Language techniques Flashcards
What is an
Ad hominem attack?
an attack on a person rather than on their opinion or reasoning
- creates a strong negative depiction of a person or group through the use of emotive language
- undermines the oppositions credibility
What is an
Alliteration?
the repetition of a sound at the beginning of words; often used in headlines
- adds emphasis to thewriter’s point
- draws attention to keywords
- captures attenion
What is an
Analogy?
a comparison between two things; helps theaudience to draw conclusions about their similarities
- explains a complex point in more familiar terms
- can help to make the contention look simple and obvious by linking it to something the audience knows well
What is an
Anecdote?
a breif personal account or story
- often entertaining, dramatic or humororus
- personal angle engagesthe reader
- carries weight with the reader as a “true story”
What is an
Appeal to a sense of justice?
engages with the people’s belief that everyone deserves fair treatment
- arouses anger ata percieved injustice
- positions the audience to agrree that action needs to be taken to restore equality
What is an
Appeal to being modern and up to date
engages with people’s desire to be progressive and part of the in-crowd
- suggests that new is always better than the old
- appeals to the desire to be thought of as “ahead of the pack” or “on trend”
What is an
Appeal to family values
based on the belief that families are at the centre of society and that children should always be protected
- leads the reader to view family as integral to the fabric of society
- positions readers to feel negatively about people and ideas thatthreaten the percieved family value
What is an
Appeal to fear
plays on people’s tendency to react emotionally when their saftey, security country or loved ones are threatened
- usually works by portraying an extreme scenario as being highly probably
- inclines readers to agree to proposed solutions to allay their fears
What is an
Appeal to financial self-interest
relates to people’s concern about their financial wellbeing
- provokes strong emotions, such as outrage at being taken atvantage of
- positions readers to feel indignant at those who want to raise prices, and suspicious of their true motives
What is an
Appeal to group loyalty
uses people’s desire to belong to a group to persuade them to agree with a viewpoint or to take action
- can play on people’s sense of obligation, guilt, fear an sentimentality
- encourages people to believe thatthe interests of the group require their support
- can also appeal to the belief that ordinarypeople can make a difference
What is an
Appeal to patriotism
draws on national pride and people’s loyalty to their country
- positions readers to feel it would be disloyal to their country to disagree with the writer
- arouses strong emotions of pride and loyalty
- ## can sometimes be used to arouse anger, guilt and fear
What is an
Appeal to self-interest
engages with people’s desire for their interests to be placed ahead of others
- often divides people into groups of “us” and “them
- suggests that the interests of other are in competition with and threaten those of the reader
What is an
Appeal to tradition and custom
places a high value on the past and a person’s heritage; suggeststhat abandoning tradition is damaging to society
- encourages reader to resist the change and to feel thatlinks with their past should be retained
- often romanticises the past and rejectsmodern ways of doing things
What is
attacking language
used to denigrate opponents and, by implication, their point of view
- draws attention away from reasoned argument by appealing to the readers’ emotions
- positions readers to agree that if an individual is flawed, their message must be too
What is
Cause and effect
links an outcome to a particular set of events or decisions
- gives the impression that a particular situation or action is a direct result of another
- can create an impression of the writer as being logical and reasonable
What is a
Cliche
a familiar but overused expression thatcarries a range of associations
- conveys meaning in an economical way
- can help readers to feel more comfortable with an idea
What is
creating a dichotomy
thetactic of diving people or ideas into two opposing ideas- one “bad” and one “good”
- simplifies the debate by suggesting that the issue is black and white
- suggests that the interests of others are in competition with those of the audience
What is
emotive language
deliberately strong words (that often carry particular connatations) used to provoke emotion in the reader
- positions readers to react emotionally, rather than rationally
- leads the reader to sharethe writer’s feelings on the subject
What is a
generalisation
suggests that a fact thatapplies in a specific case is generally or always true
- appeals to commonly held prejudices and attitudes
- encourages the reader to judge others according to stereotypes
What is
inclusive language
involves thereader directly in the issue byusing first-person plural pronouns such as “we” and “us”
- makes readers feel included and that their views count
- encouragesreaders to agree, since this view is apparrently shared by the group as a whole
What is
jargon
specialised language used by experts in a particular field of knowledge
- can help to convey the writer’s expertise in a field
- can suggest objectivity or fact-based opinion, adding credibility to the argument
What are
metaphors and similies
types of figurative language that describe one thing in terms of another
- capitalises on associations with a vivid image
- can evoke strong emotions in readers
What are
overstatements, exaggerations and hyperboles
the use of dramatic, forceful language to exaggerate the real situation
- arouses emotion in the reader
- can be humorous
- “worst case scenario” plays on readers’ fears
What is a
pun
a play on a word or phrase that gives it multiple meanings
- often humorous
- gains readers’ attention and ephasisesthe writer’s point
What is
reasoning and logic
supporting an argument with evidence or deduction (drawing a conclusion, often from something that is generally known or assumed)
- creates a credible argument by offering strong evidence and connections between the contention and the evidence
- makes the writer seem knowledgeable and their opinion seem well though through and researched
What is
repetition
the repeating of words, phrases or ideas for emphasis
- emphasises the writer’s viewpoint and captures attention
- makes the point in a memorable way
- can communicare a sense of urgency or conviction
What is a
rhetorical question
a question that requires no answer, usually because theanswer is implied
- positions readers to agree by assuming their answer will be the same as the writer’s
- engages readers by addressing them directly
What is
sarcasm
hmmm i wonder
the use of words to say something purposefully untrue as an insult
- makes the subject look or feel foolish
- positions the audience to regard the issue in a humorous light
