Identifying Rhetorical Devices
This rhetorical device appeals to logic and reason using facts and statistics.
What is Logos?
This type of comparison uses the words “like” or “as.”
What is a simile?
This literary element is the time and place in which a story occurs.
What is setting?
This device compares two unlike things by saying one thing is another, without using “like” or “as.”
What is a metaphor?
This rhetorical device asks a question without expecting an answer.
What is a rhetorical question?
“Don’t just sit there—do something!” is an example of this voice that commands or directs.
What is the imperative voice?
This is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, like “I’ve told you a million times!”
What is hyperbole?
This is the main problem or struggle faced by the protagonist in a story.
What is conflict?
This device creates vivid sensory experiences for the reader—touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight.
What is imagery?
This Greek term refers to the opportune or most effective time to make an argument.
What is Kairos?
A commercial shows a mother crying as she talks about her son’s accident to encourage safe driving. Which rhetorical device is being used?
What is pathos?
“The wind whispered through the trees.” Which figurative device is being used, and how do you know?
What is personification? (The wind is given human traits—whispering.)
In a story where a character struggles with guilt after making a life-changing mistake, what type of conflict is this?
What is internal conflict (or character vs. self)?
A white dove often represents peace. What figurative language device is used here?
What is symbolism?
“The only constant is change.” What rhetorical device does this quote use?
What is a paradox?
When a speaker says, “If I’m not honest, why should you trust anything I say?” they are appealing to which rhetorical device?
What is ethos?
When an author refers to a well-known figure or event, like “He has the strength of Hercules,” what device is being used and what effect does it create?
What is allusion? (It connects the subject to a powerful or famous idea.)
A passage describes a stormy night with howling winds, rattling windows, and flickering lights. Strange noises echo through the house.
Is this an example of tone or mood, and how do you know?
What is mood?
(It creates an eerie, tense feeling for the reader, which is how mood functions. The imagery and setting build suspense and fear.)
A character who says “Great, another flat tire—just what I needed today,” after already having a bad day, is using what device?
What is irony? (Verbal irony: their words contrast with the reality of the situation.)
A speaker waits until a major natural disaster is in the news to present their climate change proposal. What rhetorical strategy are they using, and why is it important?
What is Kairos? (It increases the relevance and urgency of the message.)
A politician tells a personal story about growing up in poverty before explaining their economic policy. What rhetorical device is being used, and why is it effective?
What is anecdote?(It creates emotional connection and builds credibility.)
Identify two figurative devices in this sentence and explain their purpose:
“Time is a thief that steals our moments when we’re not looking.”
Metaphor – Time is compared to a thief, showing how quickly and silently it can pass without us realizing.
Personification – Time is given human qualities (stealing, sneaking), which emphasizes its power and creates an emotional impact on the reader.
A novel ends with the message that “freedom is found through sacrifice.” Identify this element.
What is theme?
In a poem, a firefighter’s house burns down while he’s out promoting fire safety. Identify the type of irony and explain its effect on the reader.
Situational irony — the outcome is the opposite of what’s expected. This irony highlights the unpredictability of life and may evoke shock, sympathy, or reflection in the reader.
Identify two rhetorical devices in the following statement:
“As a doctor, I can tell you this treatment works. Would you want your child to suffer needlessly?”
What are ethos (doctor’s credibility) and pathos (appeal to a parent's emotions)?