Rhetorical Devices
What is parallelism? Give an example
What is the repetition of grammatical structures in a series? Example: “She came, she saw, she conquered.”
What is a claim in an argument essay?
What is the main assertion or thesis that the writer is trying to prove?
What does it mean to analyze the "rhetorical situation"?
What is examining the author, audience, purpose, context, and message?
What does Nurmi do in the summer?
Read, homework, serve!
Goal of the synthesis essay?
What is to combine sources with your own ideas to develop a well-supported argument?
What is Nurmi's favorite color?
Black
Define and identify an example of antithesis.
What is the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases? Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
What makes evidence “effective” in argument writing?
What is relevance, credibility, specificity, and the ability to support the claim logically and persuasively?
In a speech about environmental responsibility, the speaker describes the Earth as a “wounded patient gasping for breath.” What rhetorical choice is most prominent in this line?
What is a metaphor?
(The Earth is compared to a patient to evoke urgency and emotional response.)
How can syntax affect meaning?
What is sentence structure controls emphasis, pace, and complexity, affecting clarity and rhetorical impact?
How many sources must you use in a synthesis essay?
What is at least three sources out of the provided six or seven?
What is Nurmi's favorite book?
the Great Gatsby
Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”
What is personification?
Explain how to address a counterargument in an essay.
What is acknowledging opposing views respectfully, then refuting them with reasoning or evidence?
How would you organize a body paragraph in rhetorical analysis?
What is: start with a topic sentence, introduce a rhetorical choice, provide a quote/example, explain the effect, and connect to purpose?
What is Nurmi's fiance's name?
Carlito
Strategy for integrating sources?
What is to blend source material with your analysis using signal phrases and commentary—not just dropping in quotes?
How many years has Nurmi been a teacher?
5
Example: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields…”
What is anaphora?
Craft a thesis: “To what extent should individual freedom be limited for the collective good?”
While individual freedom is essential to a democratic society, it should be reasonably limited when public safety, health, and equity are at risk.
An author opens their essay by recounting a childhood memory of food insecurity (anecdote) before transitioning into statistics about poverty in America (statistical evidence). What effect(s) is the author using to connect with the audience?
An emotional appeal, followed by a logical appeal.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..."
—Theodore Roosevelt
Question:
What rhetorical strategy is most evident in Roosevelt’s use of “the man who is actually in the arena”?
A. Antithesis
B. Juxtaposition
C. Synecdoche
D. Metaphor
Correct Answer: D. Metaphor
(Roosevelt uses the “arena” as a metaphor for struggle and engagement in life’s challenges.)
In a synthesis essay, what is the risk of relying too heavily on quoted material from the sources without commentary?
What is summary without argument?
What is Nurmi's favorite beverage?
Diet coke
Example: “If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die!”
What is hyperbole?
What is the meaning of the CHORES acronym?
C – Current Events (news, politics, global issues)
H – History (wars, movements, historical figures, revolutions)
O – Outside Knowledge (facts, statistics, general knowledge from various subjects)
R – Reading (literature, philosophy, nonfiction, historical texts)
E – Entertainment & Pop Culture (films, music, TV, social media trends)
S – Science & Sports (technological advancements, psychology, biology, famous athletes, sports ethics)
In a letter to a skeptical audience, the writer begins by acknowledging the opposing viewpoint in respectful terms, then uses a series of rhetorical questions and analogies to dismantle that position without directly attacking it. What two rhetorical strategies are working together to strengthen the writer’s ethos and argument?
What are concession and rhetorical questioning (or analogy)?
(The concession shows respect and builds credibility, while rhetorical questions and analogy subtly challenge the opposing view and guide the audience toward the writer’s logic.)
Passage excerpt:
"To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent."
—Buddha
Question:
Which rhetorical choice is most clearly used to contrast ideas in this statement?
A. Paradox
B. Aphorism
C. Antithesis
D. Metonymy
Correct Answer: C. Antithesis
(The sentence contrasts idleness and diligence using parallel structure to highlight opposing ideas.)
You're writing a synthesis essay on the value of college education. One source supports trade schools, another defends liberal arts, and a third focuses on student debt. What’s the best strategy to develop a nuanced argument using these?
What is to find common ground or a central claim that integrates the benefits and drawbacks of each perspective?
(This approach allows you to build a complex thesis that goes beyond one-sided argumentation.)
What day is Nurmi getting married?
January 1, 2027