MSCE English flashcards
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33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Theme
- A general insight about life or human nature that a whole literary work conveys, stated as a complete sentence rather than a single word such as love or courage.
- Dramatic irony
- A situation in which the audience knows something important that a character does not, creating tension or humor as the character acts on incomplete knowledge.
- Situational irony
- A gap between what is expected to happen and what actually happens, such as a fire station burning down or a safety inspector injured by faulty equipment.
- Tone versus mood
- Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice; mood is the emotional atmosphere the reader experiences, built from setting and imagery.
- Third-person limited point of view
- A narrator outside the story who reports the thoughts and perceptions of one character only, so information beyond that character's knowledge stays hidden from readers.
- Comma splice
- Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Correct it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction such as but or so.
- Restrictive versus nonrestrictive clause
- A restrictive clause is essential to the sentence's meaning and takes no commas; a nonrestrictive clause adds removable information and is set off by commas.
- Dangling modifier
- A descriptive phrase whose implied subject does not match the subject of the main clause, as in walking home, the rain started falling.
- Subject-verb agreement rule
- The verb agrees with the grammatical subject, ignoring interrupting prepositional phrases, so the box of ornaments is heavy uses a singular verb.
- Semicolon use
- A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a conjunction and separates list items that already contain internal commas, but never follows a dependent clause.
- Conjunctive adverb punctuation
- When however, therefore, or moreover joins two independent clauses, a semicolon precedes it and a comma follows it.
- Denotation versus connotation
- Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional association it carries, so slender, thin, and scrawny share denotation but differ in connotation.
- Contrast context clue
- A clue that signals an opposite meaning through words such as but, unlike, or in contrast, letting a reader infer an unfamiliar word's meaning by negation.
- Root dict
- A Latin root meaning say or speak, appearing in dictate, predict, contradict, and verdict, all of which involve statements or declarations.
- Prefix circum-
- A Latin prefix meaning around or about, as in circumference, circumvent, and circumnavigate, all involving movement or measurement around something.
- Euphemism
- A mild or indirect expression substituted for one considered harsh, such as passed away for died or let go for fired.
- Analogy relationship types
- Common pairs include synonym, antonym, part-to-whole, cause-effect, function, and degree; naming the relationship before choosing an answer prevents false matches.
- Working thesis
- A one- or two-sentence claim that states a defensible position and previews the essay's main points; it is revised as drafting reveals stronger evidence.
- Revision versus editing
- Revision reshapes ideas, organization, and evidence; editing corrects grammar, usage, and mechanics; proofreading is the final check for surface errors.
- Paragraph coherence
- The quality that makes sentences in a paragraph hold together, achieved through transitions, consistent pronoun reference, parallel structure, and repeated key terms.
- Topic sentence
- A sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main point and connects it to the essay's thesis.
- Ethos, pathos, logos
- Aristotle's three appeals: ethos builds the speaker's credibility, pathos stirs emotion and values, and logos relies on logic and evidence.
- Warrant in argument
- The often unstated assumption that connects a piece of evidence to a claim; arguments fail when readers reject the warrant rather than the evidence.
- Straw man fallacy
- Misrepresenting an opponent's position in a weakened form, then refuting that distorted version instead of the actual argument.
- False dilemma
- A fallacy that presents only two options when more exist, forcing a choice between extremes and ignoring middle or alternative positions.
- Concession and rebuttal
- Acknowledging a valid opposing point and then answering it with evidence, a move that strengthens credibility rather than weakening the argument.
- Post hoc fallacy
- Assuming that because one event followed another, the first caused the second; sequence alone never establishes causation.
- Primary versus secondary source
- A primary source is an original artifact such as a letter, dataset, or interview; a secondary source interprets or analyzes primary material, such as a textbook.
- CRAAP test
- Five criteria for evaluating a source: currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose, applied before the source is cited in research.
- Boolean operators
- Search commands that control results: AND narrows by requiring both terms, OR broadens by accepting either, and NOT excludes a term.
- Paraphrase with citation
- Restating a source's idea in your own words and sentence structure while still crediting the source; changing only a few words is plagiarism.
- Active listening
- A listening approach in which the receiver paraphrases the speaker's point, asks clarifying questions, and summarizes before responding to confirm understanding.
- Constructive feedback
- Feedback that names a specific behavior and its effect, then suggests an alternative, avoiding personal judgments or vague praise.