Diction
Appeals & Claims
Rhetorical Terms
Syntax
General
100

language with suggested emotional meaning (with both positive and negative impacts)

EX: gown, plump

What is connotative

100
A proposal that relies heavily on strong emotional reactions.
What is appeal to emotion
100

Substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant.

Ex: “Passed away” instead of “died”

What is a euphemism?

100
arranged in order of climax; withholds important or critical information to make the end information a surprise.
What is a periodic sentence
100
Also called a proposition – answers the question “What are you trying to prove?
What is a claim?
200

Language that is personal, has emotion (pathos), and bias

What is subjective

200
an argument that focuses heavily on expert opinions, statistics, and factual evidence.
What is appeal to authority
200

An assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but that may yet have some truth in it.

Ex: Save money by spending it.

What is a paradox?

200
contains 2 independent clauses and a dependent clause
What is compound-complex sentence?
200

The event or occurrence that prompts rhetorical discourse.

What is exigency?

300

Language is specific; tangible (things, facts)

EX: girl, flag

What is concrete

300
arguments that promise to protect our values (success, freedom, equality, courage, etc.)
What is appeal to values
300

A speaker’s attitude can ___ on a topic... Or an author might have one attitude toward one audience and another toward the subject.

Ex: The spilled milk created a disgusting smell. 

Ex: Chocolate milk is smooth and delicious.

What is a tone shift?

300
A passage can read slow or fast depending on things like Length of words Omission of words Length of sentence Number of dependent clauses etc.
What is narrative pace?
300

Having identical or very similar sentence structure. Example: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What is parallel structure?

400

language with exact meaning

EX: dress, obese

What is denotative

400
asserts that a condition has existed, exists, or will exist and is based on facts or data that the audience will accept as being objectively verifiable
What is claim of fact
400
Citing an example; using an illustrative story, either true or fictitious
What is an exemplum?
400

the phrases and clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness of structure, meaning, or length

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters

What is a balanced sentence

400

An apparent contradiction of terms.

What is oxymoron?

500

Language has a deliberate misrepresenting as less

EX: “I was only doing my job”

What is understated

500
asserts that specific courses of action should be instituted as solutions to problems
What is claim of policy
500
A question not answered by the writer because its answer is obvious or obviously desired, and usually just a yes or no. It is used for effect, emphasis, or provocation, or for drawing a conclusionary statement from the facts at hand.
What is a rhetorical question?
500

a poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit

The apparition of these faces in the crowd; /Petals on a wet, black bough

What is Juxtaposition?

500
Compares two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one.
What is an analogy?
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