AP Speech Quiz

Sophistry

Use of eloquent language to make something sound important when it’s really a bunch of bs

Eloquence

discourse marked by force and pursuasiveness

Duality

self explanatory?

Eulogy

formal speech that praises a person, usually used at a funeral

Oration

A formal, planned, public speech that is delivered ceremonially

Hyperbole

A phrase that is used to exaggerate something insanely

Rhetoric

the art, skill, or study of speaking in such a way that persuades, informs, influences, or motivates people.

Equivocation

the use of deceptive/double-meaninged language that is intended to mislead people or hide the truth

Seduction

the act of charming/tempting someone in order to mislead them from their original goals through persuasion and other tactics.

Jargon

specialized terminology that only people inside the bubble would understand/its hard for others to understand

Inherency

the main reason as to why there’s no solution to a problem already, it proves the necessity of a solution. What questions need answers?

dropped issues

An important part of a speech topic that wasn’t talked about, forgot about a main point

Contingency

a possible future event or change that may or may not change the original plan of the speaker, they already account for it in their speech

Entailments

is sentence A is true, then sentence B is also.

rightness of fit

standard that sees if the solution/speaking style that is used when presenting the speech fits the gravity/vibe of the rhetorical situation

Stasis

The central point of disagreement in an argument. It identifies the specific question people need to resolve before they can move forward.

Composite audience

An audience made up of people with different beliefs, values, backgrounds, and perspectives. A speaker must consider these differences when communicating.

Norms

Shared expectations or standards for how people should behave, speak, or think in a particular community.

Inherent issues

Problems or disagreements that naturally arise within a situation, argument, or subject. They may be difficult to avoid because they are built into the issue itself.

Reality paradigm

A framework or set of assumptions through which someone understands and interprets reality.

Worldview

A person's overall perspective on the world, shaped by their experiences, values, beliefs, and culture.

• Dialogic comportment

A way of participating in conversation that is open to other viewpoints, listens respectfully, and remains willing to question one's own assumptions.

• Dogmatism

The belief that one's opinions or beliefs are unquestionably correct, without being willing to consider opposing evidence or perspectives.

• Doxa

Common beliefs, opinions, or assumptions accepted by a particular community. Doxa is what people generally believe or take for granted, rather than necessarily what is objectively true.

• Dissoi logoi

A Greek rhetorical concept meaning “opposing arguments” or “two different accounts.” It involves examining both sides of an issue to understand competing perspectives.

• Vicious relativism

The extreme position that all beliefs or opinions are equally valid and that there is no reasonable way to evaluate whether one argument is better supported than another.

• Monologic

A one-sided approach to communication in which one person or viewpoint dominates without genuinely engaging with other perspectives.

• Dialogic

A two-way approach to communication that involves listening, responding, questioning, and engaging with different viewpoints.

Difference between monologic communication and dialogic communication

Monologic communication focuses on delivering one perspective; dialogic communication focuses on engaging with perspectives.

• Signposting

Using words, phrases, or statements to show the audience where a speech or argument is going.

• Mapping

Giving the audience an overview of the structure or main points of a presentation or argument.

• Explicit transitions

Clearly stated connections between ideas, such as “My next point is…” or “The second reason is…”

• Implicit transitions

Connections between ideas that the audience must infer from the context, without a direct transition phrase.

• Transition phrase

A word or phrase that connects one idea to another, such as “however,” “therefore,” “in contrast,” or “additionally.”

• Internal previews

Statements within a speech that tell the audience what a speaker will discuss next.

• Pivot statements

Statements that shift the discussion from one idea, perspective, or argument to another. For example, “Although this approach has benefits, it also creates serious problems.”

• Extempore

Speaking with preparation and knowledge of the topic but without reading a fully written speech word for word. An extemporaneous speaker typically uses notes or an outline.

• Rhetorical situation

The circumstances surrounding communication, including the speaker, audience, purpose, message, context, and constraints.

• Exigence (exigency)

An issue, problem, or situation that creates a need for communication or action. For example, a public health crisis may create an exigence for a public announcement.

• Constraints

Factors that limit or shape what a speaker can say or accomplish, such as time, audience expectations, social norms, laws, or available evidence.

• Agency

The ability or capacity to act, make choices, and influence a situation.

• Free will vs. determination

Free will is the idea that people can make choices independently; determination, or determinism, is the idea that choices and actions are shaped or caused by prior conditions, forces, or circumstances.

• Normative

Relating to what people should do or what is considered right, appropriate, or acceptable, rather than simply describing what people actually do.

• Deliberation

The process of carefully considering options, evidence, consequences, and different viewpoints before making a decision.

• Rightness-of-fit

How well an argument, action, or response fits the particular situation, audience, values, and circumstances. An argument may be effective in one context but inappropriate in another.

• Ethos

An appeal based on the speaker's credibility, character, or trustworthiness. Example

• Pathos

An appeal to the audience's emotions, feelings, or values. Example

• Logos

An appeal based on reasoning, logic, facts, and evidence. Example

• True rhetoric

In some rhetorical theories, rhetoric understood as a responsible, ethical practice of engaging with others through reasons and dialogue rather than merely manipulating them. The precise meaning depends on the course or author using the term.

• Motivated sequence

Usually refers to Monroe's Motivated Sequence, a persuasive speaking structure designed to move an audience toward action. It has five steps

Five steps of Motivated Sequence

1) Attention — gain the audience's interest, 2) Need — establish a problem. 3) Satisfaction — propose a solution. 4) Visualization — show the consequences of the solution or of failing to act. 5) Action — ask the audience to do something.

• Affect

The experience or expression of emotion, feeling, or mood. In rhetoric, affect can shape how people respond to messages and arguments.

• Entailment

A relationship in which one statement logically follows from another. If a conclusion is entailed by its premises, accepting those premises requires accepting that conclusion, assuming the reasoning is valid.

• Premise

A statement offered as a reason or starting point for an argument. Example

• Warrant

The underlying reasoning or assumption that connects evidence to a claim. Example

• Support

The reasons, facts, examples, or evidence used to strengthen a claim.

• Empirical evidence

Evidence gathered through observation, experimentation, measurement, or experience rather than relying solely on speculation or opinion.

• Non-artistic proofs

In classical rhetoric, evidence that a speaker does not create primarily through rhetorical skill, such as documents, laws, records, contracts, or witness testimony. The speaker uses these existing forms of evidence to support an argument.

• Correlation

A relationship in which two variables change or occur together in some pattern. Correlation alone does not prove that one variable causes the other.

• Causation

A relationship in which one factor contributes to or produces a change in another factor. Establishing causation requires more than simply showing that two things are related.

• Statistical evidence

Numerical information, such as percentages, averages, survey results, or rates, used to support a claim.

Example of correlation vs. causation

Ice cream sales and swimming accidents may both increase in summer. They are correlated, but ice cream sales do not necessarily cause swimming accidents. Warmer weather may help explain both.

• Consensus

General agreement among people about an issue, decision, or belief. Consensus does not necessarily mean every person agrees completely.

• Dissensus

Disagreement or the continued existence of different perspectives. Dissensus can be productive because it encourages people to question assumptions and consider alternatives.

• Doxa

Commonly accepted beliefs or opinions within a group. These shared beliefs often shape what the group considers reasonable or persuasive.

• Commonplaces

Familiar ideas, shared assumptions, or recurring themes that people use as starting points for discussion and argument. In rhetoric, commonplaces can help an audience connect a new argument to what it already believes.

• Representation

The way an idea, person, group, event, or issue is portrayed through language, images, symbols, or other forms of communication.

• Presence or vividness

The rhetorical technique of making an idea, person, or issue feel immediate, concrete, or significant to an audience. A vivid example or detailed story can make an abstract issue seem more real.

• Conditioning

The process through which repeated experiences, messages, rewards, or social influences shape someone's habits, expectations, beliefs, or responses.

• Argumentation

The process of presenting and evaluating claims, reasons, and evidence in order to support a position, reach a decision, or examine a disagreement.

• Logic

The study and practice of reasoning, including how conclusions follow from premises and whether arguments are valid or contain reasoning errors.

• Warrant

The reasoning that connects a premise or piece of evidence to a claim. It helps explain why the evidence supports the conclusion.

• Starting point

The initial claim, assumption, question, or shared belief from which an argument begins.

• Premise

A statement used as a reason to support a conclusion.

• Commonplace

A widely recognized idea, value, or assumption that can serve as a starting point for an argument.

• Good reasons

Reasons that are relevant, adequately supported, logically connected to the claim, and appropriate to the situation. A good reason should withstand reasonable questioning.

• Listening

Actively paying attention to another person's argument to understand their reasoning, evidence, concerns, and perspective before responding.

• Interruption

Breaking into another person's speech before they have finished. In dialogue, interruptions can prevent understanding, although a brief interruption may sometimes be necessary to clarify a point or address an urgent concern.

• Entailment

The logical relationship in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the statements supporting it.

Ethos, pathos, logos

Credibility, emotion, reasoning

Doxa vs worldview

Shared community beliefs vs. an individual's broader perspective

Consensus vs dissensus

Agreement vs. continuing disagreement

Monologic vs dialogic

One-sided communication vs. interactive exchange

Premise, warrant, support contrast

Starting reason vs. connecting logic vs. evidence or material backing a claim

Correlation, causation

Variables are related vs. one factor contributes to producing another

Explicit vs implicit transitions

Directly stated connections vs. connections the audience infers

Agency vs free will

Capacity to act or influence events vs. the philosophical question of freedom in decision-making

Exigence vs constraints

What makes communication necessary vs. what limits or shapes it

Commonplace vs stasis

Shared starting assumption vs. the central point of disagreement