rhetorical strats

Ad Hominem

An argument based on the failings of an adversary rather than on the merits of the case; a logical fallacy that involves a personal attack.

Allusion

A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event

Anaphora

The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.

Antithesis

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.

Appeal to Authority

A fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a famous person or institution. Argument

Colloquial

Characteristic of writing that seeks the effect of informal spoken language as distinct from formal or literary English.

Concession

An argumentative strategy by which a speaker or writer acknowledges the validity of an opponent’s point.

Connotation

The emotional implications and associations that a word may carry.

Deduction

A method of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises.

Diction

The choice and use of words in speech or writing or a way of speaking, usually assessed in terms of prevailing standards of pronunciation and elocution.

Epiphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses. (Also known as epistrophe.)

Extended Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.

Fallacy

An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid.

False Dilemma

A fallacy of oversimplification that offers a limited number of options(usually two) when in fact more options are available.

Figurative Language

Language in which figures of speech (such as metaphors, similes, and hyperbole) freely occur.

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy in which a conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement.

Imagery

Vivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses.

Induction

A method of reasoning by which a rhetor collects a number of instances and forms a generalization that is meant to apply to all instances.

Irony

The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. A statement or situation where the meaning is directly contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.

Juxtaposition

Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side

Narrative

A rhetorical strategy that recounts a sequence of events, usually in chronological order.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side

Parallelism

The similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.

Point of View

The perspective from which a speaker or writer tells a story or presents information.

Refutation

The part of an argument wherein a speaker or writer anticipates and counters opposing points of view.

Repetition

An instance of using a word, phrase, or clause more than once in a short passage

Rhetorical Question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

Style

Narrowly interpreted as those figures that ornament speech or writing; broadly, as representing a manifestation of the person speaking or writing.

Symbol

A person, place, action, or thing that (by association, resemblance, or convention) represents something other than itself.