Terms : Hide Images
| 7387086331 | Allusion | Definition: A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion. Example: After John asked out his ex's best friend, she screamed, "You're such a Brutus!" |  | 0 |
| 7387086332 | Anachronism | Definition: a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned. Example: Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar mentions a clock striking, but mechanical clocks hadn't been invented in 44 BC. Note: To be "anachronistic" means that someone's ideas, words, or actions are not in keeping with his or her times. |  | 1 |
| 7387086333 | Analogy | Definition: A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. Example: "They crowded very close about him, with their hands always on him in a careful, caressing grip, as though all the while feeling him to make sure he was there. It was like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water." (From "A Hanging" George Orwell) |  | 2 |
| 7387086334 | Anaphora | Definition: A rhetorical figure of repetition in which the same word or phrase is repeated in (and usually at the beginning of) successive lines, clauses, or sentences. |  | 3 |
| 7387086335 | Epistrophe | Definition: The repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences; the opposite of anaphora. |  | 4 |
| 7387086336 | Antithesis | Definition: A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses in parallel structure. Example: "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." (Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 Moon Landing) |  | 5 |
| 7387086337 | Aphorism | Definition: A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life. |  | 6 |
| 7387086338 | Appeal to Pride | Definition: An argument fallacy used to convince the audience that they must act in order to maintain dignity and self-respect or to avoid undesirable consequences. Example: "Smart people like you . . ." | 7 | |
| 7387086339 | Bandwagon (Appeal to the People) | Definition: A fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable. Example: In Orwell's Animal Farm, each animal follows what the pigs say because they think that all of the other animals are loyal to the pigs. |  | 8 |
| 7387086340 | Conceit | Definition: A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. Example: "The broken heart is a damaged china pot." |  | 9 |
| 7387086341 | Concession | Definition: An argumentative strategy by which a speaker or writer acknowledges the validity of an opponent's point. |  | 10 |
| 7387086342 | Connotation | Definition: All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests. Example: Using "Mom and Dad" rather than "Mother and Father" presents a more familiar, loving relationship. |  | 11 |
| 7387086343 | Denotation | Definition: The dictionary definition of a word |  | 12 |
| 7387086344 | Didactic Tone | Definition: Instructive, educational Example: Orwell's Animal Farm has a didactic purpose because of its focus on the negatives of a totalitarian society. |  | 13 |
| 7387086345 | Epigraph | Definition: A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme. Example: Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun begins with a poem by Langston Hughes entitled "Harlem." |  | 14 |
| 7387086346 | Euphemism | Definition: An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant. Example: Many organizations use the term "downsizing" for the distressing act of "firing" their employees. |  | 15 |
| 7387086347 | Expletive | Definition: An exclamatory word or phrase, often obscene or profane OR a single word or short phrase intended to emphasize surrounding words. Commonly, expletives are set off by commas. Example: in fact, of course, after all, certainly |  | 16 |
| 7387086348 | Hyperbole | Definition: A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor. Example: "I had to wait in the station for ten days-an eternity." (The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad) |  | 17 |
| 7387086349 | Litotes (Understatement) | Definition: The ironic minimizing of fact to present something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic. Example: "Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe how much it altered her person for the worse." (A Tale of a Tub" by Jonathan Swift) |  | 18 |
| 7387086350 | Invective | Definition: Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language Example: In Shakespeare's King Lear, one character describes another as "a knave, a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave...beggar, coward." |  | 19 |
| 7387086351 | Loaded Language | Definition: An argument fallacy which incorporates words that imply a value judgement; used to persuade a reader without making a serious argument Example: Calling or implying that your opponent is racist, sexist, etc., without proof. |  | 20 |
| 7387086352 | Metonymy | Definition: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated Example: He is a man of the cloth. |  | 21 |
| 7387086353 | Synecdoche | Definition: A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as "hand" for sailor), the whole for a part (as "the law" for police officer), the specific for the general (as "cutthroat" for assassin), the general for the specific (as "thief" for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as "steel" for sword). |  | 22 |
| 7387086354 | Oxymoron | Definition: A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Examples: honest politician, pleasing pains, bittersweet, stationery orbit, old news |  | 23 |
| 7387086355 | Paradox | Definition: A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. |  | 24 |
| 7387086356 | Pedantry (Pedantic) | Definition: A pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details Example: Tom Buchanan from The Great Gatsby |  | 25 |
| 7387086357 | Syllogism | Definition: A form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them. The format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. Example: Major Premise: All tragedies end unhappily. Minor Premise: Hamlet is a tragedy. Conclusion: Therefore, Hamlet ends unhappily. |  | 26 |
| 7387086358 | Cumulative (Loose) Sentence | Definition: A sentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on. Example: "Llanblethian hangs pleasantly, with its white cottages, and orchard and other trees..." (The Life of John Sterling by Thomas Carlyle) |  | 27 |
| 7387086359 | Periodic Sentence | Definition: A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. The independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect is to add emphasis and structural variety. |  | 28 |
| 7387086360 | Emphatic Sentence | Definition: A sentence which puts added stress on an auxiliary verb instead of some element after the verb, a complement or modifier. Example: "The President actually did spend the day meeting with the Prime Minister." | 29 | |
| 7387086361 | Inverted Sentence | Definition: Any sentence in which the normal word order is reversed, with the verb coming before the subject or the complete subject and predicate coming after another clause. |  | 30 |
| 7387086362 | Logos | Definition: An appeal based on logic or reason; usually includes statistics, historical facts, etc. |  | 31 |
| 7387086363 | Ethos | Definition: An appeal to credibility; the writer/speaker tries to convince you that he or she has the background, history, skills, and/or expertise to speak on the issue. Examples: "I've served 40 years as a CEO . . ."; can include use of words such as "privileges," "duty," and "values." |  | 32 |
| 7387086364 | Pathos | Appeal to emotion Examples: Use of children, animals, or other innocents in ads/speeches/campaigns; pathos is tricky to use correctly because it often ends up relying upon argument fallacies. |  | 33 |
