AP Notes 31-35

Question 1

EVIDENCE

Answer 1

Evidence is a type of literary device that appears in different categories of essays and theses
in the form of paraphrase and quotations. It is presented to persuade the readers and used with powerful
arguments in the texts or essays. In rhetoric, when a person makes a claim or presents an argument, he
needs to present evidence in support of his claim and argument in order to establish the veracity and
authenticity of his claim or argument. If there is no evidence, the claim stands quashed. The same is true
with a case in law where a case or litigation is quashed, if there is no evidence to support the claim.
However, literary evidence is only used in literature, essays and research papers for persuasion and
convincing purposes

Question 2

CLAIM

Answer 2

If somebody gives an argument to support his/her position, it is called making a claim.
Different reasons are usually presented to prove why a certain point should be accepted as logical. A
general model is given below to explain the steps following in making a claim

Question 3

COUNTERARGUMENT

Answer 3

an argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory
developed in another argument. When writing in the argumentative mode, it is MANDATORY that
the writer acknowledge the “other” side to his or her argument. It is part of the refutation of
someone else’s claim to support your own “side” of the argument that you are making

Question 4

UNDERSTATEMENT

Answer 4

: For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter
“I am delighted”, you are making an understatement. Similarly, suppose a team loses to its
opponent 50 to 0 in a soccer match and the captain of the team says in a post-match ceremony
says, “We did not do well”, it is an understatement because he is trying to decrease the intensity
of the loss. It is the opposite of HYPERBOLE or OVERSTATEMENT

Question 5

COLORFUL DICTION

Answer 5

Diction is your conscious choice of words as a writer. It stands to reason that
“Colourful Diction” is a very purposeful word choice that will serve to accentuate meaning and
tone.