWER the mood created by the entirety of a literary work; partly by setting
chiasmus - ANSWER A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally
reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")
clause - ANSWER an expression including a subject and predicate but not constituting a complete
sentence
colloquial/colloquialism - ANSWER The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
coherence - ANSWER A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the
meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible.
conceit - ANSWER A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising
analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
conduplicatio - ANSWER repeats a key word (not just the last word) from a preceding phrase, clause, or
sentence, at the beginning of the next phrase
connotation - ANSWER An implied meaning of a word. non-literal
denotation - ANSWER Literal meaning of a word; defintion
diction - ANSWER A writer's or speaker's choice of words
