Adage
A folk saying with a lesson
Allusion
An indirect reference to something known from literature, history. religion, culture, etc
Analogy
A comparison in which an idea or thing is compared to another thing that is quite different. Metaphors and similes are tools used to draw an analogy, therefore analogy is more extensive and elaborate
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase or clause at the beginning of 2 or more sentences in a row
Anecdote
A brief retelling of some event, often historical, biographical or personal. Often used in an introduction of an essay
Antithesis
Two opposite or contradictory words, phrases or ideas used in parallel structure
Claim
A statement or assertion that is open to challenge and requires support
Colloquial Language
Informal, conversational language used in certain types of informal and narrative writing, but rarely in essays. (Cool, wanna, gonna, ain't, yonder)
Connotation
Implied meaning rather than literal meaning
Denotation
The literal, explicit meaning of a word without its connotations
Dialect
Language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region or group of people
Diction
Word choice, particularly as an element of style
Ethos
Appeals to an audience's sense of morality/trust
Fallacy
Faulty logic, misleading or unsound argument
Hyperbole
Literary exaggeration
Hypothetical Example
A fictional example that can be used when explaining a complicated topic that makes more sense in realistic terms
Imagery
A word or words that create an image in the reader's mind
Inference
Arriving at a decision or opinion by reasoning from known facts or evidence
Irony
Language to suggest the opposite of what is expected
Juxtaposition
Placing elements, either similar or contrasting, side by side in order to illuminate the subject
Logos
Appeals to an audience's sense of logic or intellect
Mood
The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished by word choice
Objectivity
An author's stance that distances himself from personal involvement
Oxymoron
When apparently contradictory term are grouped together and suggest a paradox
Paradox
A statement that seems to be contradictory but actually contains an element of truth
Parallelism/Parallel Structure
Sentence structure which places equal grammatical construction near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns
Parody
Ridiculing the language or style of another writer or composer
Pathos
Appeal to an audience's sense of emotion
Rebuttal/Refutation
The countering of anticipated arguments
Rhetoric
The art of using words effectively in speaking or writing
Rhetorical Question
A question asked only to illustrate a point or provoke thought, but not to elicit an answer
Satire
A humorous or critical treatment of a subject in order to reveal the subject's vices or stupidities. The intent is to reform by exposing the subject to comedy or ridicule
Style
The choices in diction, tone and syntax that a writer makes
Subjectivity
A personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions
Thesis
The main idea in an essay. The thesis sentence, appearing early in the essay, serves to convey the main idea to the reader in a clear and emphatic manner
Tone
The writer's attitude toward his/her subject. A writer's tone may be objective, subjective, comic, ironic, nostalgic, critical, etc. Tone is the voice that writers give to an essay