The author's intentions for the text.
What is the purpose?
An extreme exaggeration of a situation or idea.
What is hyperbole?
An overused expression or idea that has lost its originality and impact.
What is cliche?
The assumption that a relatively complex situation only offers two choices; it is an oversimplification of a situation where intermediate possibilities are not considered.
What is False Dilemma Fallacy?
The literal, dictionary definition of a word.
What is denotation?
The specific group of people that the author is speaking to.
What is the intended audience?
An appeal to emotions.
What is pathos?
The comparison of two dissimilar ideas or objects without using "like" or "as".
What is metaphor?
A preference or prejudice that affects the objectivity of writing?
What is bias?
An assumption that a chain of events will lead to some dire consequence for which there is insufficient evidence; similar to a non-sequitur but the conclusion is presented as an extreme --often absurd--result of initial actions or an unintended consequence that requires a greater leap in logic to connect the premise to the conclusion.
What is Slippery Slope Fallacy?
The ability to discern the available means of persuasion in a given situation.
What is rhetoric?
The main idea of a piece of writing.
What is the thesis?
An appeal to credibility.
What is ethos?
A comparison used to explain an idea or process.
What is an analogy?
The additional meaning or nuance that a word or phrase carries beyond its literal definition?
What is connotation?
Assumes an incorrect causal link based on the assumption that because one event occurred before another, the first caused the second.
What is Post Hoc Fallacy?
This is often used express the writer’s attitude toward the topic and to elicit emotional responses in the readers. It is achieved through the writer’s use of word choice and connotation within the context of the text.
What is tone?
The first sentence of each paragraph.
What is the topic sentence?
The factors and situations that influence and affect the creation of a text.
What is the context?
Substituting the names of an idea or object with something closely related.
What is metonymy?
A claim or assertion supported by evidence and reasoning.
What is argument?
The misrepresentation of an opposing argument by suggesting that the opponents support a preposterous position that few reasonable people would.
What is Straw Man Fallacy?
References made in the text to cultural, political, historical, religious, literary or popular figures, events, or objects. This device is meant to form a connection between the readers’ existing knowledge and the complex ideas the writer raises.
What is allusion?
The attitude of the author toward the topic.
What is the stance?
The type of text that is produced.
What is genre?
The use of repetition for emphasis or effect.
What is anaphora?
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.
What is syntax?
The conclusion does not logically follow the premise.
What is Non-Sequitur Fallacy?
The juxtaposition of two contradicting words or ideas to create a startling effect.
What is oxymoron?
The assumption that because two dissimilar things are alike in some respects, they are alike in all respects; it compares two things that are not alike in important respects.
What is False Analogy fallacy?