ENGLISH 3 AP Rhetorical Strategies

juxtaposition

Stark contrast / opposing things

paradox

contradicting ideas (irony)

repetition

multiple / over and over

sensory imagery

Descriptive language appealing to sight, sound, touch, taste, smell

anecdotes

Short personal or real-life story used to support a point

sound devices

Use of alliteration, assonance, etc. for effect

comparison: metaphor/simile

Metaphor = direct comparison;

simile = comparison using like/as

[adjective] diction

Word choice (e.g., formal, colloquial, emotional, etc.)

antithesis

Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in parallel structure

allusion

Reference to history, literature, religion, culture

expert testimony

Quoting or referencing authority

statistical data

Numerical evidence to support claims

understatement

Downplaying significance for effect

overstatement

Exaggerating for emphasis

hyperbole

Extreme Exaggeration

litotes

Affirming by negating the opposite (e.g. “not bad”)

anaphora

Repetition of words/phrases at the beginnings of clauses

asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions for effect

polysyndeton

Overuse of conjunctions

synecdoche

Part representing whole or whole for part

metonymy

Substitution of something closely related

parallelism

Repetition of grammatical structure

chiasmus

Reversal of grammatical structures (AB —> BA)

oxymoron

Contradictory terms paired together

generalization

Broad statement drawn from specifics

reasoning

Logical connection between claims and evidence

jargon

Specialized language of a group

loaded language

Words with strong connotations

inclusive language

Use of we, us, our to unite speaker and audience

logos

Appeal to logic/reason

ethos

Appeal to credibility/character;
appeals to ethics

pathos

Appeal to emotion

concession

Acknowledging opposing viewpoint

counterargument

Addressing opposing viewpoint with rebuttal

simple sentence

One independent clause

complex sentence

Independent + dependent clause(s)

juxtaposition

juxtaposing, contrasting, contradicting

paradox

revealing,challenging,provoking

repetition

reinforcing,stressing,amplifying

sensory imagery

evoking, illustrating, immersing

anecdotes

recounting, personalizing, exemplifying

sound devices

emphasizing, reinforcing, dramatizing

comparison: metaphor/simile

equating, likening, illustrating

[adjective] diction

conveying, establishing, underscoring

antithesis

contrasting, balancing, sharpening

allusion

recalling, echoing, reinforcing

expert testimony

validating, substantiating, bolstering

statistical data

quantifying, substantiating, reinforcing

understatement

minimizing, trivializing, downplaying

overstatement

amplifying, dramatizing, heightening

hyperbole

exaggerating, emphasizing, magnifying

litotes

downplaying, understating, affirming indirectly

anaphora

emphasizing, reinforcing, unifying

asyndeton

accelerating, intensifying, streamlining

polysyndeton

slowing, accumulating, magnifying

synecdoche

representing,symbolizing,embodying

metonymy

substituting,symbolizing,associating

parallelism

balancing,reinforcing,strengthening

chiasmus

inverting,mirroring,emphasizing

oxymoron

juxtaposing,highlighting,paradoxically emphasizing

generalization

asserting,simplifying,overstating

reasoning

justifying,rationalizing,explaining

jargon

specifying,legitimizing,alienating

loaded language

provoking,inciting,stirring

inclusive language

uniting,including,appealing

logos

-appeals to logic

ethos

-appeals to credibility / ethics

pathos

-appeals to [SPECIFIC emotion]

concession

admitting, recognizing, granting

counterargument

refuting, challenging, rebutting

simple sentence

emphasizing clarity, isolating, highlighting

complex sentence

complicating, qualifying, developing