ELA Persuasive Speaking Unit

Allusion

A quick reference to something famous, (person, story, event, ect.) to make a point

Ambiguity

When something can have more than one meaning

Analogy

A comparison that explains something unfamiliar by relating it to something familiar

Antithesis

Two opposite ideas places close together to highlight contrast and using parallel arrangement of words/phrases

Metaphor

Saying something is something to show a comparison without like or as

Rhetoric

The art of using words to persuade or communicate effectively

Rhetorical devices

Techniques or speakers use to make their messages clearer or more persuasive

Rhetorical question

A question asked to make a point, not for an answer

Alliteration

Repeating the same sounds in nearby words

Figurative language

Words that describe something in a creative, non-literal way

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration

Repetition

Saying something more than once for emphasis

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures to make writing balanced

Cliche

An overused phrase that has lost its originality

Rhetorical appeals

The main way to persuade an audience: ethos, pathos, logos

Ethos

Persuasion using credibility or trust

Pathos

Persuasion using emotion

Logos

Persuasion using logic, facts, or evidence

Kairos

Persuasion explaining why something matters right now

Tone

The authors attitude toward the subject

Mood

The feeling the reader get from the text

Imagery

Descriptive language that makes you think of something or picture something in your head

Call to action

Words that urge the audience to do something

Anecdote

A short story used to make a point

Anaphora

Repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of lines or sentences

Diction

The authors word choice

Syntax

The way words are aranged in a sentence

Irony

When the opposite of what is expected happens

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side to show contrast

Understatement

Making something seem less important than it really is

Concession/Counterargument

Admitting the other side has a point but explaining why your side is still stronger