Rhetorical Appeals
This rhetorical appeal relies on the speaker's credibility, authority, or character to win over an audience.
Answer: What is Ethos?
This is the main point or "thesis" of an argumentative text that the author wants the reader to believe.
Answer: What is a claim?
This type of context clue provides a word with the opposite meaning to help you figure out an unknown word.
Answer: What is an antonym (or contrast) clue?
This is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."
Answer: What is a simile?
The Latin prefix "Pre-" (as in preview or prevent) means this.
Answer: What is before?
An advertisement showing a crying puppy in a shelter to trigger sadness and encourage donations is using this appeal.
Answer: What is Pathos?
This part of an argument acknowledges the "other side" or the opposing viewpoint.
What is a counterclaim (or concession)?
While "house" is a neutral word, "home" has a positive one of these—the emotional association attached to a word.
Answer: What is connotation?
This is an indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work that the author expects the reader to know.
Answer: What is an allusion?
The Greek root "Bio" (as in biology or biography) means this.
Answer: What is life?
When a speaker uses statistics, facts, and "if-then" statements to build a case, they are employing this appeal.
Answer: What is Logos?
This follows the counterclaim; it’s where the author explains why the opposing view is wrong or less important.
Answer: What is a rebuttal?
This is the literal, "dictionary definition" of a word, free from emotional bias.
Answer: What is denotation?
This term refers to the author’s attitude toward the subject, which is often revealed through specific word choices.
Answer: What is tone?
This is a flaw in reasoning, such as a "Slippery Slope" or "Ad Hominem," that weakens an argument.
Answer: What is a logical fallacy?
A politician mentions they were a veteran and a small-business owner before running for office to establish this specific appeal.
Answer: What is Ethos?
If a piece of evidence is "credible," it means the source is..
Answer: What is trustworthy (or believable)?
In the sentence, "The marathon was arduous, requiring every ounce of my energy," the phrase "requiring every ounce of my energy" serves as this type of clue.
Answer: What is a definition (or explanation) clue?
These are pairs of words that mean the same thing but may have slightly different connotations, like "cheap" versus "frugal."
Answer: What are synonyms?
This device is a short, interesting story about a real incident or person used to make a point or connect with the audience's emotions. It is often used in place of a hook.
Answer: What is an anecdote?
When an author asks a question to which no answer is expected, usually to make a point or for dramatic effect.
Answer: What is a rhetorical question?
This is the final paragraph of your argument where you restate your claim and leave a lasting impression.
Answer: What is the conclusion?
This term describes two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as "lead" (to guide) and "lead" (the metal).
Answer: What are homographs?
This is giving human qualities or characteristics to non-human objects or ideas.
Answer: What is personification?
What does it mean to compare and contrast a text?
Answer: What is to analyze a text for two or more items (passages, characters, themes, or texts) to identify their similarities (compare) and differences (contrast)