Common Topics
The common topic that explores the meaning of a word in order to develop an argument.
What is Definition?
The primary section of the speech where the speaker offers proof for the case. Usually arguments are ordered from least to most important.
What is confirmatio?
This fallacy occurs when a person draws a conclusion from a caricatured or distorted version of his opponent's argument.
What is Strawman?
The time in the debate when both the affirmative and negative sides critique each other's arguments.
What is Rebuttal?
Narratives, questions, descriptions, proverbs, provocative statements, quotations, and statistics are all types of this.
What is a hook?
The common topic that bolsters arguments with quotes from authority, examples, statistics, and personal narratives.
What is Testimony?
The brief outlining of arguments to come.
What is partitio/divisio?
This fallacy occurs when someone reasons that because everyone is doing or believing something that it should be done or believed.
What is bandwagon?
A statement which can be proven true or false and clearly states the issue being debated.
What is a Proposition?
The survivor of the autobiography Survive to Live or "La Limonada."
Who is Jonathan Orozco?
The common topic that develops an argument by examining similarities, dissimilarities, and degree of similarity or dissimilarity.
What is Comparison?
The introduction to the speech. The goal in this is to catch the audience's attention and preview what the speech is about.
This fallacy occurs when someone bases a generalization on too small a sample size.
What is a Hasty Generalization?
The process of outlining an opponent's arguments while he is speaking.
What is flowing an argument?
This woman tragically lost a necklace and spent ten years working to replace it.
Who is Mathilde Loisel?
The common topic that examines how one factor influences another.
What is Relationship?
The statement of key facts, definitions, and history relating to the topic. It helps the audience understand what the speech is all about.
This fallacy occurs when someone uses the authority of an expert in one field to prove a point in another field.
What is ipse dixit or Appeal to Illegitimate Authority?
A term referring to the responsibility of someone arguing contra to the status quo to prove his point, rather than the person who is defending the status quo.
What is the burden of proof?
A paragraph containing an antitheses followed by an argument against it.
What is a Refutation?
The common topic used to look at what we can learn from the past to apply to current situations.
What is Circumstance?
The conclusion of a speech, in which the orator wraps up her case.
What is peroratio?
This fallacy occurs when someone reasons that because A happened before B, A caused B.
What is False Cause?
The part of a debate in which both the affirmative and negative sides ask each other questions to clarify points and expose weaknesses in the opposition's arguments.
What is Cross-examination?
The type of speech or writing which uses precise vocabulary and interesting sentence structures while avoiding first and second person pronouns and colloquialisms.
What is formal language?