Hey There,
Smooth Talker
How to Lose
an Argument
Gaming the System
Fool Me Once...
Who Am I, and
Why Am I Here?
100

A question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.  

What is a rhetorical question?

100

An appeal that presents what most people, or a group of people think, in order to persuade someone to think the same way.

What is bandwagon?

100

Occurs when the length and structure of sentences is varied in order to make certain ideas stand out or add interest to the writing. 

What is sentence variety?

100

This is an attack on the character of a person rather than their opinions or arguments.

What is ad hominem?

100

The narrator is a neutral entity, relying on observations of characters rather than getting in their heads. It’s writing from a fly-on-the-wall perspective.

What is third-person objective?
200

A deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect. 

What is overstatement or hyperbole?

200

This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'B' occurred after 'A' then 'A' must have caused 'B.'

What is false cause?

200

The deliberate expression of an idea as less important than it actually is.

What is understatement?

200

A statement with a conclusion that restates the argument rather than actually proving it.

What is circular reasoning?

200

In this point of view, the narrator is telling the story of the protagonist from close by.

What is first-person peripheral?

300

This technique demonstrates that two or more things are connected by stating that one causes another.

What is cause and effect?

300

A conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, Z will happen, too.

What is slippery slope?

300

Occurs when words are repeated in order to make a stronger impact on the reader.

What is repetition?

300

Accepting a claim merely because someone tells us that an authority figure supports that claim.

What is appeal to false authority?

300

In this point of view, the narrator is also the protagonist of the story.

What is first-person central?

400

An appeal that gives what appear to be good, solid reasons to share the author’s point of view. It uses facts, definitions, cause and effect, etc.

What is logos?

400

A form of simplistic thinking that implies something is either a cause, or it is not. It overlooks the important fact that, especially when referring to human behavior, causes are very complex and multi-dimensional.

What is oversimplification?

400

An appeal to powerful emotions, such as our love of country, family, peace, and justice, as well as to our fear and hatred of the things that threaten us.

What is pathos?

400

A diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.

What is red herring?

400

The narrator speaks freely about everyone and everything. There are no limits to the time, space, or character the narrator can access.

What is third-person omniscient?

500

A comparison of similar ideas, often used to explain a complex situation by showing how it is like a simple one.

What is an analogy?

500

This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument.

What is straw man?

500

When writers rely on their authority, credibility, or general character and present themselves as trustworthy.

What is ethos?

500

This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts.

What is overgeneralization?

500

This point of view establishes the reader as the protagonist or main character. It's the most challenging and least-often-used point of view in fiction.

What is second-person?

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