AP Lang Rhetorical Devices Cheat Sheet 2026

Complete list of rhetorical devices for MC and FRQ · Updated for 2026 exam

This cheat sheet covers every rhetorical device tested on AP English Language and Composition. For each device, know the definition and — more importantly — what effect it creates and why an author might use it.

Rhetorical Appeals (The Big Three)

Appeal	Definition	Effect
Ethos	Appeal to credibility or character	Builds trust; makes audience believe the speaker is qualified
Pathos	Appeal to emotion	Creates emotional connection; motivates action through feeling
Logos	Appeal to logic and reason	Persuades through evidence, data, and rational argument

Figures of Speech — Sound & Repetition

Device	Definition	Example
Alliteration	Repetition of initial consonant sounds	"Peter Piper picked..."
Anaphora	Repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses	"We shall fight... we shall fight..."
Epistrophe	Repetition at the end of successive clauses	"...of the people, by the people, for the people"
Anadiplosis	Ending one clause and beginning the next with the same word	"Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate"
Parallelism	Repeated grammatical structure across clauses	"I came, I saw, I conquered"
Chiasmus	Reversed grammatical structure in paired phrases	"Ask not what your country can do for you..."
Asyndeton	Omission of conjunctions; creates speed	"I came, I saw, I conquered" (no "and")
Polysyndeton	Excessive conjunctions; slows pace, adds weight	"And the rain fell, and the rivers rose, and..."

Figurative Language

Device	Definition	Effect
Metaphor	Direct comparison without "like" or "as"	Creates vivid association; transfers qualities between concepts
Simile	Comparison using "like" or "as"	Makes abstract ideas concrete; more explicit than metaphor
Extended metaphor	Metaphor sustained throughout a passage	Develops a single comparison for rhetorical depth
Personification	Giving human qualities to non-human things	Creates emotional connection; makes ideas relatable
Allusion	Indirect reference to a person, event, or text	Establishes shared knowledge; adds meaning through association
Hyperbole	Deliberate exaggeration for effect	Emphasizes a point; can create humor or urgency
Litotes	Understatement using double negative	"Not unhappy" = quite happy; creates ironic emphasis
Synecdoche	Part represents the whole (or vice versa)	"All hands on deck" — hands = sailors
Metonymy	Substituting a related concept for the actual thing	"The White House announced" — building = president

Tone & Irony

Device	Definition	Effect
Irony (verbal)	Saying the opposite of what is meant	Creates distance; highlights absurdity
Sarcasm	Sharp, cutting irony intended to wound	Mocks the target; distances the audience from the position being attacked
Dramatic irony	Audience knows something the character doesn't	Creates tension, suspense, or pathos
Situational irony	What happens is the opposite of what's expected	Highlights gap between expectation and reality
Understatement	Deliberately downplaying something significant	Creates ironic effect; can signal sophistication or dry humor

Syntax Devices

Device	Definition	Effect
Periodic sentence	Main clause delayed until the end	Creates suspense; emphasis falls on final words
Cumulative sentence	Main clause first, details added after	Building, expanding effect; feels natural and flowing
Rhetorical question	Question posed for effect, not answer	Engages reader; implies an obvious answer
Fragment	Incomplete sentence used intentionally	Creates emphasis, urgency, or mimics spoken thought
Inversion (anastrophe)	Unusual word order	"Speak the truth I must" — creates emphasis through abnormality
Juxtaposition	Placing contrasting ideas side by side	Highlights differences; creates tension or irony
Antithesis	Contrasting ideas in parallel structure	"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

Argument & Logic Devices

Device	Definition
Concession	Acknowledging the opposing view before refuting it
Refutation	Disproving or weakening the opposing argument
Anecdote	Brief personal story used as evidence or illustration
Analogy	Extended comparison to explain an unfamiliar concept
Appeal to authority	Citing experts or institutions to support a claim (form of ethos)
Slippery slope	Claiming one event inevitably leads to extreme consequences (fallacy)
Ad hominem	Attacking the person rather than the argument (fallacy)
False dichotomy	Presenting only two options when others exist (fallacy)

How to Use This on the FRQ

Naming a device earns no credit. You must:

Name it — "The author uses anaphora..."
Quote or reference it — "...repeating 'We cannot wait' at the start of three consecutive sentences..."
Explain the effect — "...creating a sense of urgency that positions delay as morally unacceptable rather than merely inconvenient."