Rhetorical Fundamentals
"As a doctor with 20 years of experience treating this condition, I strongly recommend this treatment plan."
What is ethos/appeal to credibility?
"Democracy is like a garden that needs constant tending—if we neglect it, weeds of corruption will overtake it."
What is an analogy?
The cryptocurrency example shows sophisticated concession technique where opposing valid points are acknowledged before presenting a counterargument, demonstrating rhetorical complexity.
What is a concession?
The memoir excerpt contrasts academic language with informal expressions, requiring students to identify code-switching and its rhetorical purpose.
What is colloquial?
The word "home" technically means a place where one lives, but for many it evokes feelings of comfort, safety, and belonging.
What is connotation?
Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington.
What is the speaker/occasion in a rhetorical situation?
"The wealthy dined on fine cuisine in heated homes, while just blocks away, the homeless huddled around trash fires for warmth."
What is juxtaposition?
The renewable energy example directly counters an opposing argument with specific economic data, demonstrating how effective rebuttals address underlying assumptions.
What is a rebuttal?
The mindfulness meditation example includes multiple limitations and conditions that qualify the main claim, demonstrating sophisticated academic hedging.
What is a qualification?
"Why listen to Dr. Smith's views on economics? He's just a dentist!" dismisses the argument based on the person rather than addressing their points.
What is a fallacy (specifically ad hominem)?
"The senator's halfhearted apology was clearly insincere, a transparent attempt to save face rather than express genuine remorse."
What is tone?
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills."
What is anaphora?
"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
What is antithesis?
The documentary example requires students to recognize how contrasting scenes create implicit commentary without explicit statements, demonstrating visual rhetoric.
What is a juxtaposition?
This newspaper article about climate change uses straightforward language without poetic meter or rhyme scheme.
What is prose?
"According to a recent university study, 87% of patients showed improvement within three weeks. Additionally, the treatment costs 40% less than alternatives, making it both effective and economical."
What is logos/appeal to logic?
"How many times must we witness this tragedy before taking action? How many lives must be lost? How many families must grieve?"
What are rhetorical questions?
The philosophical argument for universal basic income presents multiple foundational assertions, challenging students to identify these as premises supporting the larger argument.
What is a premise?
The example attributed to Carson demonstrates anaphora with "It is our..." repetition that builds rhetorical intensity, requiring students to analyze both the structure and its cumulative effect.
What is anaphora?
A company announces "workforce optimization" when laying off hundreds of employees.
What is a euphemism?
"When I look into the eyes of my daughter, who battles chronic illness daily, I see the same fear that haunts millions of American families facing bankruptcy from medical bills. Their suffering keeps me awake at night, and it should haunt the conscience of this nation."
What is pathos/appealing to emotion?
"To succeed in this class, you must fail repeatedly."
What is a paradox?
Students must analyze contrasting word choices in two headlines reporting on the same information, showing how diction shapes meaning and reveals editorial perspective.
What is diction?
The question about the governor's speech references Sisyphus from Greek mythology, requiring students to recognize how this classical allusion deepens the rhetorical message about educational reform cycles.
What is an allusion?
"Not only did she ace her exams, but she also completed her thesis, organized the conference, and secured a prestigious internship."
What is syntax (specifically parallel structure)?