Common Logical Fallacies and Rhetorical Devices

Ad Hominem

Attack on the Person, something personal, irrelevant to the argument.

Slippery Slope

If something happens, something negative could happen as a result.

Strawman Argument

Purposely weakening/misrepresenting an argument to make yours look better.

False Dilemma

You are given 2 choices, one extreme and the other absurd, and forced to choose one of the two, when they are options in the middle.

False Cause

False reasoning, when you falsely assume something caused another thing because it preceded it.

False Authority

An unqualified source is used as a qualified one.

Red Herring

Distraction; using an irrelevant and unrelated argument to distract the other person.

Bandwagon Fallacy

Something is true just because everyone else says it's true.

Tu Quoque

If someone else's argument is wrong, that does not mean that your false argument is correct.

Hasty Generalization

When you conclude something from dubious reasons or generalizations, ex, stereotypes.

Logos

When you use logic and reasoning to gain support.

Pathos

When you target/evoke someone's emotions to win their support.

Ethos

When you establish credibility to persuade someone.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same starting consonant sound in nearby words.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.

Personification

Giving human traits to nonhuman things.

Metaphor

Direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as'.

Simile

Comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Rhyme Scheme

Pattern of end rhymes in a poem.

Enjambment

When a sentence or clause runs past the end of a line without punctuation.

Caesura

A strong pause within a line of poetry.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not meant to be answered.

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.

Parallel Structure

Repeating the same grammatical structure for balance and clarity.

Figurative Language

Use of metaphor, simile, personification, etc., to create vivid imagery.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect.

Allusion

Reference to a well-known story, event, person, or object.

Connotative Language

Words chosen for emotional or cultural meaning beyond the literal.

what do you use for poems and short stories?

quotation

what do you use for novels?

underline or italics

what do you use for paintings?

italics

how do you show a line is broken

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