Struggle

Question 1

Def: Using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent as abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. (Deals with moral truth or generalization about human existence.)

Purpose: Allows the reader to better understand the text, forcing the reader to read between the lines and beyond denotative form.

Ex.: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Answer 1

Allegory

Question 2

Definition: Replace noun/thing with something associated with it

Purpose: Help connect with audience and simplify words

Ex. US Government White House

Answer 2

Metonymy

Question 3

Definition: An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic or bookish

Purpose: Display high learning

Ex. Technical, legal writing

Answer 3

Pedantic

Question 4

Definition: A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. Independent clause preceded by a phrase/clause.

Purpose: Add emphasis and structural variety

Ex.

Answer 4

Periodic Sentence

Question 5

Definition: A deductive system of formal logic that presents 2 premises (major and minor) which leads to a conclusion

Purpose: Present a specific and general idea without being direct

Ex.

Answer 5

Syllogism

Question 6

Argue by explaining similarities b/w two ideas that will connect them to the conclusion you wish to draw

Ex. Competition is good for schools because it is good for businesses

Answer 6

Arguing by Analogy

Question 7

Assuming that an event is a result of something that occurred before it
Cause versus coincidence

Ex. Conspiracies

Answer 7

Attributing False Cause

Question 8

Attributes faults/crimes of a particular group to a specific person

Ex. Politicians will typically use this during the close of a campaign against religious opponents

Answer 8

Guilt by Association

Question 9

Claiming something without evidence

Ex. I didn’t pass the test because I failed it

Answer 9

Begging the Question

Question 10

Using ambiguous language to mislead audience

Answer 10

Equivocating

Question 11

Coming to a conclusion w/o sufficient evidence

Ex. This green apple is sour, so all green apples must be sour

Answer 11

Jumping to Conclusions

Question 12

Setting up an artificial opposition which is easily defeated

Exaggerates the opponent’s argument to an extreme

Answer 12

Straw Man

Question 13

Proposing only two options instead of looking at every possibility

Ex. What’s wrong with low grades? Is cheating any better?

Answer 13

False Dilemma

Question 14

Conclusion that does not follow logically the explanation given for it

Ex. Because the teacher likes Joe, Joe passed the quiz.

Answer 14

Reasoning That Doesn’t Follow

Question 15

Assuming that one step will lead to a tumbling down a tragic road

Ex. Censoring pornography will lead to the end of freedom of speech

Answer 15

Slippery Slope

Question 16

The repetition of the same word(s) at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences, commonly in conjunction with climax and parallelism

Ex. Five years have passed;/ Five summers, with the length of/ Five long winters! And again I hear these waters… (William Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey)

Answer 16

Anaphora

Question 17

Establishes a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them in a balanced or parallel construction.

Ex. To err is human; to forgive divine. (Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism)

Answer 17

Antithesis

Question 18

“Reverse parallelism” second part of grammatical construction is balanced by the first part, in reverse order.
(ABAB —> ABBA)

Ex. If you come to them, they are not asleep; if you ask and inquire of them, they do not withdraw themselves; they do not chide if you make mistakes; they do not laugh at you if you are ignorant. (Richard de Bury)

Answer 18

Chiasmus

Question 19

To bravely admit one’s faults or candidly state one’s opinion despite possible opposition

Ex. To this question I am afraid my answer cannot be so instructive as it ought to be, for I have never followed any plan in reading which would apply to all persons under all circumstances; (Teddy Roosevelt, Books for Holidays

Answer 19

Courageous Honesty

Question 20

Forms the counterpart to an anaphora because the repetition of the same word(s) come at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences

Ex. Where affections bear rule, there reason is subdued, honesty is subdued, good will is subdued, and all things else that withstand evil, for ever are subdued. (Thomas Wilson)

Answer 20

Epistrophe

Question 21

Distributing blame; to place the burden of blame on the shoulders of others

Ex. Part of the Obama strategy after Massachusetts – now that Democrats no longer have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and the House could conceivably switch back to Republican control this fall – is to place the onus on the opposition to govern with them. (Jon Ward, The Daily Caller) (?)

Answer 21

Placing the onus on the opposition

Question 22

A noun or noun substitute placed next to (in apposition to) another noun to be described or defined by the appositive.

Ex. The Otis Elevator Company, the world’s oldest and biggest elevator manufacturer, claims that its products carry the equivalent of the world’s population every five days. (Nick Paumgarten, Up and Then Down)

Answer 22

Appositive

Question 23

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language

Ex. Bloody, bawdy villain!/Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain! (Shakespeare, Hamlet)

Answer 23

Invective

Question 24

An adjective or adjective phrase appropriately qualifying a subject by naming a key or important characteristic of the subject. A characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing.

Ex. Blind mouths! That scare themselves know how to hold/ A sheep hook… (John Milton, Lycidas)

Answer 24

Epithet

Question 25

Rhetorical/metaphorical substitution of a part for the whole, vice versa

Ex. Land ho! All hands on deck! (Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island)

Answer 25

Synecdoche