Vocab 3

Question 1

claim

Answer 1

also called an assertion or proposition, a claim states the argument’s main idea or position. A claim differs from a topic or subject in that a claim has to be arguable.

Question 2

cause & effect

Answer 2

seeks to explain the effects of a cause, the causes of an effect, or a causal chain in which A causes B, B causes C, C causes D, and so on

Question 3

fact

Answer 3

asserts that something is true or not true

Question 4

policy

Answer 4

proposes a change

Question 5

value

Answer 5

argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong

Question 6

clause

Answer 6

a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause, or subordinate, clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. Sample sentence: “Because I practiced, my AP scores were high.” In this sentence, the independent clause is “my AP scores were high,” and the dependent clause is “Because I practiced.”

Question 7

cliché

Answer 7

a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase usually expressing a popular or common thought that has lost originality and impact by long overuse

Question 8

colloquial/colloquialism

Answer 8

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.

Question 9

comic relief

Answer 9

use of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event

Question 10

common ground

Answer 10

in rhetoric, a basis of mutual interest or agreement that is found or established in the course of an argument

Question 11

comparison / contrast

Answer 11

a rhetorical strategy in which a writer examines similarities and/or differences between other people, places, ideas or objects

Question 12

complex sentence

Answer 12

a sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause (If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. – John F. Kennedy)

Question 13

compound sentence

Answer 13

a sentence that includes at least two independent clauses. (The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. – John F. Kennedy)

Question 14

conceit

Answer 14

a prolonged comparison of two unlikely things (usually in the form of an extended metaphor or an analogy)

Question 15

concession / concede

Answer 15

an acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable. In a strong argument, a concession is usually accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument

Question 16

confirmation

Answer 16

in classical oration, this major part of an argument comes between the narration and refutation; it provides the development of proof through evidence that supports the claims made by the speaker

Question 17

​internal conflict

Answer 17

is a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character

Question 18

external conflict

Answer 18

a character struggles against an outside force, which may be another character, society as a whole or something in nature