first 45 vocab

Question 1

Active Voice

Answer 1

The opposite of passive voice, the active voice is essentially any sentence with an active verb.

ex.) ‘Johnny Appleseed planted his seeds in the garden.’ The active verb is “planted.” Active voice is usually preferred in writing because it expresses more energy than does the passive voice.

Question 2

Ad-Hominem

Answer 2

This is an attack on the person rather than the issues at hand–

a common fallacy, especially during an election year

Question 3

Alliteration

Answer 3

the repetition of a phonetic sound at the beginning of several words in a sentence.

Students sometimes mention alliteration in rhetorical analysis essays, although it should only be discussed if the alliterative phrase itself is noticeable and the author has a legitimate purpose for using it. Otherwise, it is linguistic window dressing more often used in poetry

Question 4

Allusion

Answer 4

A reference that recalls another work, another time in history, another famous person, and so forth.

Allusions are always important and begin a literary ripple effect. If you call a piece of real estate “the promised land” you are alluding to the Hebrews’ forty-year search for the sacred land promised to them by God and found in Israel.

Question 5

Anadiplosis

Answer 5

In anadiplosis, the last word of the clause begins the next clause, creating a connection of ideas important to the author’s purpose in some way.

Ex.) The Furies chased the men. The men were chased by their nightmares. The nightmares awakened everyone in the room.

Question 6

Analogy

Answer 6

A term that signifies a relational comparison of similarity between two objects or ideas.

Ex.) The analogy between heart and a pump (a heart pushes the flow of blood through the body as a pump pushes air into a tire)

Question 7

Anaphora

Answer 7

In rhetoric, this is the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive poetic lines prose sentences, clauses, or paragraphs.

Ex.) You will see this quite often in political speeches when politicians make promises to voters: I will fight for medical care for ever man, woman, and child. I will fight for social security for our children. I will fight to raise the minimum wage.

Question 8

Anastrophe

Answer 8

The reversal of the natural order of words in a sentence or line of poetry. It has a nice–if somewhat alarming–effect at times, and it has been known to occasionally cause confusion in inexperienced readers.

Ex.) Shakespeare was a whiz with anastrophe, which is also the reason so many people mistakenly think Shakespeare wrote in Old English. (He didn’t! If you can understand the words, it is modern English!) The poisoned apple she ate to her gave cramps of a serious nature

Question 9

Antithesis

Answer 9

An observation or claim that is in opposition to your claim or an author’s claim.

If we argue for the drilling of wells, the antithesis might be to divert water from the river. If we claim that the electoral college is an outdated anachronism, the antithesis would be like the rest of the constitution, it has managed to adapt to the changing times.

Question 10

Aphorism

Answer 10

a brief statement of an option or elemental truth.

Question 11

Apostrophe

Answer 11

prayer-like, this is a direct address to someone who is not present, to a deity or muse, or to some other power

Question 12

Appositive

Answer 12

also called a noun phrase, this modifies the noun next to it

Question 13

Argument from Ignorance

Answer 13

an argument stating that something is true because it has never been proven false

Question 14

Asydeton

Answer 14

the deliberate omission of conjunctions from a series of related independent clauses

Question 15

Bandwagon

Answer 15

also called vox populi, this argument is the “everyone’s doing it” fallacy

Question 16

Begging the Question

Answer 16

this argument occurs when the speaker states a claim that includes a word or phrase that needs to be defined before the argument can proceed, the argument fails to explain their reasoning

Question 17

Cause and Effect

Answer 17

another fallacy, this is also known as post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for “after this, therefore because of this”), and it falls under the general umbrella of a causality fallacy or false cause. Relationship between two things when one thing makes something happen (Not always logical/true)

Question 18

Chiasmus

Answer 18

this is an ABBA syntactical structure rather than the more common parallel ABAB structure
Ex:When the going gets tough, the tough get going
(a: going, b: tough)

Question 19

Complex Sentence

Answer 19

a sentence structure that is a combination of a dependent clause and an independent clause

Question 21

Compound Sentence

Answer 21

a sentence structure made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction

Question 21

Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer 21

a combination of a compound and a complex sentence

Question 22

Connotation

Answer 22

the associations or moods that accompany a word

Question 23

Declarative Sentence

Answer 23

a basic statement or an assertion; the most common type of sentence

Question 24

jargon

Answer 24

a pattern of speech and vocabulary associated with a particular group of people

Computer analysts have their own vocabulary, as do doctors, astronauts, and plumbers

Question 25

juxtaposition

Answer 25

making one idea more dramatic by placing it next to its opposite

Question 26

logos

Answer 26

an appeal to reason

Question 27

loose sentence

Answer 27

an independent clause followed by all sorts of debris, usually dependent clauses

she wore a yellow ribbon that matched the shingles of the house, which were painted last year, just before he left for the war

Question 28

malapropism

Answer 28

a wonderful form of word play in which one word is mistakenly substituted for another that sounds familiar

ex.) ´he is the very pineapple of politeness´ instead of ´he is the very pinnacle of politeness´

Question 29

metaphor

Answer 29

a figure of speech in which what is unknown is compared to something that is known in order to better gauge its importance

ex.) the loose floorboards of his mind rattled

Question 30

metonymy

Answer 30

a minor figure of speech in which the name of one thing is substituted for another with which it is closely associated .

ex.) the crown spoke with authority about the gathering crisis over bread and cheese. ´crown´ is not literal, but is associated with a king or queen.

Question 31

non sequitur

Answer 31

Means, “it does not follow.” An argument by misdirection and is logically irrelevant.

Question 32

object

Answer 32

A noun toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed. Not all sentences have objects, although all must have subjects and predicates.
Ex: The entrance to the dark fortress dared the KNIGHT to try his hand at entering.

Question 33

onomatopoeia

Answer 33

A minor figure of speech in which a sound imitates the thing or action associated with it.
Ex: Bonks, conks, and calamities whirled through the air from the shifting coconut shells hung on strings.

Question 34

oxymoron

Answer 34

Two words that together create a sense of opposition. Oxymorons often call attention to a particular point in an argument.
Ex: The mariner’s CULTIVATED VULGARITY was alarming to sailors more comfortable with the BUBBLY HEAVINESS of their capitan.

Question 35

paradox

Answer 35

A major figure of speech in rhetorical analysis seeks to create a mental discontinuity, which then forces the reader to pause and seek clarity. A paradox is a truth or group of sentences that defy our intuition. A statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.

Question 36

parallel syntax (or parallelism)

Answer 36

A pattern of language that creates a rhythm of repetition often combined with some other language of repetition. Parallel sets of sentences or parallel clauses can exist within a sentence. Parallel syntax may best be likened to a train gaining momentum. It drives through a piece of writing, gathering emotional steam as it goes. a rhetorical device that consists of repetition among adjacent sentences or clauses.
Ex.) We will fight them on the beaches, and fight them in the hills, and fight them in the forests, and in the villages of the dell.

Question 37

parentheticals

Answer 37

Phrases, sentences, and words inside parentheses ( ). In rhetorical analysis, pay attention to parenthetical statements. They add flow and concision to an essay.

Question 38

subject

Answer 38

The formal term for the noun that is the basic focus of the sentence. It is who or what is doing the action in the sentence. Ex: An anxious gryphon got lost in the queen’s maze.

Question 39

subordinate conjunction

Answer 39

A conjunction that makes an independent clause into a dependent clause. There is a huge list of subordinate conjunctions, but some of the more common is because, since, which, if, when, and although.

Question 40

syllogism

Answer 40

In its basic form, this is a three-part argument construction in which two premises lead to a truth. Ex: all human beings are mortal. Heather is a human being. Therefore, Heather is mortal.

Question 41

synecdoche

Answer 41

a minor figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole. Ex: All hands on deck.

Question 42

syntax

Answer 42

the study of the rules of grammar that define the formation of sentences.

Question 43

synthesis

Answer 43

To unite or synthesize a variety of sources to achieve a common end. Using your wits and argumentative skill, you combine memory, the commentary you’ve recently read, and a discussion to create a single coherent argument. For example, you may argue and conclude that bicycles would be safer in battle than a hummer.

Question 44

theme

Answer 44

Theme is the basic message or meaning conveyed through elements of character and conflict. The term appears often in literature and is paralleled in nonfiction prose by an argument’s thesis.

Question 45

thesis

Answer 45

The writer’s statement of purpose. Every well-written essay will have one. It is how the reader identifies what the writer is arguing, the position the writer is taking, and the action the writer is advocating. Focal intent of the essay.