Persuasion
When a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text.
Ethos:
Similar to mood, this describes the author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.
Tone
Writers may repeat a word, a phrase or an entire sentence for emphasis.
Repetition
The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic.
Understatement
As a literary technique, this places two concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other so that the reader will compare and contrast them.
Juxtaposition
When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on statistics, facts, and reasons. The process of reasoning.
Logos
The repetition of the first sound in consecutive words. This effect draws attention to the words in question. (Eg. "cruel, calculating and crooked.”)
Alliteration
The way and the order that words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. It is sentence structure and how it influences the way a reader perceives a piece of writing.
Syntax
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language. Harsh, abusive, or insulting language used to express intense condemnation, blame, or deep-seated ill will.
Invective
the presentation of two contrasting ideas. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. Eg.“To be or not to be…”
Antithesis
When a writer tries to persuade the audience by appealing to their emotions.
Pathos
Refers to the usage of informal or everyday language. This slang can be used in different ways. It can set the writer up as knowledgeable, on the inside of a social group. A writer may also use slang in a sarcastic manner, to attack an opponent or mock an argument. It may also be used to appeal to a reader’s own sense of cultural identity, or reinforce a writer’s overall tone.
Colloquial language
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence.
Anaphora
An attitude that may lie under the ostensible tone of the piece. Under a cheery surface, for example, a work may have threatening ...this.
Undertone
A figurative technique: Sensory details in a work; the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, call to mind an idea, or describe an object. Imagery involves any or all of the five senses.
Types of Evidence: To make a writer’s position seem more credible, they may quote the opinions of experts that correspond with their own. As in a court case, experts are often called on to make one side seem stronger and more believable.
Expert Opinion
Using many similar words in a short space is cumulation and can give weight to the idea being expressed. (Eg. “This task requires guts, determination, grit and willpower.”)
Cumulation
The technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form. Example (from Churchill): “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields. (this is also anaphora)
Parallelism
This aims to directly address the reader, either personally or as a member of a shared group. This involves using such words as us, we, you, our.
Inclusive Language
Asyndeton refers to the omission of a conjunction such as “and” or “as” from a series of related clauses. The function of asyndeton is usually to accelerate a passage and emphasize the significance of the relation between these clauses. One famous example is Julius Caesar’s comment “Veni, vidi, vici” after a swift victory in battle, translated into English as “I came, Isaw, I conquered.”
Asyndeton
Types of Evidence: Like any form of evidence, statistics can be used to make an argument seem more conclusive, a writer’s opinion more valid. Often statistics are used that are out of context, or from unreliable sources. As the saying goes, “There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
Statistical Evidence
Persuade people to do something by letting them know others are all doing it as well.
A figure of speech in which several conjunctions are used to join connected clauses in places where they are not contextually necessary. For example, consider the following sentence: “The dinner was so good; I ate the chicken, and the salad, and the turkey, and the wild rice, and the bread, and the mashed potatoes, and the cranberry sauce.”
Polysyndeton
Acknowledging the opposition’s main idea.
Concession
A rhetorical term for a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses.
Tricolon
Types of Evidence: A tale involving real life events, a true story. Such stories can be used by writers as evidence to back their claims. To support a contention, and to make themselves appear more credible, writers often use personal anecdotes.
Anecdotal Evidence
Telling the facts for one side only.
"Card stacking"
A word or phrase repeated at the end of consecutive lines.
Epistrophe
A writer may mention an important event or person in an essay to lend importance of credibility to his/her argument. “According to…”
Appeal to Authority
This is a figure of speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words. Ex. “The land was ours before we were the land’s” - Robert Frost “Pleasure’s a sin, and sometimes sin’s a pleasure” – Lord Byron. “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”-JFK
Chiasmus
A figurative technique: Comparing one situation to another. For example, comparing the game of football to war.
Analogy
Describing poor aspects of a competitor's argument/product so that your argument/product seems better.
"Name Calling"
A figurative technique: Completely overstating and exaggerating your point for effect. (Like when your mom says,"I must have asked you a million times to clean your room!")
Hyperbole
Word or phrase that fills a grammatical position without adding meaning, often an exclamatory swear word (e.g., "Dang!"). See also: in fact, of course, to be sure, indeed, I suppose, I hope, you know, you see, clearly, in any event, in effect, certainly, remarkably.
Expletive
Is a person "slim" or "skinny"?Is an oil spill an "incident" or an "accident"?Is a government expenditure an "investment" or a "waste"? Writers reinforce their arguments by choosing words.
Diction (Word Choice)
A figurative technique: A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful.
Metaphor
A figurative technique: Generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else. Usually a symbol is something concrete – such as object, action, character, or scene – that represents something more abstract.
Symbol / Symbolism
A figurative technique: A term from the Greek meaning “changed label” or “substitute name.” This is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. eg. “the White House declared” rather that “the President declared”. The substituted term generally carries a more potent emotional response.
Metonymy
Sometimes a writer or speaker will ask a question to which no answer is required. The answer is obvious so the reader has no choice but to agree with the writer's point.
Rhetorical question
Figure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one’s own question(s).
Hypophora
A more acceptable or usually a more acceptable way of saying something uncomfortable (i.e. collateral damage instead of civilian death).
Euphemism
Use of language in which multiple meanings are possible.
Ambiguity
A figurative technique: Words pertaining to a particular group or idea. For example, words relating to water or nature.
Lexical Field
Using words of an expert, a famous person, or a regular “Joe” to persuade others.
Testimonial
A figurative technique: This is a type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, or in short, any portion , section, or main quality for the whole or the thing itself (or vice versa). Eg. Farmer Joe has two hundred head of cattle [whole cattle], and three hired hands[whole people]. If we had some wheels [whole vehicle], I’d put on my best threads[clothes] and ask for Jane’s hand [hopefully her whole person] in marriage.
Synecdoche