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13973912597rhetorical appealsRhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are the ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion).0
13973912598ethosGreek for "character." Speakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic. Ethos is established by both who you are and what you say.1
13973912599counterargumentAn opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward. Rather than ignoring a counterargument, a strong writer will usually address it through the process of concession and refutation.2
13973912600concession (concede)An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable. In a strong argument, a concession is usually accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument.3
13973912601refutation (refute)A denial of the validity of an opposing argument. In order to sound reasonable, refutations often follow a concession that acknowledges that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable.4
13973912602logosGreek for "embodied thought." Speakers appeal to logos or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back them up.5
13973912603connotationMeanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations. Connotations are usually positive or negative, and they can greatly affect the author's tone.6
13973912604pathosGreek for "suffering" or "experience." Speakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience. More specific appeals to pathos might play on the audience's values, desires, and hopes, on the one hand, or fears and prejudices, on the other.7
13973912605Rhetorical TriangleA diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and the subject in determining a text.8
13973912606audienceThe listener, viewer, or reader of a text. Most texts are likely to have multiple audiences9
13973912607contextThe circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.10
13973912608occasionThe time and place a speech is given or a piece is written.11
13973912611propagandaThe spread of ideas and information to further a cause. In its negative sense, propaganda is the use of rumors, lies, disinformation, and scare tactics in order to damage or promote a cause.12
13973912612purposeThe goal the speaker wants to achieve.13
13973912613rhetoricAs Aristotle defined the term, "The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." In other words, it is the art of finding ways to persuade an audience.14
13973912614SOAPSToneA mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, and Tone. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation.15
13973912615speakerThe person or group who creates a text. This might be a politician who delivers a speech, a commentator who writes an article, an artist who draws a political cartoon, or even a company that commissions an advertisement.16
13973912616subjectThe topic of a text; what the text is about.17
13973912618dictionThe speaker's choice of words. Writers choose words to create and convey a typical mood, tone and atmosphere to their readers. Diction or choice of words separates good writing from bad writing. It depends on a number of factors. Firstly, the word has to be right and accurate. Secondly, words should be appropriate to the context in which they are used. Lastly, the choice of words should be such that the listener or readers understand easily. Besides, proper diction or proper choice of words is important to get the message across. On the contrary, the wrong choice of words can easily divert listeners or readers which results in misinterpretation of the message intended to be conveyed.18
13973912619syntaxHow the words are arranged19
13973912620toneThe speaker's attitude toward's the subject as revealed by his or her choice of language20
13973912621moodHow the work makes the reader feel.21
13973912622metaphorFigure of speech that compares two things without using like or as; says one thing IS another.22
13973912623similesFigure of speech that compares two things using like or as.23
13973912624personificationAttribution of a human quality to an inanimate object or idea.24
13973912625hyperboleExaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken seriously25
13973912626parallelismSimilarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.26
13973912627juxtapositionTwo or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem, for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. ie: Paradise lost27
13973912628antithesisOpposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction.28
13973912629compound sentenceA sentence with more than one subject or predicate29
13973912630complex sentenceA sentence containing a subordinate clause or clauses30
13973912631periodic sentenceSentence whose main clause is withheld until the end.31
13973912632cumulative sentenceSentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on.32
13973912633imperative sentenceSentence used to command or enjoin.33
13973912634pacingHow fast a story unfolds. Does the author reveal details quickly or slowly? How does he or she build suspense?34
13973912635figures of speechA word or phrase used in a nonliteral sense to add rhetorical force to a spoken or written passage35
13973912637satireThe use of irony or sarcasm to criticize36
13973912639allusionBrief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art.37
13973912641asyndetonOmission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.38
13973912644rhetorical questionFigure of speech in form of a question posed for the rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer.39
13973912645synecdocheFigure of speech that uses a part to represent a whole. May also use larger groups to refer to smaller groups, or vice versa. It may also call a thing by the name of the material it is made of, or it may refer to a thing in a container or packaging by the name of that container or packing. Example: The word "bread" refers to food or money, as in "Writing is my bread and butter," or "He is the sole breadwinner." The phrase "gray beard" refers to an old man. The word "sails" refers to a whole ship. The word "suit" refers to a businessman. The word "boots" usually refers to soldiers. The term "coke" is a common synecdoche for all carbonated drinks. "wheels" and "ride" are synecdoches for car The word "glasses" refers to spectacles.40
13973912646imageryWhen a writer describes something using language that appeals to our five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing)41
13973912647argumentA process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from claim to conclusion.42
13973912649claimAlso called an assertion or a proposition, a claim states the argument's main idea or position. A claim differs from a topic or subject in that a claim has to be arguable.43
13973912656logical fallacy (fallacy)Logical fallacies are potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument. They often arise from a failure to make a logical connection between the claim and the evidence used to support it.44
13973912658ad hominemLatin for "to the man," this fallacy refers to the specific diversionary tactic of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker. If you argue that a park in your community should not be renovated because the person supporting it was arrested during a domestic dispute, then you are guilty of ad hominem.45
13973912659faulty analogyA fallacy that occurs when an analogy compares two things that are not comparable. For instance, to argue that because we put animals who are in irreversible pain out of their misery, we should do the same for people, asks the reader to ignore significant and profound differences between animals and people.46
13973912660straw manA fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea.47
13973912661either/or (false dilemma)A fallacy in which the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices.48
13973912662hasty generalizationA fallacy in which conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence.49
13973912663circular reasoningA fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence.50
13973912664first-hand evidenceEvidence based on something that the writer knows, whether it's from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of events.51
13973912665second-hand evidenceEvidence that is accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data.52
13973912666post hoc ergo propter hocThis fallacy is Latin for "after which therefore because of which," meaning that it is incorrect to always claim that something is a clause just because it happened earlier. One may loosely summarize this fallacy by saying that correlation does not simply imply causation.53
13973912667appeal to false authorityThis fallacy occurs when someone who has no expertise to speak on a issue is cited as an authority. A TV star, for instance, is not a medical expert, even though pharmaceutical advertisements often use celebrity endorsements.54
13973912669bandwagon appealThis fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to "everybody's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do."55
13973912685begging the questionA fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt. It "begs" a question whether the support itself is sound.56
13973912687syndetona sentence style in which words, phrases, or clauses are joined by conjunctions (usually and).57
13973912688qualitative evidenceDescriptive information, which often comes from interviews, focus groups or artistic depictions such as photographs.58
13973912689bias1. a prejudiced view (either for or against); a preference. 2. a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation59
13973912691scare tacticsusing fear to sway people by exaggerating possible dangers well beyond their statistical likelihood60
13973912692slippery slopeSuggest dire consequences from relatively minor causes61
13973912695non sequitura statement that does not follow logically from evidence62
13973912698chiasmusa rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures in order to produce an artistic effect.63
13973912700anaphoraRepetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines. This device produces a strong emotional effect, especially in speech. It also establishes a marked change in rhythm. a. "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island . . . we shall never surrender." (Winston Churchill, 1940) b. "Why should white people be running all the stores in our community? Why should white people be running the banks of our community? Why should the economy of our community be in the hands of the white man? Why?" (Malcolm X) c. "Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island." (Franklin Roosevelt, Pearl Harbor Address)64
13973912701epistropherepetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive phrases. Like anaphora, epistrophe produces a strong rhythm and emphasis. a. "But to all of those who would be tempted by weakness, let us leave no doubt that we will be as strong as we need to be for as long as we need to be." (Richard Nixon, First Inaugural Address) b. "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address) c. "As long as the white man sent you to Korea, you bled. He sent you to Germany, you bled. He sent you to the South Pacific to fight the Japanese, you bled." (Speech by Malcolm X) d. "In a cake, nothing tastes like real butter, nothing moistens like real butter, nothing enriches like real butter, nothing satisfies like real butter." (Caption from a Pillsbury ad)65
13973912702epanalepsis(eh-puh-nuh-LEAP-siss) — repetition of the same word or words at both beginning and ending of a phrase, clause, or sentence. Like other schemes of repetition, epanalepsis often produces or expresses strong emotion. a. Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows:/ Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power. (William Shakespeare, King John) b. "Nothing is worse than doing nothing." c. "A minimum wage that is not a livable wage can never be a minimum wage." (Ralph Nader)66
13973912703anadiplosis(an-uh-dih-PLO-sis) — repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. a. "The crime was common, common be the pain". (Alexander Pope, "Eloise to Abelard" b. "Aboard my ship, excellent performance is standard. Standard performance is sub-standard. Sub-standard performance is not permitted to exist." (Captain Queeg, Herman Wouk's The Caine Mutiny) c. "Somehow, with the benefit of little formal education, my grandparents recognized the inexorable downward spiral of conduct outside the guardrails: If you lie, you will cheat; if you cheat, you will steal; if you steal, you will kill." (Justice Clarence Thomas, 1993 Mercer Law School Address) d. "They call for you: The general who became a slave; the slave who became a gladiator; the gladiator who defied an Emperor. Striking story." (line delivered by Joaquin Phoenix, from the movie Gladiator)67
13973912705alliterationrepetition in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series. Alliteration does not depend on letters but on sounds. So the phrase not knotty is alliterative, but cigarette chase is not. a. "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free" Samuel Taylor Coolridge b. "It was the meanest moment of eternity". (Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God) c. "His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." (James Joyce,The Dead) d. Names, logos, and ads are often alliterative because it helps you remember: Dunkin' Donuts PayPal; Best Buy;Coca-Cola; Lois Lane; Sammy Sosa; Ronald Reagan; Porky Pig; etc.68
13973912706assonancethe repetition of similar vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants, in the stressed syllables of adjacent words. a. "Whales in the wake like capes and Alps/ Quaked the sick sea and snouted deep." (Dylan Thomas, "Ballad of the Long Legged Bait") b. "Refresh your zest for living." (advertisement for French Line Ships) c. "Strips of tinfoil winking like people." (Sylvia Plath) d. "The gloves didn't fit. If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." (Johnny Cochran, O.J.Simpson trial)69
13973912707consonanceThe use of a series of consonants in quick succession - used more in poetry than in prose. a. "The pitter patter of perpetual precipitation put me in a petulant mood". While there is alliteration in this sentence with the letter p being repeated in the beginning of words, the repeated p and t are consonant. b. "Rap rejects my tape deck, ejects projectile Whether Jew or gentile, I rank top percentile Many styles, more powerful than gamma rays My grammar pays, like Carlos Santana plays."70
13973912709ellipsisEllipsis is the omission of a word or series of words. There are two slightly different definitions of ellipsis which are pertinent to literature. The first definition of ellipsis is the commonly used series of three dots, which can be place at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence or clause. But more importantly, for AP purposes, the second is: a linguistically appropriate omission of words that are mutually understood and thus unnecessary. This type of ellipsis is usually used where the words omitted would be redundant. example: Gapping: I ordered the linguine, and he [ordered] the lobster. Stripping: I ordered the linguine, [I did] not [order] lobster. Verb phrase ellipsis: I'll order the linguine and you can [order the linguine], too. Answer ellipsis: Who ordered the linguine? I did [order the linguine]. Sluicing: I'll get something to drink, but I'm not sure what [I'll get to drink]. Nominal ellipsis: I ordered two drinks, and Bill [ordered] one.71
13973912710metonymya type of metaphor where the substitution of the name of an attribute for that of the thing meant. Examples: The pen is mightier than the sword. -Edward Bulwer-Lytton This land belongs to the crown. Flight simulators are valuable because you can die in software and still be around to fly another day. You cannot fight city hall. The orders came directly from the White House. After four years of reading and writing, I got my bachelor's degree and left college. After four years of filling in the bubbles on machine-scored answer sheets, I got my bachelor's degree and left college.72
13973912712paradoxan apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth. examples: Less is more You can save money by spending it. I know one thing; that I know nothing. This is the beginning of the end. Deep down, you're really shallow. I'm a compulsive liar. "Men work together whether they work together or apart." - Robert Frost "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." - George Bernard Shaw "I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde Here are the rules: Ignore all rules. The second sentence is false. The first sentence is true.73
13974004539ToneAttitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character74

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