Vocab 10

Question 1

Rogerian argument

Answer 1

an approach to argumentation based on the principle, articulated by psychotherapist Carl Rogers, that audiences respond best when they don’t feel threatened. Rogerian argument stresses trust and urges those who disagree to find common ground

Question 2

sarcasm

Answer 2

sarcasm – From the Greek meaning “to tear flesh,” sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device, but not all ironic statements are sarcastic (that is, intended to ridicule). When well done, sarcasm can be witty and insightful; when poorly done, it is simply cruel.

Question 3

satire

Answer 3

the use of humor to ridicule human weaknesses, vices or stupidity, with the hope of bringing about social reform

Question 4

scare tactic

Answer 4

a fallacy of argument presenting an issue in terms of exaggerated threats or dangers

Question 5

scheme

Answer 5

a figure of speech that involves a special arrangement of words, such as inversion

Question 6

semantics

Answer 6

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.

Question 7

setting

Answer 7

time and place of a literary work

Question 8

simile

Answer 8

direct comparison that uses like or as

Question 9

slippery slope

Answer 9

a fallacy of argument exaggerating the possibility that a relatively inconsequential action or choice today will have serious adverse consequences in the future

Question 10

SOAPS

Answer 10

A mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, and Speaker. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation

Question 11

spin

Answer 11

a kind of political advocacy that makes any fact or event, however unfavorable, serve a political purpose

Question 12

stacking the deck

Answer 12

a fallacy of argument in which the writer shows only one side of an argument

Question 13

spin

Answer 13

a kind of political advocacy that makes any fact or event, however unfavorable, serve a political purpose

Question 14

stacking the deck

Answer 14

a fallacy of argument in which the writer shows only one side of an argument

Question 15

stance

Answer 15

a speaker’s attitude toward the audience (differing from tone, the speaker’s attitude toward the subject)

Question 16

straw man argument

Answer 16

a fallacy of argument in which an opponent’s position is misrepresented as being more extreme than it actually is, so that it’s easier to refute

Question 17

structure

Answer 17

the organization and form of a work

Question 18

style

Answer 18

(1) An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. Some authors’ styles are so idiosyncratic that we can quickly recognize works by the same author. We can analyze and describe an author’s personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the author’s purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace, incisive, laconic, etc.
(2) Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, we can see how an author’s style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance or the Victorian period, or a literary movement, such as the romantic, transcendental, or realist movement.

Question 19

subject complement

Answer 19

subject complement – The word (with any accompanying phrases) or clause that follows a linking verb and complements, or completes, the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it (the predicate nominative) or (2) describing it (the predicate adjective). These are defined below:
(1) the predicate nominative – a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject. It, like the predicate adjective, follows a linking verb and is located in the predicate of the sentence.
Example: Julia Roberts is a movie star. movie star = predicate nominative, as it renames the subject, Julia Roberts
(2) the predicate adjective – an adjective, a group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb. It is in the predicate of the sentence, and modifies, or describes, the subject. Example: Warren remained optimistic.
optimistic = predicate adjective, as it modifies the subject, Warren