English rhetorical vocab

absolutes

Words such as 'always,' 'never,' 'all,' and 'none.'

allusion

A reference in a written or spoken text to another text or to some particular body of knowledge.

analogy

Comparison between two things in order to clarify their relationship.

anecdote

A brief narrative offered in a text to capture the audience’s attention or to support a generalization or claim.

anticipated objection

The technique a writer or speaker uses in an argumentative text to address and answer objections, even though the audience has not had the opportunity to voice these objections.

appeal

One of three strategies for persuading audiences—logos (appeal to reason), pathos (appeal to emotion), and ethos (appeal to ethics).

appeal to authority

In a text, the reference to words, action, or beliefs of a person in authority as means of supporting a claim.

argument

A carefully constructed, well-supported representation of how a writer sees an issue, problem, or subject.

asyndeton

Stylistic device in which conjunctions are intentionally omitted in a series of words, phrases, or clauses to achieve an artistic effect.

audience

The person or persons who listen to a spoken text or read a written one and are capable of responding to it.

begging the question

The situation that results when a writer or speaker constructs an argument on an assumption that the audience does not accept.

claim

The ultimate conclusion, generalization, or point that a syllogism or enthymeme expresses.

concession

The act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument.

conclusion (of syllogism)

The ultimate point or generalization that a syllogism expresses.

connotation

The implied meaning of a word, in contrast to its directly expressed dictionary meaning.

context

The convergence of time, place, audience, and motivating factors in which a text is situated.

data (as evidence)

Facts, statistics, and examples offered in support of a claim.

deduction / deductive reasoning

Reasoning that begins with a general principle and concludes with a specific instance.

denotation

The dictionary definition of a word, in contrast to its connotation.

diction

Word choice, viewed on scales of formality/informality, concreteness/abstraction, and denotative/connotative value.

effect

The emotional or psychological impact a text has on a reader or listener.

enthymeme

Logical reasoning with one premise left unstated.

ethos

The appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker.

evidence

The facts, statistics, anecdotes, and examples a speaker offers in support of a claim.

example

An illustration or incident offered in support of a generalization.

extended analogy

An extended passage arguing that if two things are similar in one or two ways, they are probably similar in other ways.

fallacy

An attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.

generalization

A point a speaker generates based on considering a number of particular examples.

genre

A piece of writing classified by type—for example, letter, narrative, eulogy, or editorial.

hyperbole

An exaggeration, or overstatement, for effect.

induction / inductive reasoning

Reasoning that begins by citing specific instances and shows how they constitute a general principle.

inductive leap

The leap from 'most' or 'some' to 'all' in reaching a generalization.

inference

A conclusion that a reader reaches by means of their own thinking.

intention

The goal a writer or speaker hopes to achieve with the text.

irony

Writing that implies the contrary of what is actually written.

jargon

The specialized vocabulary of a particular group.

logic

The art of reasoning.

logos

The appeal of a text based on the logical structure of its argument.

mood

The feeling that a text is intended to produce in the audience.

occasion

The part of context also referred to as time and place.

paradox

A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.

pathos

The appeal of a text to the emotions or interests of the audience.

persona

The character that a writer or speaker conveys to the audience.

persuasion

The changing of people’s minds or actions by language.

polysyndeton

Stylistic device that uses several coordinating conjunctions in succession.

premise, major

The first premise in a syllogism, stating an irrefutable generalization.

premise, minor

The second premise in a syllogism, offering a particular instance of the major premise.

pun

A play on words.

purpose

The goal a writer or speaker hopes to achieve with the text.

qualifiers

Words such as 'probably,' 'presumably,' and 'generally.'

refutation

The part of a speech addressing objections raised against points.

rhetoric

The art of analyzing choices involving language to make a text meaningful.

rhetorical choices

The particular choices a writer or speaker makes to achieve meaning.

rhetorical mode

Formal patterns for organizing a text.

rhetorical question

A question posed to affirm or deny a point, not to seek an answer.

rhetorical situation

The convergence in a situation of exigency, audience, and purpose.

rhetorical triangle

A diagram showing relations of writer, reader, and text.

sarcasm

The use of mockery or bitter irony.

slang

Informal language considered inappropriate for formal occasions.

speaker

The person delivering a speech or the character assumed to be speaking.

stance

A writer’s or speaker’s apparent attitude toward the audience.

style

The choices that writers or speakers make in language for effect.

support

The material offered to back up a generalization, conclusion, or claim.

syllogism

Logical reasoning from inarguable premises.

syntax

The order of words in a sentence.

tautology

A group of words that repeats the meaning already conveyed.

tests for generalization

Criteria for evaluating the validity of generalizations.

thesis

The main idea in a text; often a generalization.

thesis statement

A single sentence stating a text’s thesis.

tone

The writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter.

understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact, presenting something as less significant.

verisimilitude

The quality of a text that reflects the truth of actual experience.

voice

The textual features that convey a writer’s or speaker’s persona.

warrant

The general statement that establishes a relationship between the data and the claim.