AP language rhetorical devices / strategies

anecdote

a short personal story ; personalizes facts, provides eyewitness testimony ; PATHOS

rhetorical question

questions that are asked of the reader ; invites the reader to answer and get involved, makes an inference ; LOGOS or PATHOS

citations

quotations ; provides expert opinion or eyewitness testimony ; LOGOS or ETHOS

allusion

reference to a well-known piece of art or literature ; evokes a sense of history or a long held belief ; ETHOS or PATHOS

analogies (metaphor or similie)

comparing two things ; makes an unfamiliar topic more familiar and accessible, increases imagery ; PATHOS or LOGOS

personification

giving human traits to a non-human item ; increases emotion, connection or understanding in a situation that otherwise might be dry ; PATHOS

hypothesis / speculation

guesses or predictions about future outcomes ; lets the author suggest implications, predict what will happen next ; LOGOS

hyperbole

exaggeration for dramatic purposes ; used for irony or to point out absurdity ; PATHOS or LOGOS

irony

when the opposite of what is expected happens ; used for humor, can point out flaws in logic ; PATHOS or LOGOS

cliche

an overused statement, totally unoriginal ; often deconstructed, or used to reveal irony and logical inconsistencies ; LOGOS or PATHOS

qualification

adds more info to soften a strong or harsh opinion ; allows the author to make controversial statements without alienating a reader ; LOGOS

generalization

speaking about large groups or people, trends, or broad categories ; another prediction strategy that allows the reader to anticipate outcomes of events or situations based on “what everyone else does” ; LOGOS

concession / acknowledgement

admission that at least part of the opposing point of view is correct ; umbrella strategy that brings all points of view together ; LOGOS or ETHOS

first person point of view

I , me , we , us , our ; personalizes content, can let readers identify more with the author ; PATHOS

second person point of view

you ; puts the reader in the content, but not the author ; PATHOS

third person point of view

he , she , they , it , them ; less personal, allows the author to present information that may be upsetting in a neutral way ; LOGOS or ETHOS

perspective ( micro vs macro )

organized strategy moving either from the personal and small scale to the broad large scale, or from the world view to the individual ; provides multiple contexts for the authors perspective ; LOGOS, ETHOS, or PATHOS

history

explains the other events outside the topic being discussed that may have had an impact or been a result of the topic ; gives context and relates the topic to other ideas, creates connections ; ETHOS or LOGOS

word play / puns

using similar sounding words or varied interesting vocabulary ; shows emphasis and humor, indicated that the author believes a point is important in some way ; PATHOS

repetition / parallel structure

repetition of words, phrasing, or whole sentences ; indicates importance to the author, makes themes more memorable ; LOGOS or PATHOS

numbers

data, statistics, or specific facts ; provides evidence that is generally irrefutable (cannot be contradicted / disproved) ; LOGOS