Vocab #1
AP Language & Composition
Test – Friday, September 18, 2015
Understand & Define (do not place in the sentences below):
argument – to use evidence and reason to discover some version of the truth
persuasion – to change a point of view or to move others from conviction to action
thesis/assertion/claim - A confident and forceful statement of fact or belief that states the argument of the
author in an essay or similar document
context – the part of a written or spoken statement in which a word or passage at issue occurs; the
circumstances in which a particular event occurs
Most commonly misused words:
its - possessive
it’s – contraction of “it is”
Rhetorical Devices:
syntax (n) – the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence
diction (n) – choice or use of words in speech or writing
anaphora (n) – a rhetorical figure involving the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of
successive lines or sentences (a type of parallelism)
parallelism (n) – a rhetorical figure used in written and oral compositions to accentuate ideas or images by
using grammatically similar constructions.
tone (n/adj) – the feeling or attitude which an author has for his subject, characters, and/or reader
Vocabulary:
caricature (n) – an exaggerated portrait or description
lithe (adj) – bending easily and gracefully
lurid (adj) – deathly pale or glowing through a haze
maceration - (n) softening by soaking in a liquid
rhetoric (n) – refers to the entire process of written communication. Rhetorical strategies and devices are
those tools that enable a writer to present ideas to an audience effectively.
temporal (adj) – of or related to time; concerned with worldly affairs; short-lived
IDIOM: red herring (n) something deliberately misleading to divert your attention from the main subject;
something irrelevant that confuses the issue.
1. The speaker’s ________________ led her listeners to believe English was not her native tongue as she
had a limited vocabulary.
2. In Charles Dickens’ first sentence of his classic novel The Tale of Two Cities he employs the device of
_________________ when he writes, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . . it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness . . .
3. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously used __________________ by repeating the following phrase, “I
have a dream . . .” at the beginning of a handful of sentences.
4. Students have the opportunity to learn proper _______________ in English class.
5. The movie is about to start and you don’t want to miss the opening scene as ________ supposed to be
startling.
6. When we were in Rome, a street artist did a ______________________ of Jason, exaggerating his mouth
and nose.
7. The clouds hung low with a ______________________ gleam just before the thunderstorm.
8. In the scavenger hunt, ‘See the bee in the old oak tree,’ was a false clue, a ____________________ to
throw us off the trail.
9. Toilet paper is designed to ____________________(v) in water.
10. ________________ pleasures, such as movies and sports games, last only a short time.
11. The school locks _________ doors during the summer months.
12. The dancer was as _______________ as a cat as he leapt across the stage.
13. Striking the correct _______________ is imperative for an author if they are trying to persuade the
reader to understand something from their perspective.
14. To understand ____________________ is to understand how to effectively communicate with others as
well as discern properly the intent of essays, speeches and other forms of communication.
The Word Within the Word
List #1
ante
(before)
antedate, antecedent, antebellum, anterior, ante meridiem, antepenult
Latin
anti
(against)
anti-aircraft, antibody, anticlimax, anticline, antitoxin, antithesis
Greek
bi
(two)
bilateral, bicycle, binary, bimonthly, biped, bipolar, binocular, bicuspid
Latin
circum
(around)
circumnavigate, circumspect, circumvent, circumlocution, circus
Latin
corn
(together)
combination, comfort, commensurate, common, complete, combo
Latin
con
(together)
contract, confidence, confie, confederate, conjunction, contact
Latin
de
(down)
deposit, descent, despicable, denounce, deduct, demolish, decrepit, deplete
Latin
dis
(may)
distract, distort, dispute, dissonant, disperse, dismiss, dissuade, disprove
Latin
equi
(equal)
equitable, equilateral, equivocate, equinox, equation, equilibrium
Latin
extra
(beyond)
extraterrestrial, extraordinary, extravagant, extrovert, extramural
Latin
inter
(between)
international, interdepartmental,interstellar, interject, interlude
Latin
intra
(within)
intracellular, intravenous, intracranial, intrastate, intrauterine
Latin
intro
(into)
introduce, introspective, introvert, introject, introrse, intromission
Latin
ma1
(bad)
malevolent, malcontent, malicious, malign, malady, malapropism, malonym
Latin
mis
(bad)
misfit, mistake, misfortune, misfire, misery, miser, misdeed, misguided
non
(not)
nonstop, nonprofit, none, nonconformity, nonplussed, nonchalant
Latin
post
(&r)
postgraduate, posthumous, postscript, posterity, posterior, postlude
Latin
Pre
(before)
prelude, preposition, premonition, premature, predict, predecessor
Latin
semi
(hdfl
semitone, semiaquatic, semicircle, semiweekly, semiannual, semiformal
Latin
sub
( d r )
subterranean, subtract, subordinate, submarine, subterfuge, substantial
Latin
super
(over)
supervise, superb, superior, superfluous, supercilious, supernatural
Latin
SY"
(together)
synthetic, synchronize, syndrome, synonym, synopsis, syntax
Greek
SY m
(together)
sympathy, symbiosis, symbol, symmetry, symphony, symposium
Greek
tri
(three)
tricycle, triangle, triceps, triad, trichotomy, triceratops, trivia, trialogue
Greek
(not)
unfit, unequal, undone, unequivocal, unearned, unconventional, untenable
Germanic
Old English