rhetorical

Question 1

allusion

Answer 1

an implicit reference to something, usually to a piece of literature, religious figures, or a well-known historical event

Question 2

analogy

Answer 2

a comparison between things that have a similar function or structure, usually with the use of the words like or as

Question 3

anaphora

Answer 3

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (groups of words with a subject and a verb)

Question 4

apostrophe

Answer 4

the making of a speech or address to an absent person (a cousin who is in jail) or a thing that is personified (such as Death).

Question 5

asyndeton

Answer 5

a sentence or series of sentences in which conjunctions are omitted in a series of words, phrases or clauses

Question 6

anecdote

Answer 6

a short, illustrative story

Question 7

appeal to emotion (pathos)

Answer 7

an attempt to persuade the reader through an emotionally charged anecdote, description, or allusion

Question 8

appeal to ethos

Answer 8

refers to the speaker’s character as it appears to the audience. Aristotle says that if we believe that a speaker has good sense, good moral character, and good will, we are inclined to believe what that speaker says. Today we might add that a speaker should also appear to have the appropriate expertise or authority to speak knowledgeably about the subject matter

Question 9

appeal to logic (logos)

Answer 9

the examination of an argument in terms of its logical support (or lack thereof)

Question 10

chiasmus

Answer 10

a rhetorical device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form

Question 11

concession

Answer 11

acknowledging the validity or logic of something your opponent believes. Making a concession means you allow that they have a point about something

Question 12

connotation

Answer 12

refers to the emotional, historic, and sensual (relating to the senses) associations of a word

Question 13

counterclaim

Answer 13

presents an opposing argument to a writer’s claim and then rebuts (responds to) it

Question 14

diction

Answer 14

refers to the author’s choice of words

Question 15

hyperbole

Answer 15

a deliberate exaggeration

Question 16

imagery

Answer 16

the use of vivid sensory details to create a picture for the audience

Question 17

juxtaposition

Answer 17

the placement of two or more things side by side

Question 18

kairos

Answer 18

refers to the timeliness of an argument (opportune moment)

Question 19

metaphor

Answer 19

a comparison between two different things without the use of like or as

Question 20

parallelism/ parallel structure

Answer 20

a writer’s sentence structure or form is repeated in the same pattern over and over

Question 21

polysyndeton

Answer 21

conjunctions (e.g. and, but, or) are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed

Question 22

rebuttal

Answer 22

an argument or evidence presented to contradict or disprove another’s reasoning or claim

Question 23

repetition

Answer 23

purposefully repeating a word or phrase a number of times throughout a text

Question 24

rhetorical questions

Answer 24

questions to which the speaker/writer expects no response

Question 25

exigence

Answer 25

why the author is writing about this subject

Question 26

purpose

Answer 26

what the writer is seeking from the audience

Question 27

syntax

Answer 27

the arrangement of words, punctuation, clauses, and phrases in a sentence. When analyzing syntax, pay attention to sentence length (is it long or short?), order of words (unexpected changes, additions, or deletions?), and punctuation (semicolons, commas, em dashes, and periods all have different effects).