EFF: Lesson - AP Terms to Know

A word cloud filled with common terms used in AP English: syntax, syllogism, etc.AP Terms to Know

There are many different rhetorical terms that you’ve learned through this course. Being able to identify these terms and why writers and speakers use them is just as important. Becoming familiar with these terms will not only help you on the AP English Language and Composition Exam, but it will also help you become a stronger reader and writer.

Download and take a look at Jolliffe's Rhetorical Framework handout Links to an external site., created by AP English Language veteran teacher David Jolliffe, which can help you in writing about a variety of texts. Knowing the terms on this organizer will greatly assist you.

Common Rhetorical Devices

Furthermore, knowing if a rhetorical term is a figurative language device, a structural device, or a sound device, can help you organize your analysis. Here are some common devices in each of these categories:

Rhetorical Devices diagram. Details in the text on the page.

To review, the image covers the following rhetorical devices. You should be familiar with all of these terms, but it is helpful to remember how they are categorized.

  • Figurative Language
    • Metaphor
    • Simile
    • Synecdoche
    • Metonymy
    • Hyperbole
  • Sound Device
    • Alliteration
    • Repetition
    • Assonance
    • Consonance
  • Structural Device
    • Diction
    • Syntax
    • Organization
    • Asyndeton
    • Polysyndeton

Additional Terms to Know

Download and view the AP Terms to Know handout Links to an external site.; these are the terms that are most applicable to the kinds of analysis you have completed throughout this course and will most likely encounter in your early college courses. The list is also embedded below:

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