Terminology

Question 1

rhetorical appeals

Answer 1

Rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are to ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion).

Question 2

rhetorical devices

Answer 2

literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression

Question 3

discourse

Answer 3

written or spoken communication or debate

Question 4

Rhetoric

Answer 4

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

Question 5

Semantics

Answer 5

Meaning of words and sentences

Question 6

Tropes

Answer 6

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression

Question 7

style

Answer 7

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

Question 8

connotation

Answer 8

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Question 9

non sequitur

Answer 9

something that does not logically follow

Question 10

Denotation

Answer 10

The dictionary definition of a word

Question 11

Pedantic

Answer 11

Excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules

Question 12

Diction

Answer 12

word choice

Question 13

didactic

Answer 13

Instructive

Question 14

Elipsis

Answer 14

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context

Question 15

Platitude

Answer 15

a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

Question 16

Euphemism

Answer 16

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Question 17

Polemic

Answer 17

controversy; argument; verbal attack

Question 18

Hyperbole

Answer 18

exaggeration

Question 19

Syntax

Answer 19

Sentence structure

Question 20

Juxtaposition

Answer 20

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

Question 21

Tone

Answer 21

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Question 22

Mood

Answer 22

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

Question 23

understatement

Answer 23

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Question 24

Allegory

Answer 24

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Question 25

Motif

Answer 25

A recurring theme, subject or idea

Question 26

Alliteration

Answer 26

repetition of sounds at the beginning of a word

Question 27

Oxymoron

Answer 27

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. (ex. deafening silence)

Question 28

Allusion

Answer 28

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Question 29

Paradox

Answer 29

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Question 30

Analogy

Answer 30

a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Question 31

Parallel syntax

Answer 31

repetition of words, phrases, and clauses used in a concise manner

Question 32

Anecdote

Answer 32

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

Question 33

Parody

Answer 33

a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner

Question 34

Antithesis

Answer 34

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Question 35

Pun

Answer 35

a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Question 36

Irony

Answer 36

A contrast between expectation and reality

Question 37

Satire

Answer 37

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Question 38

Metaphor

Answer 38

A comparison without using like or as

Question 39

Simile

Answer 39

A comparison using “like” or “as”