DSST Principles of Advanced English Composition flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Comma splice

An error joining two independent clauses with only a comma. Fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction such as 'but' or 'so'.

Sentence fragment

A word group punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a finite verb, or an independent clause. Dependent clauses beginning with 'because' or 'which' are frequent fragments.

Compound-complex sentence

A sentence containing at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause, combining coordination and subordination in a single structure.

Restrictive relative clause

A clause essential to identifying the noun it modifies, usually introduced by 'that' and written without commas because removing it would change the meaning.

Nonrestrictive clause

A clause offering extra, removable information about a noun, set off by commas and typically introduced by 'which.' It can be deleted without altering the sentence's core claim.

Dangling modifier

An introductory modifier whose intended subject is absent, so it appears to describe the wrong noun, as in 'Having finished the draft, the printer jammed.'

Faulty parallelism

Mixing grammatical forms in a series or paired construction, such as 'hiking, swimming, and to camp,' instead of matching forms like 'hiking, swimming, and camping.'

Pronoun-antecedent agreement

A pronoun must match its antecedent in number and gender. Singular indefinites like 'each,' 'everyone,' and 'neither' take singular pronouns such as 'his or her.'

Active versus passive voice

Active voice makes the doer the subject and is usually clearer; passive voice makes the receiver the subject and suits cases where the actor is unknown or unimportant.

Expletive construction

A sentence opening with 'there is' or 'it is' that delays the real subject and verb, often producing wordiness that a direct subject-verb opening can replace.

Verb tense consistency

Maintaining one tense across a passage unless a genuine time shift occurs. Past perfect marks an action completed before another past action.

Claim

The debatable assertion an argument sets out to prove. It must be arguable, specific, and supportable with evidence rather than a statement of obvious fact.

Thesis with reason

A thesis that states a position plus a because-clause reason, exposing the argument's logic and giving the essay a roadmap the body paragraphs must follow.

Toulmin warrant

The often-unstated assumption that licenses the move from evidence to claim. Challenging a warrant can defeat an argument even when its data are accurate.

Qualifier

A word limiting a claim's scope, such as 'some,' 'often,' or 'in most cases.' Qualified claims resist easy counterexamples better than absolute claims.

Rebuttal

A section that fairly states the strongest opposing position and then explains why it is flawed or outweighed by the writer's case.

Straw man fallacy

Misrepresenting an opponent's position in a weakened form and then refuting that distorted version instead of the actual argument.

Ad hominem fallacy

Attacking the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument's evidence or reasoning, which leaves the claim itself unanswered.

Hasty generalization

Drawing a broad conclusion from too small or unrepresentative a sample, such as judging a school's quality from two student opinions.

False dilemma

Presenting only two options when more exist, forcing a choice between extremes and ignoring middle or alternative positions.

Post hoc fallacy

Assuming that because one event followed another, the first caused the second. Sequence alone does not establish a causal relationship.

Circular reasoning

An argument that restates its conclusion as its premise, offering no independent support, as in 'He is trustworthy because he is reliable.'

Appeal to authority

Citing an expert outside their field, or citing fame instead of expertise, to support a claim the cited person is not qualified to judge.

Inductive reasoning

Reasoning from specific observations to a probable general conclusion. It yields likelihood rather than certainty, so the sample's size and representativeness matter.

Deductive reasoning

Reasoning from a general premise to a specific conclusion. The form can be valid while the conclusion is false if a premise is untrue.

Concession in argument

Acknowledging a valid point from the opposing side, usually in a subordinate clause, to build credibility before asserting the writer's main claim.

Primary versus secondary source

A primary source is original material such as data, letters, or speeches; a secondary source interprets or analyzes primary material, such as a review article.

Source credibility test

Evaluating an author's expertise, the publisher's reputation, the publication date, and the methodology before relying on a source in an academic argument.

Patchwriting

Paraphrasing by substituting synonyms while retaining the source's sentence structure. It is treated as plagiarism even when the words differ.

Signal phrase

An attribution naming a source before its material, such as 'According to Smith,' which integrates evidence and distinguishes the source's voice from the writer's.

MLA in-text citation

Parenthetical author and page number with no comma, such as (Smith 42). It appears after quoted or paraphrased material and points to the works-cited entry.

Annotated bibliography

A list of sources in which each entry summarizes the source, evaluates its credibility and bias, and states how it will be used in the project.