Figures of speech
Vocabulary
Techniques
Examples from Literature
Key ideas
100

What is the term for switching words around in a sentence for a dramatic effect?

Yoda Technique

100

What is "verbing"?

Turning a noun into a verb or vice versa.

100

What persuasive figure plays with contradictions in a sentence?

Chiasmus

100

In "I Have A Dream," what rhetorical device is in "We can never be satisfied...”?

Anaphora

100

What two appeals are central to logical and emotional tactics?

Ethos and Pathos

200

Which figure replaces one concept or image with another for comparison?

Trope

200

Denying the opposite, e.g., "not bad."

Litotes

200

What is the effect of a "self-answered question"?

It emphasizes the speaker’s point

200

What is the chiasmus in JFK’s inaugural address?

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

200

What is an unexpected conclusion to a phrase?

A surprise ending


300

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole  

Synecdoche

300

What does "anthimeria" involve?

Changing a noun to a verb or vice versa.)

300

What does "editing aloud" accomplish in persuasion?

Creates transparency and objectivity

300

Identify the "edit aloud" example in Nickel and Dimed

"There is no water, or almost no water, involved."

300

How does Shakespeare enhance his writing with rhetorical tools?

By using figurative speech and idioms

400

What figure of speech describes "eliminating conjunctions for poetic or emotional impact"?

Asyndetons

400

Define "parelcon"

The "like" figure

400

What is the purpose of dialysis?

It presents an either/or structure

400

Which figure is used in Thomas Paine’s "name engraved on a young oak"?

Metaphor

400

What does using "antithesis" accomplish in an argument?

It contrasts two ideas to clarify or emphasize

500

What is "metallage" used for in rhetoric?

To replace an object with a word or phrase

500

What is a rhetorical device where you deny something and then affirm it?

No-Yes Sentence

500

What is the purpose of a redefiner

To repeat an opponent’s language and correct it.

500

Identify the idiom in Nickel and Dimed

"Fresh off the boat,"

500

How does interrupting yourself in speech enhance objectivity?

It shows deliberation and makes the argument seem unbiased.