Final Exam Review

Question 1

Asserting that a particular position is the only one that is conceivably acceptable.
Implies that no arguments are necessary: the truth is self-evident and needs no support.

Answer 1

Dogmatism

Question 2

An argument in which the writer treats information as established
evidence that is not actually established, or in which the speaker assumes the audience will
accept as true something that people disagree about. Usually has issues with the warrant

Answer 2

Begging the question

Question 3

Flattering the audience to get them to agree with you.

Answer 3

Appeal to vanity

Question 4

Appealing to your audience’s sympathies to encourage them to feel sorry for your subject.

Answer 4

Appeal to pity

Question 5

Alleging a claim should be accepted because it has never been disproved. However, the move from ‘not disproved’ to ‘proved’ is invalid

Answer 5

Appeal to ignorance

Question 6

Scaring the audience to get them to agree with you.

Answer 6

Appeal to fear

Question 7

Expecting the audience to rely on the wrong experts. Presenting as experts
people/sources that are not, in fact, experts

Answer 7

False authority

Question 8

An informal fallacy wherein one cites something as an exception to a general
or universal principle, without justifying the special exception.

Answer 8

Special pleading

Question 9

Discrediting the speaker or source before it can be heard.

Answer 9

Poisoning the well

Question 10

Saying you will not talk about something, but by saying you won’t talk about it, you
are in fact talking about it.

Answer 10

Paralipsis

Question 11

Half-truths or arguments that give lies an honest appearance. Usually based on
tricks of language

Answer 11

Equivocation

Question 12

A conclusion that does not follow logically from preceding statements or that is
based on irrelevant data

Answer 12

Non sequitur

Question 13

From the Latin for “You, too.” Discrediting an argument because the speaker is
identified as being just like the subject they are speaking about. The “false hypocrite” argument.
* My dad says I shouldn’t smoke, which is ridiculous. He smokes all the time

Answer 13

Tu quoque

Question 14

Over-simplification, exaggeration, or distortion of opposing views so that they are
easy to “knock down.” These arguments often put words in the opponent’s mouth
* How dare the government pass laws requiring people to wear seatbelts! They just want all
Americans to be uncomfortable when they travel in cars.
* People who use plastic straws hate the environment.

Answer 14

Straw man

Question 15

Alleging that one action will inevitably lead to a chain of (usually negative)
events.
* If you eat that ice cream, you’ll just want more, and before you know it, you’ll be a morbidly obese
homeless person with no friends.
* I don’t think it’s a good idea to lower the drinking age. Next thing we know kids will get to drive at
age ten, and vote at fifteen. Let kids be kids and adults be adults.

Answer 15

Slippery slope

Question 16

An argument that focuses on an irrelevant issue to detract attention from the real
issue.
* A child asks her mother to buy her an expensive toy. The mother says, “Let’s go home and have ice cream!

Answer 16

Red herring

Question 17

False cause. Assuming a nonexistent cause/effect relationship
between events because of the order in which they occur
* It’s been years since I’ve gotten a speeding ticket. I got a new car back in 2012, and since then I
have never been pulled over

Answer 17

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Question 18

Coming to a broad conclusion quickly without considering enough evidence
Since none of the students in this classroom is over six feet tall, it stands to reason that no one at this college is over six feet tall.

Answer 18

Hasty generalization

Question 19

Basing an argument on insufficient or misleading comparisons.
* Playing basketball is like volunteering for torture: people yell at you, you get bruised and battered,
and at the end, the only things you have to show for your time are self-doubt, an injured body, and a
higher likelihood of developing arthritis.

Answer 19

False analogy

Question 20

Alleging there are only 2 possible outcomes when there could be many.
* If you don’t go to college, you will never get a decent job.

Answer 20

Either-or

Question 21

Encouraging people to do something because “everyone’s doing it.” Appeal to
popularity

Answer 21

Bandwagon

Question 22

Attacking the person rather than engaging with the issue.
* John Smith has proposed a very interesting gun policy. But why listen to him? He has been
arrested for drunk driving twice in the last five years.

Answer 22

Ad hominem

Question 23

a reference at the end of a sentence that identifies which sou8rce and where

Answer 23

Internal citation

Question 24

An alphabetized list of all sources that are referenced in an essay.

Answer 24

Works cited

Question 25

Allowing your readers to believe that an idea or phrase is your original creation, when in fact you got it from someone else

Answer 25

Plagiarism

Question 26

Condensed report of a writer’s or source’s ideas in the source information can be found.

Answer 26

Summary

Question 27

Putting a writer or source’s ideas into your own words, with correct citation.

Answer 27

Paraphrase

Question 28

Using word-for-word statements from a writer or source, with correct punctuation, attribution, and citation

Answer 28

Quotation

Question 29

Is the proposed solution realistic and practical?

Answer 29

Feasibility

Question 30

Detailed proof that a solution will solve a problem

Answer 30

Justification

Question 31

Using reasons carefully designed to appeal to your target audience.

Answer 31

Audience-based reasons

Question 32

The misuse of legitimate forms of appeal. Flaws in an argument, often subtle. A flawed pattern of thought

Answer 32

Fallacy

Question 33

statement following the formula “Claim-because-reason.”

Answer 33

Enthymeme

Question 34

The response that answers and/or overturns a counterargument

Answer 34

Rebuttal

Question 35

An objection to an argument; reasons or claims put forward to oppose an argument.

Answer 35

Counterargument

Question 36

An unstated assumption that guarantees the success or failure of a reason

Answer 36

Warrant

Question 37

Words or phrases that allow for exceptions to a claim

Answer 37

Qualifier

Question 38

A form of argumentative reasoning that aims to establish a middle ground between parties with opposing viewpoints or goals. Developed by psychotherapist Carl Rogers, in this type of argument the speaker seeks compromise, acknowledging positive aspects of each party’s argument to arrive at a mutually-beneficial solution to an issue. The speaker engages the audience as a peer or friend (alongside).

Answer 38

Rogerian model of argument

Question 39

a practical approach to argument developed by Stephen Toulmin that focus on establishing a claim and clearly supporting it with actual evidence (as compared to theoretical arguments that rely on inference)

Answer 39

Toulmin model of argument

Question 40

in formal logic, a structure of deductive logic in which correctly formed major and minor premises lead to a necessary conclusion.

Answer 40

Syllogism

Question 41

a process of thought in which general principles are applied to particular cases.

Answer 41

Deductive reasoning

Question 42

a process of thought in which particular cases lead to general principles

Answer 42

Inductive reasoning

Question 43

From the Greek word meaning “emotion.” An appeal to the audience’s emotions, striving to stir the audience to an action or belief by using fear, disgust, vanity, sympathy, empathy, or another emotional response etc.

Answer 43

Pathos

Question 44

From the Greek word meaning “reasoning.” An appeal based on logic

Answer 44

Logos

Question 45

From the Greek word meaning “character.” An appeal based on the speaker, source’s, or audience’s character, or an appeal that urges people to do or think something because it’s the ethical thing to do

Answer 45

Ethos

Question 46

Considering the facts gathered from summary, analysis, inference, and synthesis to reach a conclusion about the material.

Answer 46

Evaluate

Question 47

Make connections between the new material and other sources, and to your own existing body of knowledge.

Answer 47

Synthesize

Question 48

Read between the lines (carefully!). I can push a door open from one side, but I need to pull it from the other. Likewise, I imply when I suggest something, but I infer when I take in a source’s implications.

Answer 48

Infer

Question 49

Break the subject into parts and analyze the effectiveness of the parts

Answer 49

Analyze

Question 50

When you first encounter new information, read and study it to the point that you can explain it to other people, in your own word and without bias. Be sure you understand before you react.

Answer 50

Summarize

Question 51

“Critical thinking has been described as an ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to recognize ambiguity; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason, and reflect; to make informed judgments and decisions; and to clarify, articulate, and justify positions” source.

Answer 51

Critical thinking

Question 52

The writer’s position on a topic, as affected by the writer’s background, life experience, research, etc. Writers must choose how much of their stance is appropriate to reveal in each piece of writing/rhetoric.

Answer 52

Stance

Question 53

The category or type of writing/rhetoric one chooses to use (fiction, narrative, proposal, definition argument, poetry, argument, etc.)

Answer 53

Genre

Question 54

The circumstances and context that surround an inspire a piece of rhetoric. For example, the horrible conditions of the poor people in Ireland in 1729, and the lack of anyone doing anything realistic to solve the problem, inspired Johnathan Swift to write his satirical “Modest Proposal.” The desire to break away from England and form their own country lead Thomas Jefferson (and friends) to write the Declaration of Independence

Answer 54

Rhetorical situation

Question 55

The deliberate process and study of creating written works.

Answer 55

Composition