Different Types of devices Flashcards
Anecdote
Short account or story- often entertaining; gives a human angle that engages the reader; can convey information
Positions readers to respond emotionally e.g. with fear or pleasure
‘Rings true’ so positions readers to take notice and accept information.
Appeals
Any appeal to the emotions that arouse hopes, fears, desires, and so on as shown in the examples. These feelings affect readers’ responses to issues.
Provoke an emotional response, bypassing reason and logic.
Position the reader through their emotional response to be sympathetic to, or rejecting of, the writer’s viewpoint.
Appeal to family values
Suggests that traditional family life provides the essential values for a healthy, stable society. Usually takes the nuclear family for granted.
Leads the reader to view traditional nuclear family as the most desirable kind of family.
Can position the reader to blame destructive or antisocial behaviour on separated or single parent families.
Appeal to fear and insecurity
Suggests that people’s safety, security or freedom is at risk; often exaggerates a situation to present a ‘worst case scenario’.
Pressures the reader to feel that solutions are needed urgently so they should agree with the proposals.
Also persuades the reader to believe that the writer has their best interests at heart by wanting to protect them.
Appeal to the hip-pocket nerve
Threatens our financial well-being because we fear or believe that we are being overcharge or ‘ripped off’.
Incites strong emotions, e.g. anger at being overcharged or because money is being misused.
Positions the reader to reject the views of those who want to raise prices, fees etc.
Appeal to loyalty and patriotism
Assumes commitment to our group, a love of our country, that old ways of doing things should be highly valued.
Positions the reader to agree with (and possibly take part in) actions that will benefit the nation or the group.
Can arouse feelings of anger or fear that position people to take action to support a cause or a group.
Appeal to sense of justice
Plays on our beliefs that we all have the right to be treated fairly and we should strive for just outcomes.
Positions the reader to agree that the punishment should fit the crime.
Arouses feelings of anger when somebody is punished too harshly or a criminal ‘gets off’ lightly.
Attacks and praise
Attacks belittle or denigrate an individual or group.
Praise presents a person or group as outstanding, attractive, etc.
Attack: positions us to think badly of the person and therefore to dismiss their ideas or viewpoint
Praise: makes us admire or like the person/group and therefore agree with their ideas
Emotive language
Deliberate use of strong words and phrases to arouse the reader’s feelings and so manipulate them to agree.
The reader is positioned to react emotionally and agree with the writer’s viewpoint before reason even comes into play.
Evidence (including statistics, graphs and diagrams)
The use of facts and figures to provide rational, scientific ‘proof’ as the basis for a substantiated point of view.
Positions the reader to view the writer’s argument as more convincing because it appears to be objective and reliable.
Beware - facts and figures can be used selectively, by omitting the evidence to the contrary.
Exaggeration/ hyperbole
Presents an extreme view of a situation for dramatic impact and to provoke strong emotional responses.
Is not meant to be taken literally.
Exaggeration positions the reader to respond emotionally and so be more likely to accept or reject a viewpoint.
Can generate humour to make the reader view the writes viewpoint positively.
Inclusive language
Uses ‘we’, ‘our’ ‘us’ etc to include the readers in the same group as the writer. Assumes that everyone in the group shares the writer’s viewpoint.
The reader is positioned to agree with the writer because it appeals to their desire to belong to a group or pays on their fears of being ‘left out’ pr regarded as an outsider.
Metaphor and simile
Compare two different things, suggesting a similarity between them. A simile uses ‘as if’ or ‘like’; a metaphor does not.
Create a striking and memorable image, often with emotional impact that can influence the reader’s viewpoint.
Because more witty and engaging than dry description, can position the reader to support the writer’s viewpoint.
Reason and logic
Used to link ideas and develop an argument supporting the writer’s point of view.
Can take into account the opposing viewpoint in order to show why the writer’s argument is superior.
Reason and logic
Used to link ideas and develop an argument supporting the writer’s point of view.
Can take into account the opposing viewpoint in order to show why the writer’s argument is superior.
Repetition
Using the same word or phrase and idea several times to add emphasis
Increases the impact of a main point or key term and so engages the reader’s attention.
Can produce a more urgent or insistent tone, encouraging the reader to agree.
