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| 7186688366 | Analogy | Definition: Explaining something complex by comparing it to something more simple. Ex: "Toe is to foot as finger is to hand" | 0 | |
| 7186688645 | Argument | Definition: The combination of reasons, evidence, etc that an author uses to convince an audience of their position. Ex. altercation,feud | 1 | |
| 7186689067 | Aristotelian appeals | Definition: Three different methods of appealing to an audience to convince them—ethos, logos, and pathos. Ex. ethos, logos and pathos. | 2 | |
| 7186689068 | Attitude | Definition: The writer's personal views or feelings about the subject at hand. Ex. "the deplorable state of this school" would show the authors negative attitude toward the school | 3 | |
| 7186689365 | Audience | Definition: Who the author is directing his or her message towards Ex. When you create a resume, your audience is potential employers. | 4 | |
| 7186713681 | Alliteration | Definition: Using words with the same first letter repeatedly close together in a phrase or sentence. Ex. "If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch? ." | 5 | |
| 7186713288 | Allusion | Definition: Making a brief reference to the cultural canon—e.g. the Bible, Shakespeare, classical mythology, etc. Ex. "Sally had a smile that rivaled that of Mona Lisa." | 6 | |
| 7186713165 | Anecdote | Definition: Offering a brief narrative episode. This device can serve many functions in a text—for example, introducing an issue, serving as evidence, to illustrate a point, and so on. Ex. "When I went to buy my morning coffee, I ran into an old friend. He told me he had won the lottery and he was about to buy a yacht. Two months later I heard he had declared bankruptcy." | 7 | |
| 7186689867 | Compare and Contrast | Definition: Discussing the similarities and differences between two things to some persuasive or illustrative purpose. Ex. "Hybrid cars have a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional midsize vehicles." | 8 | |
| 7186690082 | Connotation | Definition: The implied meaning of a word; words can broadly have positive, negative, or neutral connotations. Ex. conscientious = positive connotation fussy = negative connotation | 9 | |
| 7186690083 | Context | Definition: The extra-textual environment in which the text is being delivered. Ex. If I am delivering a congratulatory speech to awards recipients, the immediate context might be the awards presentation ceremony; the broader context might be the purpose or significance of the awards themselves. | 10 | |
| 7186690607 | Counterargument | Definition: The argument(s) against the author's position. Ex. If I want to eliminate the dress code, a counterargument might be that this will place a burden on students of a lower socioeconomic status, who must now afford an entire school wardrobe or risk unwanted attention. | 11 | |
| 7186712961 | Concession | Definition: Agreeing with the opposing viewpoint on a certain smaller point (but not in the larger argument). Ex. "Even though he left school at age 16, he still managed o become prime minister." | 12 | |
| 7186690752 | Deductive reasoning | Definition: A form of logical reasoning wherein a general principle is applied to a specific case. Ex. If all planets orbit a star, and Theta II is a planet, then it must orbit a star. | 13 | |
| 7186690906 | Denotation | Definition: The literal, dictionary-definition meaning of a word. Ex. The denotation of "chair" is "a place to sit." | 14 | |
| 7186690907 | Diction | Definition: The style of language used; generally tailored to be appropriate to the audience and situation. Ex. You might say "What's up, loser?" to your little brother, but you would probably say "How are you doing today?" to your principal. | 15 | |
| 7186712751 | Didactic | Definition: A text with an instructive purpose, often moral. Ex. Aesop's fables are an example of a didactic work. | 16 | |
| 7186691743 | Ethos | Definition: Setting up a source as credible and trustworthy. Ex. "Given my PhD in the subject and years of experience in the field" is an appeal to ethos. | 17 | |
| 7186691744 | Evidence | Definition: The information presented meant to persuade the audience of the author's position. Ex. If I were arguing that Anne is a good student, I might reference her straight-A report card and her 1500 SAT score as pieces of evidence. | 18 | |
| 7190699035 | Euphemism | Definition: Referring to something with a veiled phrase instead of saying it directly Ex. "She let Bob go," is a euphemism for "she fired Bob." | 19 | |
| 7186710246 | Exemplification | Definition: Providing examples in service of a point. Ex. "The Town Beautification Funds are being sorely misused; the streets are full of litter, the parks are full of broken equipment, and City Hall's facade is drab and crumbling." | 20 | |
| 7186692051 | Figurative Language | Definition: The use of language in a non-literal way; i.e. metaphor, simile, etc. Ex. "The sky's like a jewel box tonight!" | 21 | |
| 7190702462 | Genre | Definition: The specific type of work being presented. Ex. Broader categories include "novel" and "play," while more specific genres would be things like "personal essay" or "haiku." | 22 | |
| 7186710247 | Hyperbole | Definition: Overstating a situation for humorous or dramatic effect. Ex. "I'm so hungry I can eat a horse!" | 23 | |
| 7186692053 | Imagery | Definition: Any descriptive language used to evoke a vivid sense or image of something; includes figurative language. Ex. "The water was a pearl-studded sea of azure tipped with turquoise." | 24 | |
| 7186692266 | Implication | Definition: When something is suggested without being concretely stated. Ex. "Watch your wallet around Paul," implies that Paul is a thief without coming out and saying "Paul is a thief." | 25 | |
| 7186692267 | Inductive Reasoning | Definition: Making a generalization based on specific evidence at hand. Ex. All of the planets in this solar system orbit a star, so all planets probably orbit stars. | 26 | |
| 7186692600 | Irony | Definition: At the most basic sense, saying the opposite of what you mean; also used to describe situations in which the results of an action are dramatically different than intended. Ex. The procrastinator's meeting being postponed is ironic | 27 | |
| 7186709998 | Idiom | Definition: A commonly used phrase that signifies something very different than its literal meaning. Ex. "This costs an arm and a leg!" is an idiom which means "This is very expensive." | 28 | |
| 7186692601 | Juxtaposition | Definition: Placing two very different things together for effect. |  | 29 |
| 7186692766 | Logos | Definition: Appealing to someone's sense of concrete facts and logic. Ex. Citing peer-reviewed scientific studies is an appeal to logos. | 30 | |
| 7186692772 | Occasion | Definition: The reason or moment for writing or speaking. |  | 31 |
| 7186693755 | Organization | Definition: How the different parts of an argument are arranged in a piece of writing or speech. Ex.Think about the outlines you write in preparation for drafting an argumentative essay and you'll have an idea of what organization is. | 32 | |
| 7186709995 | Onomatopeia | Definition: Using "sound-effect" words (e.g. "clap," "buzz). Ex. "The clinging pots and pans woke the baby." | 33 | |
| 7186703640 | Pathos | Definition: An Aristotelian appeal. Involves appealing to someone's emotions. Ex. Animal shelters ads with pictures of cute sad animals and dramatic music are using pathos. | 34 | |
| 7186703641 | Purpose | Definition: The author's persuasive intention. |  | 35 |
| 7186709616 | Paradox | Definition: A phrase or assertion that appears to contradict itself (but the contradiction itself may have its own meaning). Ex. "Jumbo Fish"; "This is the beginning of the end." | 36 | |
| 7190720971 | Parallelism | Definition: Repeated structural elements in a sentence. Ex. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" J.F.K | 37 | |
| 7190721802 | Parody | Definition: Using the form of something to mimic and make fun of it. |  | 38 |
| 7186709216 | Personification | Definition: Giving human characteristics to a nonhuman object or idea. Ex. "The flame of the candle danced in the dark." | 39 | |
| 7186703985 | Repetition | Definition: Re-using a word or phrase repeatedly for effect or emphasis. Ex. "We run, and we run, and we run, like rats on a wheel." | 40 | |
| 7186704226 | Rhetoric | Definition: The use of spoken or written word (or a visual medium) to convey your ideas and convince an audience. |  | 41 |
| 7190712021 | Rhetorical Triangle | Definition: The relationship between the author, the audience, the text/message, and the context. Ex. The author communicates to the reader via the text; and the reader and text are surrounded by context. |  | 42 |
| 7186704389 | Speaker | Definition: The persona adopted by the author to deliver his or her message; may or may not actually be the same person as the author. Ex. Similar to the difference between author and narrator in a work of fiction. | 43 | |
| 7186704390 | Style | Definition: The author's own personal approach to rhetoric in the piece; similar to voice. Ex. We might say the Taylor Swift's songwriting style is straightforward and emotive. | 44 | |
| 7186704803 | Symbolism | Definition: Using a symbol to refer to an idea or concept. Ex. "rain" is commonly used a symbol for a new clean start, washing away old news | 45 | |
| 7186704804 | Syntax | Definition: The way sentences are grammatically constructed. Ex. "She likes pie," is syntactically simple. On the other hand, "As it so happened, when Barbara got out of class early she liked to have a piece of pie—key lime or pecan, always—at the corner diner; while she was there she watched the people passing by the window and imagined herself inside each of their lives, riding in their heads for moments and moments until the afternoon was whiled away and she'd become fifty people," is syntactically complicated. | 46 | |
| 7186704953 | Synthesis | Definition: Combining sources or ideas in a coherent way in the purpose of a larger point. Ex. A typical research paper involves synthesizing sources to make a broader point about the topic. | 47 | |
| 7186708958 | Sarcasm | Definition: Mockingly stating the opposite of what you mean. Easier to convey in the spoken word than via writing. Ex. "Good Job" might be delivered sarcastically after someone messes up | 48 | |
| 7186708737 | Satire | Definition: A genre of humorous and mocking criticism to expose the ignorance and/or ills of society. Ex. Stephen Colbert is a popular modern satirist. | 49 | |
| 7190723872 | Synechdoche | Definition: Referring to one part of something as a way to refer to the whole. Ex. "Ask for her hand" is a synecdoche for marriage; the "hand" stands in for the whole woman. | 50 | |
| 7186704954 | Themes | Definition: Overarching ideas or driving premises of a work. Ex. In your high school graduation speech you may hear leaving behind a legacy, moving into the great unknown, becoming an adult, and changing the world. | 51 | |
| 7186704955 | Tone | Definition: The use of stylistic devices to reveal an author's attitude toward a subject. Ex. The phrase "the deplorable state of this school" reveals a negative attitude, but the word choice of "deplorable" is part of the author's tone. | 52 | |
| 7186708193 | Understatement | Definition: Deliberately minimizing something, usually for humorous effect. Ex. "My mom's a little bit irritated I crashed the car—I'm grounded for the next twenty-four months." | 53 | |
| 7186707591 | Voice | Definition: An author's unique sound. Similar to style. Ex. Think of the way that you can recognize a pop singer on the radio without hearing who it is first | 54 |
