AP English Lang Rhetorical Devices

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques

Understatement

The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is

Extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Qualify

Describe or portray the character or quality

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate sounds

Antithesis

Refers to the juxtaposition of two opposing elements through parallel grammatical structure

Many are called, but few are chosen

Personification

The giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Modes of discourse

Different kinds of written texts; the four common ones are:

Narration: This mode tells a story or narrates an event or series of events. This writing mode frequently uses the tools of descriptive writing.

Description: This mode provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened.

Exposition: This mode explains something in detail, clarifying the meaning of a book, theme, idea, etc.

Argument: This mode is used to change the way a reader thinks or behaves by presenting compelling reasons and evidence.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

I can resist anything but temptation

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Metaphors and similes are analogies, but the other way around might or might not be true

Parallelism

Phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other

What the hammer? What the chain? What the anvil? ...

How to love. How to seal. How to heal.

Parallel structure

The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence

To know her is to love her.

Good we must love, and must hate ill. For ill is ill, and good good still.

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Apostrophe

When the writer or the speaker speaks directly to someone who is not present or is dead, or speaks to an inanimate object.

Subordinate clause

A clause that provides a sentence element with additional information but cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Maria was baking cupcakes, that looked like turkeys, for thanksgiving.

I was crying when I ate the popcorn, which was burnt, while I watched the movie.

Syllogism

A kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true.

I have forgot all men, then if thou grant'st thou'rt a man, I have forgot thee.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated.

Nice kicks man.

I am all ears.

Appeal to authority

A common type of fallacy in which the opinion of an authority on a topic is used as evidence to support an argument

The world is flat because my mom said so, and she is a doctor.

The mom is a doctor and might know about the medical field, but that doesn't mean she has authority over the geographic field.

Sentence types

Declarative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

Imperative

Elegy

Usually a poem of serious reflection of lament, often for the dead.

Periodic sentence

Has the main clause or predicate at the end to create emphasis.

Halfway through the movie, my bro yelled in my face.

Euphemism

A neutral word used to replace one that is related to something unpleasant

My ancestor passed away

Passive voice

The subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb.

The ball was thrown by that person

He was beaten up.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

You are pretty ugly

Ambiguity

Occurs when something is open to more than one interpretation

The bark hurts my ears.

That can mean a person's shouts or a dog's bark

Ellipsis

A punctuation mark consisting of three dots that omits content that is less important or to signify a pause.

Prepositional phrase

A modifying phrase consisting of a preposition and its object

I put the phone on the table.

She died before noon.

Colloquial

The use of ordinary and informal language

We ain't have no lemons

That's allat of people

Litotes

A figure of speech that uses understatement to emphasize a point, usually with double negatives

It is not unlike what people say.

He is no fool.

Straw man

A straw man fallacy is a form of argument that involves misrepresenting or exaggerating an opponent's position in order to attack or refute it more easily

I don't think the gender pay gap is as bad as people think.

Oh, so you hate women?

I didn't say that.

Oh, now your are denying what you've said?

Synecdoche

A term that refers to something bigger.

Look at my new wheels. (Look at my new car)

There are 20 heads in here we have to feed

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

Connotation

The implied meaning of a word

Inversion

Hyperbaton, where the normal order of the words are altered to achieve a certain effect

Ad Hominem

A fallacy in which one attacks their opponent instead of the argument

Pronouns

Replaces a noun. Examples: I, he, she, they, it, his

Ad Hoc

Formed for a certain purpose only

The culinary students created an ad hoc committee to decide what menu to serve

Parody

An imitation of the style of a particular piece but with some alterations for a comical effect

Participial phrase

A group of words that serve as modifiers

Children who become interested in music early usually become more intelligent

Hyperboles

Exaggerations not meant to be taken literally

Didatic

Intended to teach, particularly one that is moral

Circular reasoning

logical fallacy in which the argument relies on what they started with.

God is right because the bible said so, and we know the bible is right because those are words of God.

We don't know if we can hire you, because we have never hired you before and we don't know your being.

Begging the quesion

Fallacy in which the starting point/evidence is flawed. The argument or evidence does not provide new information.

I got the most votes because I won the election.

Juxtaposition

When two things are put together, usually for a contrasting effect

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

I have a dream… I have a dream. I HAVE A DREAM…

Aphorism

A short or concise sentence or phrase that usually says about a life moral or a useful lesson.

Action speaks louder than words.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Assonance

The repeating of consonants at the end of words.