Rhetorical Terms Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering rhetorical terms, definitions, and sentence structures from English Assignment #2 notes.

Ad hominem argument

An argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue.

Allusion

A reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.

Anaphora

Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

Anecdote

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

Antithesis

A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced.

Aphorism

A concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.

Asyndeton

A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions ("They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.").

Balanced sentence

A sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast (George Orwell: "If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.").

Chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.").

Cliché

An expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off ("the time of my life, at the drop of a hat", etc.).

Colloquialism

Informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing.

Complex sentence

A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound sentence

A sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions.

Compound-complex sentence

A sentence with two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses.

Concrete details

Details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events.

Connotation

The implied or associative meaning of a word (slender vs. skinny; cheap vs. thrifty).

Declarative sentence

A sentence that makes a statement or declaration.

Deductive reasoning

Reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.).

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word.

Dialect

A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region ("Y'all" Southern dialect).

Diction

The word choices made by a writer (diction can be described as formal, semi-formal, ornate, informal, technical, etc.).

Didactic

Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing.