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Rhetorical Terms Flashcards

1
Q

ad hominem

A

switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker.
ex: My opponent makes a valid point about the economy, but do we really want someone who wears socks and sandals as president?

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2
Q

ad populum/bandwagon appeal

A

when evidence boils down to “everyone else does it so you should too”
ex: That’s the most popular brand of soda so you should buy it.

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3
Q

alliteration

A

repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence
ex: Let us go forth to lead the land we love.

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4
Q

allusion

A

brief reference to a person, event, or place, or a work of art
ex: She was as strong as Goliath.

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5
Q

analogy

A

comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things.

ex: As birds have flight, our special gift is reason.

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6
Q

anaphora

A

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines.
ex: not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need - not as a call to battle, though embattled we are…

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7
Q

anecdote

A

a brief story used to ilustrate a point

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8
Q

annotation

A

the taking of notes directly on a text

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9
Q

antimetabole

A

repetition of words in reverse order

ex: Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

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10
Q

antithesis

A

opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction.
ex: We shall… support any friend, oppose any foe…

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11
Q

appeal to false authority

A

someone who has no expertise to speak on an issue is cited as an authority
ex: According to Kanye West, the population of gorillas in China is 1,000

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12
Q

archaic diction

A

outdated choice of words

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13
Q

argument

A

a process of reasoned inquiry

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14
Q

assertion

A

a statement that presents a claim or thesis

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15
Q

asyndeton

A

omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words
ex: We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.

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16
Q

audience

A

reader of the text

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17
Q

backing

A

in the Toulmin model, backing consists of further assurances or data without which the assumption lacks authority.

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18
Q

begging the question

A

a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt.
ex: Giving students easy access to a wealth of facts and resources online allows them to develop critical thinking skills.

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19
Q

circular reasoning

A

the argument repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence

ex: you can’t give me a C, I’m an A+ student.

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20
Q

claim

A

assertion or proposition

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21
Q

claim of fact

A

asserts that something is true or not

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22
Q

claim of policy

A

proposes a change

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23
Q

claim of value

A

argues something is good or bad, right or wrong

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24
Q

classical oration

A
  • introduction
  • narration
  • confirmation
  • refutation
  • conclusion
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25
closed thesis
statement of the main idea that also previews the major points the writer intends to make
26
complex sentence
includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
27
compound sentence
includes atleast two independent clauses
28
concession
acknowledgement that an opening argument may be true or reasonable. ex: His statement said what a lot of readers were thinking: that conservatives are dicks
29
comfirmation
the part of an argument that comes between narration and refutation; it provides thedevelopment of proof through evidence that supports the claims made by the speaker.
30
connotation
meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition ex: that cat is plump. that cat is fat. that cat is obese
31
counterargument
an opposing argument to the one the writer is using
32
cumulative sentence
sentence that completes the main idea and the beginning of the sentence ex: but neither of them could do it alone - though they were both strong, it would take their united forces to stop the evil.
33
deduction
``` logic process to reach a conclusion ex: -exercise is good for you -yoga is exercise -yoga is good for you ```
34
diction
a speaker's choice of words
35
either/or - false dilemma
speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices ex: we can either prevent immigrants from crossing the border, or your grandkids will all be speaking spanish and eating quesadillas everyday
36
enthymeme
a syllogism with one of the premises implied, and taken for granted as understood ex: you should take her class, I learned a lot from her last year (implying that you will learn a lot too)
37
equivocation
uses a term with two or more meanings in an attempt to misrepresent or deceive ex: we will bring our enemies to justice, or we will bring justice to them.
38
ethos
appeal to authority/credibility
39
exordium
the intro to an argument, in which the speaker announces the subject and purpose, and appeals to ethos in order to establish credibility
40
faulty analogy
analogy that compares two things that are not comparable. | ex: if we put homeless dogs to sleep to put them out of their misery, we should do it to homeless people too
41
figurative language (figure of speech)
nonliteral language invoking imagery
42
1st-hand evidence
based on something the writer personally knows
43
hasty generalization
a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence ex: smoking isn't bad for you, my grandma smoked a pack a day and lived to be 100
44
hortative sentence
sentence that exhorts, urges, implores, or calls to action
45
hyperbole
exaggeration for ironic effect
46
imperative sentence
sentence used to command or enjoin
47
induction
logical process wherein you reason from particulars to universals, using specific cases in order to draw a conclusion ex: exercise promotes weight loss, lowers stress levels, and improves mood. exercise promotes better health.
48
inversion
inverted order of words in a sentence | ex: united there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. divided there is little we can do.
49
irony
a figure of speech that occurs when a speaker or character says on thing but means something else, or when what is said is the opposite of what is expected, creating a noticeable incongruity. ex:nature has become simply a visual form of entertainment, and it had better look snappy.
50
juxtaposition
placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences
51
logical fallacies
potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument; often arise from a failure to make it a logical connection between the claim and the evidence used to support it.
52
logos
appeal to logic/intelligence
53
metonymy
figure of speech in which soething is represented by another thing that is related to it or emblematic of it.
54
modifier
an adjective, adverb, phrase, or clause that modifies a noun, pronoun, or verb
55
narration
the factual and background information
56
nominalization
the process of changing a verb into a nounn
57
open thesis
an open thesis does not list allthe points the writer intends to cover
58
oxymoron
paradox of two seemingly contradictory words
59
paradox
a statement or situation that is seemingly contradictory on the surface, but delivers an ironic truth
60
parallelism
silimarity of structure in a pair of series of related words
61
pathos
appeal to emotion
62
periodic sentence
sentence whose main clause is withheld til the end
63
peroration
the final part of an argument, typically appeals to pathos
64
persona
face or character that a speaker shows to his audience
65
personification
giving a lifelike quality to a nonliving thing
66
polemic
aggressive argument that tries to establish superiority of one opinion over all others
67
polysyndeton
deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between coordinate phrases
68
post hoc ergo propter hoc
"after which therefore because of which" - correlation does not imply causation
69
qualified argument
argument that is not absolute; acknowledges the merits of an opposing view but its argument is stronger
70
qualifier
in the Toulmin model, the qualifier makes claims less absolute (sometimes, in most cases, maybe, etc.)
71
qualitative evidence
evidence supported by reason, tradition, and precedent
72
quantitative evidence
includes things that can be measured
73
rebuttal
voice to possible objections
74
refutation
denial of validity of opposing arguments
75
rhtorical triangle (Aristotelian triangle)
illustrates relations between speaker, audience, and subkect
76
Rogerian arguments
based on the assumption that fully understanding an opposing position is essential in responding to it
77
satire
irony to critique
78
scheme
artful syntax
79
2nd hand evidence
evidence gotten through research and investigation
80
straw man
deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule
81
syllogism
uses major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion ex: excercise is good for you, yoga is exercise, yoga is good for you
82
synecdoche
uses a part to represent a whole | ex: plane = pair of wings
83
syntax
arrangement of words into phrases,clauses, and sentences
84
synthesize
combining ideas to create something more complex
85
toulmin model
because (evidence), therefore (claim), since (assumption), on the account of (backing), unless (reservation)
86
trope
artful diction
87
zeugma
use of 2 different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous, meanings EX: WHEN YOU OPEN A BOOK, YOU OPN YOUR MIND

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