Rhetorical terms part 2 English I honors

topic

The primary subject matter of a written or spoken piece of writing,

issue

A point or matter of discussion, debate, or dispute; a matter of public concern; the essential point or crux,

theme

In the context of a literary work of art, a key idea that is understood as shaping some larger purpose or meaning of the work, though this idea may not always explicitly discussed as such within the work.

thesis/argument

Usually explicit central claim of a work of writing (primarily nonfiction) or other form of discourse. The thesis/argument synthesizes why the work is being written in the first place.

claim

an assertion that serves as a building block of or supporting point within a larger argument or analysis.

paraphrase

An attempt to objectively replicate the literal meaning of an original text so that it can become more accessible to a secondary audience than it would were that audience to read it in its original form.

summary/summarize

Summaries are condensed, disinterested accounts of both the general content and primary formal features of a text/issue/event. way, a summary can earn credibility for a writer insofar as it demonstrates s/he can efficiently recapitulate the key content of a body of material without seeming overly subjective or misleading.

synthesis/synthesize

Very briefly statement or succinct “summing up” of the disparate content, style, meaning, intent of a verbal or visual text, a situation, a problem, a debate, an event, etc. To synthesize is to convey the “gist” in one or two sentences.

description/describe

Verbal depiction, most often of physical appearance, but also of situations,

or processes, or of other notable qualities of a person, place, thing, situation, event. can vary hugely in terms of their length and degrees of objectivity/subjectivity.

analysis/analyze

the inverse of “synthesize.” To carefully break down and categorize distinct elements that constitute or inform some larger issue, problem, text, situation, etc.

explanation/explain

A setting forth of precisely HOW and/or WHY something occurs, and often of what the significance (larger meaning) of the occurrence is;

transition/shift

In rhetoric and writing, to shift a reader’s attention from one point of view and/or degree of focus to another. The “steering wheel” of academic arguments-in-process.

expose/expository/exposition

The verb form means to reveal for display, to uncover, to lay out.

disclose

To reveal, but usually in a manner that is reserved or discreet or subtle or gradual or sometimes unintentional.

suggest/suggestive

To offer an opinion, or to propose how something might be done.

profile

In a verbal context, a brief description of some distinguishing features of a person (personality, biography, appearance, occupation, etc.), but not a complete description of all that might be said about that person.

comment/commentary

Information or opinion offered to provide insight on a given topic or issue,

imply/implication/implicit

To suggest indirectly.

inference/infer

To conclude or decide based on something known, perceived, or assumed.

explicate/explication/explicit

clear, overt, and deliberate in its meaning.