AP English Language Rhetorical Terms List #2

ad hominem argument

Attacking a persons character instead of their argument

analogy

A comparison of two unlike things to help explain an idea

Antecedent

The word that a pronoun refers back to

appeal to ethos

Persuading an audience by showing credibility, trust, worthiness, or ethics.

appeal to logos

Persuading an audience with facts, evidence, or logic

appeal to pathos

persuading an audience appealing to their emotions

begging the question

assuming something is true without proving it

casual relationship

a relationship where one event caused another to happen

colloquialism

An informal word or phrase used in everyday conversation

conclusion

the ending of an essay that summarizes the main ideas and brings the writing to a close

connotation

the emotional or implied meaning of a word beyond its dictionary definition

emphasis

Giving special attention to an important idea

essay

a piece of writing that discusses or explains a main topic

euphemism

a polite or less harsh word or phrase used instead of one that may sound offensive

example

a specific person, event, or ideas used to explain or support a point

generalization

a broad statement based on a few examples or experiences

logical fallacy

an error in reasoning that makes an argument weak or misleading

objective and subjective writing

objective writing: presents facts without personal opinions or feelings. Subjective writing: Includes personal opinions, feelings or beliefs

red herring

bringing up an unrelated topic to distract from the main issue

sarcasm

saying something that means the opposite of what your really mean, usually to mock or criticize

satire

the use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize people or society and point out problems

subordination

combining ideas by making one idea dependent on another

tone

the writers attitude toward the subject or audience

understatement

describing something as less important or serious than it really is

voice

a writers unique personality or style that comes through in their writing