ad hominem
latin for ‘to the man’
This fallacy refers to the specific diversionary tactic of switching the argument from switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker.
ad populum
latin for ‘bandwagon appeal’
This fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to ‘everyone’s doing it, it must be a good thing to do.’
Alliteration
repetition of a consonant sounds at the beginning several words or syllables in a sequence
Allusion
A brief reference to a person, event, place, or work of art
Usually from
Bible
Mythology
Shakespeare
Analogy
A comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things.
Often uses something simple or familiar to explain something complex and unfamiliar.
Anaphora
Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or lines
Concession
An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or may be reasonable.
In a strong argument, concession is often paired with refutation
Counterargument
Opposing argument to the one the writer is putting forward
Anecdote
Brief story used to illustrate a point or claim
Closed Thesis
A statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews what the writer intends to make.
Connotation
meanings beyond the dictionary definition
Usually evokes heavy emotion
Ethos
Greek for character
Speakers appeal to ethos to show credibility and trustworthiness within a certain subject
Established by who you are and what you say
Pathos
Greek for suffering or experience
Speakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience
Specific appeals may play on their values,desires, and hopes of the audience or their fears and prejudices
Logos
Greek for embodied thought
Speakers appeal to reason by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back them up
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis
To produce ironic or comic effect
Understatement
A figure of speech where something is presented as less important, urgent, dire, good, etc. than it actually is.
Often used for satirical or comical effect
Juxtaposition
The placement of two things close to each other to emphasize similarities or differences
Purpose
The goal the speaker would like to achieve
Polysyndetotn
The use of multiple conjunctions to emphasize the meaning
Refutation
Denial of the validity of an opposing argument
In order to sound reasonable, it often follows a concession.
Persona
Greek for mask; the face or character that as speakers shows to his or her audience
Bias
A prejudice, or preconceived notion that prevents a person from approaching a topic in a neutral or objective way.
Syllogism
Logical system uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion
Asyndeton
The omission of conjunctions between phrases or words
Archaic Diction
Old fashioned or outdated choices of words
Deduction
Logical process wherein you reach a conclusion by starting with a general principle. Using a major premise and applying it to a minor premise, in the process of syllogism
Equivocation
A fallacy that uses a term with two or more meanings in an attempt to misrepresent or deceive
Saying equally good things about both sides of an argument
Polemic
Greek for hostile, an aggression argument that tries to reestablish the superiority of one opinion over all others. Generally don't concede that opposing arguments have any merit.
Qualitative Data
Includes things are not measured, for example describing the feeling of the sand, etc.
Quantitative Data
Includes things that are measured and cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers. For example, statistics, survey, polls, census information in others words data
Enthymeme
A syllogism with one of the premises removed. It is simply understood.
Trope
An idea, phrase or image that is often used, it is a common motif or pattern.
Syntax
Arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences, It includes word order length and structure of sentences and such elements as parallelism juxtaposition and antithesis
Synecdoche
Type of metaphor where a metaphor represents the whole, occasionally gets used whole represents a part
Propaganda
Spread of ideas and information to further a cause, in its negative sense propaganda is the use of rumors, lies, disinformation, and scare tactics in order to damage or promote a cause.
Satire
Use of irony or sarcasm to critique society or an individual
Rhetorical Question
A figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than the purpose of getting an answer
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
Latin for After which therefore because of which; a fallacy in latin. Just because it happened earlier that can’t happen afterwards
Paradox
A statement or situation that is seemingly contradictory on the surface but that seemingly delivers an ironic truth.
Rhetoric
Aristotle defined rhetoric as the faculty of observing, in any given case, the available means of persuasion.
It is the art of finding ways of persuading the audience, the art of finding ways to persuade an audience.
Antithesis
Opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a parallel construction.
Chiasmus
Two part sentence or phrase where the second part is a reversal of the first.
Colloquial Diction
Informal word choice used at a particular time; slang
Jargon
Terminology that is specific to a particular area of study or interest
Vernacular
word choice derived from particular region
Denotation
The literal or dictionary definition of the word
Epizeuxis
Type of repetition, single word that is repeated multiple times
Euphemism
A word or phrase used in place of one that may be unpleasant or offensive
Litotes
Its form of verbal irony in which understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to affirm a positive for effect
Oxymoron
Paradox made up of two seemingly contradictory words
Syllepsis
Figure of a speech in which a word is applied to a two others in different senses