Rhetorical Device and Fallacy Quiz Cards

Ad hominem

a fallacy that involves attacking a person's character or motives instead of addressing their argument. (A makes claim X, B makes an attack on A, therefore A’s claim is false)

Ad Populum

A fallacy that appeals to the popularity of the claim as a reason to accept it. (A makes claim X, A is popular, therefore A’s claim is true because A is popular)

Begging the Question

A fallacy in which an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion instead of supporting it. It often involves circular reasoning, where the claim relies on itself for validation. (Useless and wasteful plastic grocery bags should be banned)

Circular Reasoning

Restates the argument or claim rather than proving it (goes in a circle). (The president is a good leader because he is the leader of a country).

False Analogy

Argument made based on a misleading comparison. (Students should be able to use their notes and textbooks on exams because surgeons get to use X-ray and MRI images during surgery.)

Hasty Generalization

Claim based on insufficient evidence. (Even though its the first day of school, I can tell I’m going to hate this year.)

Non-Sequitur

Conclusion does not follow from its premises (Students like to eat French fries. French fries are made from potatoes. Therefore, it is healthy to eat French fries everyday.)

Post Hoc

A fallacy where one event is assumed to cause another just because it precedes it in time. (After I started carrying a lucky charm, I passed my exams; therefore, the charm helped me succeed.)

Red herring

A distraction from the main issue, often introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention. (The politician's new proposal for education reform is interesting, but what about his tax evasion allegations?)

Slippery Slope

A fallacy that suggests an action will lead to a chain of events resulting in a significant (usually negative) effect, without providing evidence for such progression. (If we allow students to redo tests, soon they will expect to redo every assignment, and eventually they won't take any assessments seriously.)

Straw Man

A fallacy that misrepresents an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack or refute. (Person 1: I prefer rainy days to sunny days. Person 2: Yes, but if it is never sunny out, people will suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, all of our crops will die, and we will die of starvation.)

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression used to replace one that may be considered harsh or unpleasant. (Instead of saying someone has died, one might say they have "passed away.")

Allusion

A brief reference to a person, event, place, or literary work that is not elaborated on, but is meant to create a particular effect or meaning.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or a thing, often to express emotion.

Paradox

A statement that contradicts itself but may reveal a deeper truth.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. (All hands on deck where "hands" represents the entire crew)

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, such as "the White House" for the president.

Understatement

A figure of speech in which a writer deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.

Anaphora

A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences, used for emphasis and rhythm.

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas are presented in parallel grammatical structures to create a strong contrast and emphasize the difference between them.

Asyndeton

The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Chiasmus

Words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form (Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds).

Parallelism

Repetition of grammatical elements (words, phrases, or clauses) in a sentence or series of sentences to create a sense of balance and rhythm

Litotes

Ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (you won't be sorry, meaning you'll be glad).