AP Lang Rhetorical Terms #5

Epistrophe

Word + phrase repeated at the end of successive clauses, sentences, or verses

Ethos

Appeal to an author’s credibility/character to persuade an audience

Euphemism

Softening of a word

Euphony

Musically pleasant, agreeable language

Evidence

Factual information that supports a claim/argument

Examples

Illustration of a general description 

Exclamatory Sentences

Sentence that expresses strong emotion/excitement

Explication

Deep analysis that focuses on closely reading a text to explain its meaning

Explicit

Something that is clearly stated/directly expressed

Exposition

Introductory background info in a narrative

Extended Metaphor

Comparison between two unlike things that is developed over multiple lines/paragraphs 

Facts

Objective pieces of information that are verified with evidence

False Causality

Assuming a cause + effect relationship between two events w/o evidence

False Dilemma

Argument presents only two options when more alternatives exist

Figurative Language

Writing that goes beyond its literal meaning

Figures of Speech

Use of words/phrases in a non-literal way

Foreshadowing

Hints/clues about future events in a story

Formal Diction

Sophisticated style of writing/speaking using elevated vocabulary + strict grammar rules

Freight-Train Sentences

Lengthy sentences made up of short, independent clauses joined by conjunctions 

General To Particular

Broad statement that moves towards a specific example

Genre

Category of writing defined by form, style, and content

Gerund

Verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun

Humor

Rhetorical device used to evoke laughter/amusement

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration

Idioms

Phrase/expression with a non-literal meaning that is understood through common usage