Persuasive Techniques - Specific

Question 1

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a brief reference to something, usually from history or literature that the writer expects the reader to recognize

Answer 1

allusion

Question 2

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument made by comparing two like things

Answer 2

analogy

also known as an analogical argument or an argument from analogy

Question 3

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a short narrative involving the writer’s experiences

Answer 3

anecdote

Question 4

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument that claims that something is true or not true, using an objective standard of judgment

Answer 4

argument of fact

e.g. Today’s students struggle more with rhetorical analysis than previous generations because they don’t read as much.

Question 5

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument that claims that something should or should not be done in the future

Answer 5

argument of policy

e.g. Today’s students should read more because doing so will help them write better and do better at rhetorical analysis.

Question 6

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument that claims that something possesses some subjective characteristic, like good or bad, right or wrong, ethical or unethical, etc.

Answer 6

argument of value

e.g. Today’s students write poorly because they don’t read as much as previous generations.

Question 7

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a prompting for the audience to take a specific course of action

Answer 7

call to action

only rhetorically interesting if done in an unusual or unexpected way

Question 8

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a kind of framing wherein the worst possible outcome of a situation is imagined

Answer 8

catastrophe

verb form = catastrophize

Question 9

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument that claims one event or condition causes another

Answer 9

cause and effect

also known as a causal argument

Question 10

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an acknowledgement of the merits of an opposing argument

Answer 10

concession

Question 11

Name the persuasive technique described below.

the act of identifying an opposing argument and then rebutting it

Answer 11

counterargument

Question 12

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a kind of example that demonstrates the weakness of an opposing generalization

Answer 12

counterexample

Question 13

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a kind of example that relies on numbers, rates, or percentages

Answer 13

data/statistics

Question 14

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a kind of characterization or framing wherein a single characteristic is examined in isolation, thus exaggerating its significance

Answer 14

distortion

Question 15

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a specific instance of something used to make a larger generalization

Answer 15

example

Question 16

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a kind of evidence that relies on expert opinion or commentary to support a claim

Answer 16

expert source

Question 17

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an attempt to raise an audience’s self-esteem or self-image through direct or indirect compliments of their character, abilities, or virtues

Answer 17

flattery

Question 18

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument made through multiple examples, with the intention of using specific instances to draw general conclusions about the whole group

Answer 18

generalization

also known as an argument from generalization

Question 19

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a command given to an audience

Answer 19

imperative

not quite the same as a call to action

Question 20

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an implicit contrast

Answer 20

juxtaposition

Question 21

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a claim (often unsupported) that asserts that the writer will do something in the future

Answer 21

pledge/promise

Question 22

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a principle or generalization that, if true, makes a claim true

Answer 22

premise

only rhetorically interesting if establishing a premise is a major focal point of the text

Question 23

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an acknowledgement of the limitations of one’s own argument

Answer 23

qualification

Question 24

Name the persuasive technique described below.

an argument that claims something might or will happen in the future, or that something would or would not have happened if circumstances in the past had been different

Answer 24

speculation

also known as a speculative argument

Question 25

Name the persuasive technique described below.

a kind of imperative, whose rejection will end negotiations and cause a resort to force or other direct action–a final demand

Answer 25

ultimatum