Argument Analysis Metalanguage: definition, purpose, example

alliteration

• repetition of initial consonant

• adds emphasis, draws attention to key ideas, memorable

• ‘Sydney’s slippery slide’

assonance

• repetition of vowel sounds

• adds emphasis, draws attention to key ideas, memorable

• ‘the elite meet-and-greet’

appeal

• persuades through emotional manipulation; targets interests and concerns

• triggers emotional response, evokes feelings of guilt, shame, fear or pride, honour satisfaction

• ‘Long-range weapons don’t discriminate, we are all a target’ (fear)

attack / derogatory technique

• means of criticising or opposing and individual or idea

• belittles opponents arguments, positions author’s arguments as better option

• 'Her comments are little more than adolescent gibberish’

anaphora

• repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of successive sentences

• elicits a strong emotion within audience, emphasises particular message

• ‘You are good. You are kind. You deserve love’

epistrophe

• repetition of a word/phrase at the end of successive sentences

• elicits a strong emotion within audience, emphasises particular message

• ‘I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth’

rhetorical question

• question that does not require an answer because answer is obvious

• implies anyone who disagrees is foolish, encourages audience to accept author’s answer

• ‘Is this really the best solution?’

modality

• words that indicate the degree of how im/possible something is

• high modality - decisive, adds to a direct tone. low modality - creates uncertainty.

• ‘It is almost certain that their concern is ingenuine.’

listing

• listing a number of connected items consecutively

• emphasises particular concept, audience perceives this as whole

• ‘Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia have voted in favour…’

comparison

• 2 things are compared to make a point

• highlights particular difference/similarity, audience focuses on juxtaposition and adopts author’s opinion

  • ‘Australia is the only country in the OECD where public funding goes to private schools. Should Australia get more funding when countries like Germany, UK and US don’t?’

statistical evidence

• usage of numbers and statistics as evidence

• establishes credibility, positions audience to adopt author’s point of view

• ‘The city’s 1.5 million households used over 500 billion litres of water’

rapport

• employed by author to establish a positive relationship with the author

• through this relationship, the audience is more likely to be receptive to their arguments

• ‘Wow, they have so much rizz’

cliche

• overused phrase, shows a lack of original thought

• can sway author by appealing to something familiar

• ‘I’m of the firm belief that people in glass house shouldn’t throw stones’

hyperbole

• exaggerations that aren’t meant to be taken literally

• despite knowing it’s an exaggeration, audience focuses on the subject of the exaggeration

• ‘They are trying to suck up your money

epithets (descriptive language)

• a compilation of (adjectives, senses etc) to describe something.

• encourages audience to view the particular subject with said description.

• ‘Their deplorable, foolish calculations…’

inclusive language

• language that includes the reader into the ‘group’

• creates solidarity; an us vs them mentality, audience believes their interests are aligned to the authors.

• ‘They don’t care about the impacts and certainly not us.’

humour

• quality of being amusing through sarcasm, satire, puns etc

• denigrates the subject, engaging and friendly tone, sways audience by letting them in on the joke

• ‘The government isn’t working hard, they’re more likely hardly working’

sarcasm

• use of irony to mock or show contempt, by implying the opposite of what is actually said.

• provides humour, undermines the validity of an argument

• ‘It’s absolutely amazing that we can construct a singular bus stop in a 5km radius.’

anecodotal evidence

• short and fun interesting story to illustrate a point

• audience views author as relatable, similar and realistic to them. more likely to adopt the argument

• I really hate homework. Yesterday, they gave me a 500-word essay to write'.’

connotations

• the general idea/feeling being invoked, beyond the literal word meaning

• author adds an additional layer of meaning that the audience is encouraged to consume and bolsters the argument

• e.g. ‘lanky vs slim’

expert opinion

• insight shared by someone who is knowledgable regarding the matter

• lends the author more credibility, presume they are intelligent and well-read.

• ‘According to Harvard study…

irony

• humour found in contradictory situations

• engenders support, encourages audience to see flimsy logic in an idea

• using social media to criticise the use of electronic devices.

formal language

• adhering to standard English; sophisticated, elaborate, precise

• sophisticated, authoritative style

• ‘sound educational

  principles in a supportive environment.’

informal language

• colloquial, everyday and slang terms

• establishes rapport with the audience, appeals to a sense of identity

• ‘She’ll be right mate’

imagery and figurative language

• use of images and metaphorical language to illustrate points

• can have an emotional impact and paints a word picture

• Citizenship was tossed around like confetti’

satire

• use of exaggeration to expose, criticise or ridicule

• makes a point in a humorous fashion, serves to mock or question a situation

• "Ah yes, nothing solves complex global issues faster than a hashtag and a strongly worded tweet."