Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for AP English Literature and Composition | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

AP English Literature and Composition instructions ask you to interpret how a poem, prose passage or work of fiction makes meaning. Pay attention to what the prompt names, such as a complex relationship or a shift in perspective. Select evidence for that particular interpretation and explain how it supports your reading.

This study bank includes prompt words, response formats and terms that help you interpret the task. Check the official directions for the particular question and exam year.

Exam requirements · Worked examples · Fencing Method

Literary analysis, interpretation and essay directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	Poetry analysis	Explain how choices in the supplied poem create meaning.
2	Prose fiction analysis	Explain how choices in the supplied passage develop the effect or relationship named.
3	Literary argument	Use a suitable work of fiction to defend an interpretation of the issue in the prompt.
4	Work as a whole	Connect the selected detail or scene to the meaning or development of the full work.
5	Select a suitable work	Choose a work you know well that gives evidence for the specific prompt.
6	Defensible interpretation	Make an interpretive claim supported by the details of the text.
7	Speaker versus poet	Attribute the voice in the poem to its speaker unless the text supports another attribution.
8	Narrator versus author	Separate the voice telling the story from the person who wrote the work.
9	Unreliable narrator	Explain which details invite doubt about the narrator’s account.
10	Character complexity	Explain how apparently conflicting traits, choices or pressures coexist.
11	Character foil	Use the contrast between characters to explain what becomes clearer about them.
12	Narrative distance	Explain how close the telling brings the reader to a character or event.
13	Point of view	Explain how the narrator’s or speaker’s perspective affects what readers understand.
14	Shift in the poem	Identify what changes and how the shift develops the poem’s meaning.
15	Line break	Explain how the break shapes emphasis, pace or a possible reading.
16	Enjambment	Explain the effect of carrying a grammatical unit across a line break.
17	Caesura	Connect a pause within a line to the rhythm, emphasis or meaning.
18	Stanza	Explain how the grouping of lines contributes to the poem’s development.
19	Meter	Connect the pattern of beats, or a departure from it, to an effect when relevant.
20	Sound pattern	Explain how repetition or contrast in sounds supports the interpretation.
21	Dramatic irony	Explain what the audience knows that a character does not.
22	Stage direction	Explain how the instruction affects the action or its interpretation.
23	Motif	Connect a recurring image, detail or action to a pattern in the work.
24	Symbol	Explain the significance a concrete detail takes on in context.
25	Ambiguity	Use the text to explain more than one plausible meaning where relevant.
26	Tension	Explain how competing ideas, feelings or expectations operate together.
27	Theme	State the developed idea about the subject rather than naming the subject alone.
28	Plot summary	Use only the events needed as evidence for an interpretation.
29	Close reading	Explain how the specific wording, structure or form supports a claim.
30	Textual commentary	Connect the selected detail to the interpretation and the prompt.
31	Analytic rubric	Review the thesis, evidence and commentary, and sophistication criteria separately.
32	Passage scope	Use the given passage for passage analysis and the chosen work for the literary argument.
33	Character development	Explain how particular choices or events change or reveal a character.
34	Complex relationship	Explain the distinct forces shaping the connection named in the prompt.
35	Consequence of a choice	Explain what a character’s decision reveals or changes.
36	Contrasting settings	Show how differences in setting contribute to meaning.
37	Narrative frame	Explain how the surrounding narrative changes the interpretation of the inner story.
38	Dialogue	Connect a character’s wording and exchange to the relationship or conflict.
39	Internal conflict	Explain the competing desires, beliefs or obligations in a character.
40	External conflict	Explain the pressure arising from another character, group or circumstance.
41	Diction in a poem	Explain how the exact word or phrase shapes the speaker’s meaning or tone.
42	Syntax in prose	Connect sentence structure to pace, perspective or emphasis.
43	Recurring image	Trace repeated details and explain how their meaning develops.
44	Resolution	Explain what the ending settles or leaves open and why that matters.

Poetry, prose and reading evidence

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
45	Interpret the speaker’s perspective	Use the voice, wording and situation in the supplied poem or passage.
46	How does the writer use language	Explain how particular words, phrases or forms contribute to an effect.
47	How has the writer structured	Explain how the ordering, focus or shifts shape the reader’s experience.
48	Effect on the reader	Explain a plausible impression or response created by a specific choice in context.
49	Narrative perspective	Identify who tells or filters the story and what their perspective lets readers know.
50	Structural contrast	Explain what changes between parts of the text and what that change makes noticeable.
51	Story opening	Establish a narrative direction within the part of the story the task requests.
52	Fully digital exam	Complete multiple-choice and essay responses in Bluebook.
53	Narrative pace	Explain how quickly the text moves through events and why that matters.
54	Contrast in tone	Compare the attitudes conveyed by the wording in two parts or sources.
55	Inclusive language	Explain how words such as we invite readers or listeners to share a position.
56	Give a reason	Connect the answer to a relevant principle or piece of evidence.
57	Reason for the shift	Explain why the change in focus or tone matters to the text’s effect.
58	Effect	State the resulting change or consequence.
59	Writer’s effect	Explain how a particular choice of language shapes the reader’s impression.
60	Purpose	Identify what the communication is intended to achieve.
61	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
62	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
63	Reason	The basis for a statement, choice or result.
64	Narrative gap	Explain what the reader is made to wonder because information is withheld.
65	Single-word evidence	Use one well-chosen word when it can support a precise interpretation.
66	Same meaning	Preserve the original relationship, tense and other relevant meaning.
67	Language	Use clear and suitable vocabulary and grammar with appropriate range and control.
68	Present a reasoned case	Develop the position and show how the evidence supports it.
69	Evidence from the text	Use a detail from the source or lines named by the question.
70	Writer attitude	Infer how the writer feels from the language and evidence used.
71	Academic tone	Use clear, respectful language appropriate to an academic exchange.
72	Develop with a specific example	Show how an example makes your point about the text or viewpoint clearer.
73	Main purpose	Identify what the text as a whole is trying to accomplish.
74	Words in context	Choose the sense or expression that fits the local wording and purpose.
75	Reference within the text	Resolve a reference by locating the word or idea it points back to.
76	Illustrative example	Choose a particular case that demonstrates a broader point.
77	Sentence structure	Use word order and grammatical roles to make a complete sentence.
78	Rhetorical purpose	Identify the job a detail does in the author’s argument.
79	Writer’s view	Identify the opinion the writer expresses.
80	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
81	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
82	Context	The surrounding information that helps determine meaning.
83	Relevant example	Use an example that genuinely supports the paragraph’s point.
84	Cross-text connections	Compare how two texts address the same point.
85	Communicative purpose	Identify what the writer or speaker is trying to achieve.
86	Cause and effect	Choose a link that shows one event producing or explaining the other.
87	Support the claim	Give evidence that bears on the exact claim in the question.
88	Line of reasoning	Make the connection between the thesis, evidence and supporting ideas visible.
89	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
90	Literary form	Identify the form and explain its relevance to the interpretation.
91	Preserve the source meaning	Restate or select the information without changing what it says.
92	Identify the task purpose	Decide what the communication needs to achieve before drafting.
93	Write an analytical essay	Organise the interpretation, textual evidence and commentary in a coherent argument.
94	Identify a source’s purpose	Find why the writer or speaker supplied the particular information.
95	Compare the writers’ views	Use each source to identify its position on the same issue.
96	Reference in context	Identify the person, object or idea a pronoun or phrase points to.
97	Link the evidence to the claim	Explain how the cited detail supports your point.
98	Compare moments within a work	Pair scenes or details to support an interpretation of the work as a whole.
99	Pattern across a passage	Track how details develop or shift through the supplied extract.
100	Language criterion	Use a suitable range of precise grammar and vocabulary with control.
101	Support with an example	Add an example that demonstrates the reason you gave.
102	Select from the text	Use the interface to pick the exact visible item requested.
103	Evidence from dialogue	Use a character’s exact exchange to explain what it reveals.
104	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
105	Passage	A stretch of text provided for reading and answering questions.
106	Passage-based multiple choice	Choose the answer most consistent with the supplied text and stem.
107	Author’s central claim	Find the main assertion the author wants the reader to accept.
108	Closest in meaning	Match the expression’s meaning in the passage rather than its most familiar sense.
109	Best captures the passage	Choose the option that represents the main point at the right scope.
110	Function of the example	Explain which general idea the example develops, illustrates or limits.
111	Writer’s attitude	Infer the author’s position from emphasis, tone and qualification.
112	Argument structure	Identify the relationship between reasons, objections and conclusions.
113	Evidence and conclusion	Check whether the evidence actually establishes the conclusion offered.
114	Evaluate a claim	Use relevant criteria and explain the strengths or limits of the reasoning.
115	Contextual meaning	Use the surrounding text to decide which interpretation fits.
116	Circular reasoning	Recognise when the reason effectively assumes the conclusion.
117	Perspective supplied	Use the position in the writing materials to develop or test your own reasoning.
118	Normative claim	Recognise a claim about what ought to happen.
119	Descriptive claim	Recognise a claim about what happens or has happened.
120	Reason and example	Show how the example demonstrates the point made by the reason.
121	Reasoning flaw	Locate the exact step where the evidence fails to support the conclusion.
122	Author’s claim	Find what the named author argues or asserts.
123	Textual evidence	Choose a detail from the source that supports the precise claim.
124	Scope of the claim	Match the answer to the people, period or cases the passage actually discusses.
125	Specific passage detail	Use a concrete detail that directly supports the proposed interpretation.
126	Deductive reasoning	Show how a conclusion follows from premises or prior results.
127	Counterclaim	Present a plausible position that challenges the claim.
128	Perspective	Explain the viewpoint from which a claim or event is presented.
129	Role of the named passage detail	Decide whether the part illustrates, supports or limits a claim.
130	Given literary passage	Use the supplied passage as the basis of the analysis.

Core instructions and answer checks

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
131	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
132	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
133	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
134	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
135	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
136	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
137	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
138	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
139	Record	Write the result in the space and form provided.
140	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
141	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
142	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
143	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
144	List	Set out the requested items separately.
145	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
146	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
147	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
148	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
149	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
150	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
151	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
152	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
153	Predict	Use available evidence to say what is likely to happen.
154	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
155	Justify	Give evidence for the claim and explain how that evidence supports, qualifies or defends it.
156	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
157	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
158	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
159	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
160	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
161	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
162	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
163	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
164	Identify a recurring pattern	Trace repetitions or contrasts and explain why they matter to the reading.
165	Qualify an interpretation	Explain the limits or alternative reading suggested by the evidence.
166	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
167	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
168	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
169	Classify	Assign each item to a category using the stated rule.
170	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
171	Order	Sort items by the criterion given in the prompt.
172	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
173	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
174	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
175	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
176	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
177	According to	Use what the specified source says.
178	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
179	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
180	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
181	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
182	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
183	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.
184	Condition	A requirement that must be satisfied.
185	Constraint	A restriction that shapes the possible answers.
186	Criterion	A standard used to choose or judge an answer.
187	Poetry, prose and literary argument	Identify which of the three essay jobs the prompt sets.
188	In this part of the source	Use the stated extract rather than searching the whole text for any relevant quote.
189	Throughout the source	Consider how an effect or structural choice develops across the relevant source.
190	Use specific textual details	Select relevant details from the supplied text or the chosen work as the task requires.
191	Evaluate the statement	Make a judgment about the statement and support it with evidence from the specified text.
192	To what extent do you agree	Decide how far the evidence supports the interpretation and explain your reasoning.
193	Compare viewpoints	Show how the writers’ attitudes or ideas relate, using both sources.
194	Compare methods	Explain how choices such as voice, tone or examples convey the viewpoints.
195	Terminology where appropriate	Use a technical term when it helps explain a precise effect or feature.
196	Shift in focus	Identify what the text turns towards and explain why that movement matters.
197	Ending	Explain what the final part leaves the reader thinking about when the question asks.
198	Develop a literary thesis	Present a defensible interpretation and explain how textual evidence supports it.
199	Analyse a prose passage	Explain how specific details develop the interpretation named in the question.
200	Analyse a poem	Connect the poem’s specific choices to the meaning you argue for.

What the examination requires

The exam is fully digital

College Board lists 55 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, worth 45%. The five sets use passages from poetry, prose fiction or drama, including at least two poetry passages and at least two prose fiction passages, which may include drama.

Three free-response essays in two hours

Free response contributes 55%. The questions ask for analysis of a supplied poem, analysis of a supplied prose fiction passage that may include drama, and a literary argument about a suitable work selected by the student. Both sections use Bluebook.

Connect evidence to interpretation

The prose and poetry tasks ask you to read what is supplied. For the literary argument, choose a work with enough specific evidence for the prompt. Use the official analytic rubrics to check that your response develops a defensible interpretation with evidence and commentary.

The College Board Advanced Placement programme is based in the United States and its exams are also offered internationally. Check arrangements with your exam centre and confirm credit or placement policies with the institution that will receive your score.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

Use these original examples to see how the wording changes the answer you need to give.

Explain what a poetic shift changes

Imagine a poem that first describes a busy station with quick verbs, then pauses on an empty bench. The shift from movement to stillness can draw attention to absence. Explain how the contrast develops the speaker’s experience rather than stopping at the name of the device.

Support a claim about a complex character

An invented character refuses help in public and privately checks whether a friend is still waiting. The two actions can support a reading in which pride and dependence coexist. Explain how each detail contributes to that interpretation.

Connect a scene to the work as a whole

Suppose an early broken promise returns at the climax, where a character finally accepts responsibility for it. The paired moments can show a change in the character’s understanding. Explain how that change contributes to the work’s broader treatment of accountability.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instructions

Start with a short, accurate answer. Add a precise detail, then explain the relationship or evidence the prompt calls for. Apply the same instruction to a fresh example.

1. The passage shows that the character is conflicted.
2. The character refuses help in public but privately checks for a friend.
3. The contrast between public refusal and private reassurance suggests that pride and dependence coexist.
4. Find a new pair of details and use them to explain a different tension in a character or relationship.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Take a poem or passage and note two details that support one reading. Explain the connection in a complete sentence before naming a device. Then test an alternative reading against the same details.

For the literary argument, choose a work you know well and recall two moments that fit the prompt. Explain how those moments develop across the work. Keep summary short enough that you have room to interpret the pattern.

Frequently asked questions

How do I choose the work for Question 3?

Choose a suitable work of fiction you know well and whose details support a defensible answer to the actual prompt.

Does listing devices count as analysis?

Explain what each relevant choice does and how it supports the interpretation.

What is the difference between the speaker and the poet?

The speaker is the voice in the poem. Attribute a claim to the poet only where the evidence warrants it.

Official sources and next reading

• College Board AP English Literature and Composition exam format
• AP English Literature and Composition released exam questions and scoring guidance

Related guide · AQA GCSE English Language analysis instructions

Read eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide for more ways to group and practise vocabulary.

Back to the 200-word list · Back to contents