English Rhetoric Test - Final List

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