U3AOS3 - Language Analysis

Question 1

ad hominem attack

Answer 1

personal criticism or insults aimed at an individual or a group rather than at their argument
- used to belittle opponents and their views / gain attention and give emphasis to key ideas

Question 2

alliteration

Answer 2

repetition of a consonant especially at the start of words

- used to emphasise and highlight specific words (usually related to the key ideas of this issue)

Question 3

analogy

Answer 3

a comparison between two things or ideas that leads the audience to draw conclusions about the similarities
- used to explain complex ideas in a more familiar way / link an argument to other ideas that readers know well and believe to make it seem correct

Question 4

anecdote

Answer 4

a brief personal account or story, usually entertaining, that will provide a human angle and engage the reader
- used to evoke a feeling of close personal connection with the speaker / make the point of view feel more real or authentic

Question 5

assumption

Answer 5

taking the truth of an idea or a statement for granted

- used to make it seem as though an opinion or idea is obviously true

Question 6

begging the question

Answer 6

basing an argument on a premise that is the same as the reasons for it
- used to present an argument as self-evident or obviously true / use comedy or sarcasm to mock

Question 7

cliche

Answer 7

an overworked phrase that a wide range of readers can quickly grasp and understand
- used to make audiences feel reassured when they recognise a familiar expression / create a humorous effect or produce a mocking or comic tone

Question 8

emotive language

Answer 8

strong words and phrases deliberately used to arouse specific feelings
- used to take focus away from the logic or evidence of an argument and place it on strong feelings / generate a powerful emotional reaction for or against something

Question 9

evidence

Answer 9

facts and expert views provided to suggest the argument is confirmed or has a basis in truth
- used to create an impression that reasons are factual / position the writer as well informed and omit or select data that gives a false impression

Question 10

exaggeration, overstatement and hyperbole

Answer 10

presenting an extreme view of a situation

- used to create surprise and strong dramatic impact / provoke a strong emotional reaction and too add humour

Question 11

figurative language

Answer 11

words and phrases used in a non-literal way (e.g. metaphors or similes)
- used to make the writer seem witty and clever / creates engaging imagery or comparisons that have a strong emotional impact

Question 12

generalisation

Answer 12

a statement that suggests that what is true for some is true for most or all
- used for playing on readers existing beliefs about specific examples, to make them feel the same way about a much larger group or concept

Question 13

graphs and charts

Answer 13

evidence presented in a visual form

- used to present a clear view of the data / appear factual so readers are more likely to consider it to be true

Question 14

inclusive language

Answer 14

terms such as ‘we’ ‘our’ and ‘us’
- used to create a sense that the writer is just like the audience, that they share common experiences, ideas and beliefs / make audience members feel that they are being considered and personally addressed

Question 15

irony or sarcasm

Answer 15

saying the opposite of what is true or expected

- used to point out unexpected or flawed aspects of an opposing argument / mock and belittle an opposing argument

Question 16

puns and play on words

Answer 16

words with multiple meanings used to imply multiple ideas with the one phrase
- used to present the writer as clever and funny / position the audience to want to pay attention, for entertainment

Question 17

reason and logic

Answer 17

drawing conclusions from evidence and. known facts to support a clear argument
- used to suggest that the writer came to a view through careful, coherent thought / imply an argument is sensible and intelligently developed

Question 18

repetition

Answer 18

to repeat a word or phrase several times

- used to place emphasis on the words or phrases that are repeated, to highlight ideas or evoke an emotional response

Question 19

rhetorical question

Answer 19

a question with an implied answer

- used to guide readers to one self evident or obvious answer that positions them to see this view as correct

Question 20

straw man argument

Answer 20

misrepresentation of an opponent’s argument in order to make it easier to rebut
- used to imply others’ arguments are weaker, twisting them in a way that is easier to rebut and discredit

Question 21

appeals to family values

Answer 21

evoke the idea of belonging, security, caring / nurturing, togetherness, safety, love and comfort

Question 22

appeals to justice

Answer 22

often used when the rights of two opposing sides come into conflict, especially when one side appears to e being treated unfairly

Question 23

appeals to modernity

Answer 23

adversitiers tend to use this type of appeal / urge consumers to buy the latest and by doing so, hint that those who don’t are old fashioned and outdated

Question 24

appeals to generosity

Answer 24

makes the reader feel like they would be acting greedily or selfishly in their own interests, rather than the greater good if they don’t agree with a certain proposition

Question 25

appeals to humanitarianism

Answer 25

play on people’s desire to promote general human welfare - it evokes notions of kindness, sympathy and benevloance

Question 26

appeal to hip-pocket nerve and self interest

Answer 26

designed to make the reader feel that something they personally value is being threatened - or that they will be better off because of a particular proposal

Question 27

appeal to belonging

Answer 27

makes the reader feel as though they will be excluded if they don’t agree

Question 28

appeal to patriotism

Answer 28

reference to the national interest, Australia’s interest in the world and its economic well-being, international reputation and safety and the respect that other nations feel for it

Question 29

appeal to tradition

Answer 29

suggests that because we’ve always done it like this or our ancestors fought for this, the idea is inherently good, going against it would mean going against everything we stand for

Question 30

appeal to nostalgia

Answer 30

the feeling one gets when they look back on the past fondly / often an appeal to nostalgia is used to return to older, simpler times

Question 31

appeal to guilt

Answer 31

a powerful emotion and writer who make their audience feel guilty about an issue (and in particular not acting upon an issue) can be very persuasive

Question 32

appeal to sympathy / empathy

Answer 32

encouraging people to feel sympathy for someone or empathy

Question 33

appeal to fear

Answer 33

may rely on fear of physical violence or death, loss of security, family, stability, money, safety; of change; of a specified negative event

Question 34

appeal to compassion

Answer 34

designed to appeal to the reader’s sense of compassion and aims to make them feel outraged, sorry or upset / whatever the emotion elicited the aim is to make the reader feel like they want to take some action in response to the situation

Question 35

cartoonist persuasive techniques

Answer 35

symbolism
exaggeration
labeling
analogy
irony

Question 36

symbolism

Answer 36

cartoonists use simple objects or symbols to stand for larger concepts or ideas
- think about symbol meaning in artist analysis sense

Question 37

exaggeration

Answer 37

sometimes cartoonists overdo or exaggerate the physical characteristics of people or things in order to make a point
- look for overdrawn or overblown characteristics and why

Question 38

labelling

Answer 38

often label objects to make it clear for what they stand for

- why did the cartoonist choose that label?

Question 39

analogy

Answer 39

an analogy is a comparison between two unlike things; by comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light

Question 40

irony

Answer 40

irony is the difference between the way things are and the way things should be or are expected to be

• what point does it try to emphasise?
• does irony help a cartoonist express his or her opinion more effectively?