Lit Rhetorical Devices

Question 1

Abstract diction

Answer 1

refers to words that describe concepts rather than concrete images These words do not appeal imaginatively to the reader’s senses. Abstract words create no “mental picture” or any other imagined sensations for readers.

Question 2

Absolutes

Answer 2

an adverbial clause that has an on finite verb or noverb at all (the clause is missing “was”or
“were” or it is replaced by a verbal, making it dependent).The prisoners marched past, their hands above their heads.

Question 3

Academic diction

Answer 3

use of scholarly words or terms, e.g. “Kennedy employs many rhetorical strategies in his
speech, namely chiasmus, parallelism, allusion, and pathos.”

Question 4

Activevoice

Answer 4

Insentenceswritteninactivevoice,thesubjectperformstheaction expressed in the verb; the subject acts.
Active: The dog bit the boy.
Passive: The boy was bitten by the dog.

Question 5

Ad hominem fallacy

Answer 5

a fallacy of logic in which a person’s character or motive is attacked instead of that person’s argument.

Question 6

Ad populum fallacy

Answer 6

popular appeal,or appeal to the majority.The fallacy of attempting to win popular assent to a conclusion by arousing the feeling and enthusiasms of the multitude.

Question 7

Adverb

Answer 7

a part of speech usually ending in–lythatisusedchieflyasamodifierofanadjective(Sheisextremely pale.), a modifier of another adverb (The storm came very suddenly.), or as an adverbial (I visit my family frequently).

Question 8

Adverbial

Answer 8

a sentence element used to convey a range of information about the situation depicted in the basic sentence structure (how, when, where, to what extent, or under what conditions).

Question 9

Adverbial clause

Answer 9

a clause that has an adverb-like function in modifying another clause. I saw the movie before I left to Europe.

Question 10

Allegory

Answer 10

a story where things represent abstract stuff

Question 11

allusion

Answer 11

a brief or indirect reference to a person, place, event, or passage in a work of literature or the Bible assumed to be sufficiently well known to be recognized by the reader.

Question 12

ambiguity

Answer 12

the expression of an idea in such a way that more than one meaning is suggested.

Question 13

anadipolsis

Answer 13

the repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause:

Question 14

Analogy

Answer 14

a comparison between two things in which the more complex is explained in terms of the more simple.

Question 15

Anaphora

Answer 15

the repetition of introductory words or phrases

Question 16

Anastrophe

Answer 16

departure from normal word order for the sake of emphasis. Normal syntax is violated.

Question 17

Anecdote

Answer 17

a short entertaining account of some happening, frequently personal or biographical used to bring humor or to illustrate a particular characteristic or trait.

Question 18

Annotation

Answer 18

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Question 19

Anticipating and addressing counter-arguments

Answer 19

When making the argument, the author, aware of what points his or her opponents will likely take exception to, anticipates these objections and then addresses them in his or her argument, thus strengthening his or her position. Refutation and concession are examples of this type of organizational strategy.

Question 20

Antithesis

Answer 20

opposition or contrast emphasized by parallel structure.

Question 21

Antecedent

Answer 21

thewordforwhichapronounstands.

Question 22

Aphorism

Answer 22

a brief saying embodying a moral; a concise statement of a principle or precept given in pointed words.

Question 23

Apostrophe

Answer 23

a strategy in which an absent person, inanimate object (the sun, for example), or abstract being
(Death) is addressed directly.

Question 24

Appeal to authority/expert testimony

Answer 24

citation of information from people recognized for their special knowledge of a subject for the purpose of strengthening an author’s arguments.

Question 25

Appositive

Answer 25

a noun phrase or clause which renames or describes another noun phrase or pronoun.

Question 26

Argument

Answer 26

the logical (facts, statistics, hard evidence, etc.) and non-logical ideas or reasons a person uses to convince a specific audience.

Question 27

Argumentation

Answer 27

writing that attempts to prove the validity of a proposition or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation.

Question 28

Aristotelian logic

Answer 28

a formal logical system using syllogism in which propositions are given to support a conclusion that can be proven either by deduction or induction.

Question 29

Assertion

Answer 29

the starting point of an argument, a general statement of belief or judgment that can be supported with specific evidence and examples

Question 30

Assonance:

Answer 30

repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants; e.g. Early in the day, the neighs began to fade.

Question 31

Assumption

Answer 31

an inference or conclusion, possibly based on some evidence.

Question 32

Asyndeton

Answer 32

Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words

Question 33

Balanced sentence structure

Answer 33

a sentence that has parallel phrases or clauses used to stress similar ideas

Question 34

Bandwagon

Answer 34

either saying that supporting a specific cause/stance would result in the rejection of peers or using the popular support of a cause/stance to persuade others to support it as well:

Question 35

Begging the question

Answer 35

fallacy of logical argument that assumes the reader will automatically accept an assertion without proper support.

Question 36

Binary classification

Answer 36

the task of classifying the members of a given set of objects into two groups on the basis of whether they have some property or not.

Question 37

Cacophony

Answer 37

harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony

Question 38

Caricature

Answer 38

descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality; used for comic effect or criticism

Question 39

Cause and effect

Answer 39

examination of the causes and/or effects of a situation or phenomenon; this can be an author’s main organizational strategy, or it can be one paragraph used to support a point in an essay developed through another pattern.

Question 40

Challenge

Answer 40

the author disagrees with a given assertion.

Question 41

Chiasmus

Answer 41

a syntactical structure by which the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second.

Question 42

Chronological ordering: an organizational strategy

Answer 42

where events or actions are organized according to their | order of occurrence.

Question 43

Circular logic/thinking/reasoning

Answer 43

a fallacy which involves repeating assertions endlessly without real support.

Question 44

Classification as a means of ordering

Answer 44

an organizational strategy where objects are arranged according to class; e.g. media classified as print, television, and radio.

Question 45

Clause

Answer 45

a sentence-like construction that is contained within a sentence or a simple sentence, usually containing a subject and a verb or verbal.

Question 46

Coherence

Answer 46

quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle.

Question 47

Colloquial diction

Answer 47

words or phrases (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing which is usually inappropriate in formal writing

Question 48

colon

Answer 48

:

Question 49

Comic relief

Answer 49

something said or done that provides a break from the seriousness of the text.

Question 50

Complement

Answer 50

a sentence element that is required, by the meaning of the verb, to complete the sentence.

Question 51

Complex sentences

Answer 51

a sentence containing one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses

Question 52

Compound sentences

Answer 52

two or more independent clauses (simple sentences) joined by a coordinating conjunction

Question 53

Conceit

Answer 53

a juxtaposition that makes a surprising connection between two seemingly different things. comparison

Question 54

Concession (Aristotelian concession)

Answer 54

You admit that the opposing claim is valid; however, you demonstrate how it is possible to accept it without rejecting your whole argument. conceding a point in an argument means actually agreeing with the opponent on a particular issue.

Question 55

Concrete diction

Answer 55

words that describe specific, observable things, people, or | places, rather than ideas or qualities.

Question 56

Conjunction

Answer 56

words that link units of equal status (coordinating conjunctions) or introduce subordinate clauses (subordinating conjunctions).

Question 57

Connotation

Answer 57

implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind.

Question 58

Consonance:

Answer 58

repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity, a

Question 59

Contrast

Answer 59

showing how two or more texts, ideas or objects are different.

Question 60

Conundrum:

Answer 60

a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? But

Question 61

Convoluted sentences

Answer 61

long, complicated sentences that are often hard to follow because they are wordy and too many ideas are rolled together into one sentence.

Question 62

Coordinating conjunctions

Answer 62

words that can, with a comma, link two independent clauses

Question 63

Damning with faint praise

Answer 63

intentional use of a positive statement that has a negative implication; e.g. “Your new hairdo is so....interesting.”

Question 64

Declarative sentences

Answer 64

a type of sentence structure used chiefly for making statements. The sentence structure is usually Subject/Verb/Object (SVO).

Question 65

Deduction

Answer 65

a form of reasoning using syllogism where the author begins with a generalization, then applies the generalization to a specific case or cases. Aristtotle

Question 66

Defend

Answer 66

the author agrees with a given assertion.

Question 67

Definition

Answer 67

making something clear or distinct

Question 68

Denotation

Answer 68

the literal or obvious meaning of a word

Question 69

Dependent clause

Answer 69

a group of words that contains a subject and a verb, but cannot be a grammatical sentence

Question 70

Description

Answer 70

he picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse.

Question 71

Determiner

Answer 71

words that introduce noun phrases (the, a, an, this,

Question 72

Diction

Answer 72

choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

Question 73

Didactic

Answer 73

writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach.

Question 74

Digression

Answer 74

a temporary departure from the main subject in speaking or writing.

Question 75

Dilemma

Answer 75

a type of conflict in which both choices have some negative consequences.

Question 76

Discourse

Answer 76

spoken or written language

Question 77

Diversion

Answer 77

a technique used to distract focus or divert attention away from key issues, usually by intensifying unrelated issues, or trivial factors, appeal to emotion

Question 78

Economy

Answer 78

a style of writing characterized by conciseness and brevity, short

Question 79

Ellipsis

Answer 79

any omitted part of speech that is easily understood in context there is an omitted/understood “were” between “people” and “groaning.”

Question 80

Epanalepsis

Answer 80

the repetition of the first word of one clause at the end of the clause

Question 81

Epigram

Answer 81

a brief, clever, and usually memorable statement.

Question 82

Epistrophe

Answer 82

the repetition of the same word or groups of words at the ends of phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Question 83

Euphemism

Answer 83

the use of a word or phrase that is less direct, but that is also less distasteful or less offensive than another

Question 84

Euphony

Answer 84

a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony.

Question 85

Evidence

Answer 85

something that furnishes proof in a reasoned argument

Question 86

Examples

Answer 86

an individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern.

Question 87

Exclamatory sentences

Answer 87

a type of sentence structure used chiefly to express strong feeling

Question 88

Explication

Answer 88

the art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. Explication usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.

Question 89

Explicit

Answer 89

fully revealed or expressed without vagueness, implication, or ambiguity : leaving no question as to meaning or intent; stated directly

Question 90

Exposition

Answer 90

designed to convey information or explain what is difficult to understand through the use of facts, reasons, or examples; one of the four modes of discourse.

Question 91

Facts

Answer 91

knowledge or information based on real occurrences or data; statements that can be verified as true

Question 92

False causality

Answer 92

a fallacy of concluding that an event is caused by another event simply because it follows it

Question 93

False dilemma

Answer 93

a fallacy of logical argument which is committed when too few of the available alternatives are considered, and all but one are assessed and deemed impossible or unacceptable;