Literary Devices
Writing Essays & Paragraphs
Rhetoric
CUPS
Components of a Story
100

This is an example of what figure of speech?:

The floors grumbled with despair when the tenants used a subpar cleaner.

Personification

100

This is the main argument or claim presented in the introduction of the essay, guiding the direction of the paper.

Thesis statement

100

This is a model that describes the relationship between the three key elements of persuasive communication:ethos, pathos, and logos

Rhetorical Triangle

100

In MLA format, this is done to the titles of novels.

Italicize

100

This type of characterization occurs when the author directly tells the reader about a character's traits, such as "He was kind and brave."

Direct characterization

200

This is an example of what literary device?:

Haut hopes every hungry student has hazelnuts and hummus.

Alliteration

200

This sentence appears at the beginning of a paragraph and introduces the main idea or point that will be developed in that paragraph.

Topic sentence

200

This type of rhetorical appeal is often used in political speeches to stir emotions like fear, pride, or sympathy to influence the audience’s decisions.

Pathos

200

This occurs when two independent clauses are joined by only a comma, without a coordinating conjunction or semicolon.

Comma splice

200

This is the turning point in the story, often the most intense or dramatic moment, where the conflict reaches its peak.

Climax

300

This device involves giving hints or clues about events that will occur later in the story.  

Foreshadowing

300

This is a phrase or sentence that introduces a quote, providing context for the reader and making the integration of the quote smoother.

Lead-in to a quote

300

An advertisement for a medicine featuring a doctor speaking about its benefits is an example of this type of rhetorical appeal.

Ethos

300

This punctuation mark is used to introduce a list, explanation, or quote, and should come after a complete sentence.

Colon

300

This part of a story introduces the main characters, setting, and basic conflict, often occurring at the beginning of a narrative.

Exposition

400

This figure of speech compares two unlike things using "like" or "as".  

Simile

400

In an ACES paragraph, this part provides textual evidence, often in the form of a quote or specific detail, to support the answer.

 "Cite" (or citation)

400

A charity commercial showing sad images of homeless animals is primarily using this appeal to persuade the audience.

Pathos

400

This punctuation mark is used to separate two independent clauses when they are joined by a coordinating conjunction (like "and" or "but").

Comma

400

This type of characterization requires the reader to infer a character’s traits based on their actions, speech, thoughts, and how other characters respond to them.

Indirect characterization

500

This is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear together, such as "jumbo shrimp" or "deafening silence."

Oxymoron

500

These are the four stages of the writing process that Mrs. Haut requires in the argumentative essay due when we get back from break.

Brainstorming, outline, rough draft, and final draft

500

A climate scientist presents data and statistics on global warming to argue for more environmental regulations. This is an example of using this appeal.

Logos

500

In this type of citation, the period should be placed after the closing parenthesis.

MLA Parenthetical Citation

500

This refers to the author's attitude or stance toward the subject or audience, often conveyed through word choice, style, and sentence structure.

Tone