Humorous Devices
"These shoes are killing me."
Hyperbole
After six hours of school, 3 hours of sports practice, and two hours of homework, I simply don’t have enough time to also cook dinner and clean the living room for my family.
Appeal to reason
An essay that tells the reader what all of the rooms in her house look like
Descriptive
Given how hard you work — both at the office and at home — don’t you deserve a day at the spa?
Rhetorical question
"Looks like it rained a bit last night" (while a car is floating away in water).
Understatement
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), 480,000 people die as a result of smoking cigarettes per year in the United States.
Appeal to authority
An essay that explains how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Informative
Nike: Just Do It.
Slogan
Define satire.
The use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, or ridicule, to criticize human faults or actions
If Susie and Bob both strongly believe in recycling, then they also probably both believe in protecting and preserving wildlife.
Appeal to shared values
An essay that discusses Sally’s childhood experiences and how she has changed as a result of them
Reflective
Our greatest innovations are ahead of us, not behind. But we need great engineers to build that world for us. And that’s you. We need you to not give up. Ever. We need you to finish your projects. Done, done, done. We need you to leverage the power of an immigrant-rich workforce. We need you all to be a little insane.
Parallelism
Joshua looked at Luke’s broken leg, saying, “Don’t worry. You can walk it off.”
Understatement
My grandmother, father, and two of my aunts all died from cancer. Therefore, I believe everyone should donate to cancer research.
Appeal to emotion
An essay that tells a story about a firefighter’s experiences during 9/11
Narrative
Millions of people around the world don’t have access to safe water or sanitation resources. Donate to Water for People now to invest in our future for every family, school, and clinic.
Call to action
Katie stared at the massive pile of paperwork to complete on her desk, saying, “I am going to lose my mind if one more person drops off more work for me to process.
Hyperbole
Cindy’s house burnt down, and she, her brother, and her parents are now homeless. Some students are collecting money to help the family in need.
Appeal to emotion
An essay that convinces the reader to recycle plastic products
Persuasive
The clock tick, tick, ticked in the quiet room.
Repetition