Study Guide for Rhetoric Test - English 2

Vocabulary flashcards created from the English 2 Honors Rhetoric Test Study Guide, covering rhetorical devices, types of reasoning, logical fallacies, and key vocabulary words.

Rhetoric

The art of speaking or writing to persuade or influence people (Ethos, pathos, and logos are the basic components of a rhetorical argument).

Ethos

Appeals to credibility and trustworthiness.

Logos

Appeals to logic.

Pathos

Appeals to emotions.

Allusion

Referencing a well-known person, place, event, time, or work – connecting literature to works beyond itself.

Anaphora

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

Asyndeton

The absence of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses or words.

Polysyndeton

Repetition of conjunctions such as "and", "or", "for" and "but" in close succession, especially when most of them could be replaced with a comma.

Rhetorical questions

Any question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information.

Metaphor

Comparison of two unlike things without using "like" or "as".

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration to draw the reader’s attention to that exaggeration.

Synecdoche

Figure of speech in which the part of something is used to represent the whole.

Understatement

Intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.

Antithesis

Two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect.

Chiasmus

The second half of a phrase is in reverse order from the first part of the phrase.

Paralipsis

Pretending to omit something.

Parallelism (or parallel structure)

Similarity in structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.

Reasoning

To think, explain, justify, or argue logically. Reasoning allows a reader to better understand and make sense of information.

Inductive Reasoning

Begins with specific examples before leading into a general overview.

Deductive Reasoning

Begins with a general statement and ends with a narrower conclusion.

Causal Reasoning

Determines cause-and-effect relationships by using logic and facts.

Logical Fallacies

Common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim.

Ad hominem Fallacy

This fallacy appeals to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect and is marked by an attack on an opponent's character.

Bandwagon Appeal

A threat of rejection by one's peers (or peer pressure) substituted for evidence in an argument, or the phenomenon by which the growing success of something attracts more widespread support as more people perceive and are influenced by its increasing popularity.

Circular Argument

Occurs when the reasoner begins with the argument or point he or she is trying to end up with, and is a logical fallacy in which the premise of an argument assumes the conclusion to be true.

Non-Sequitur

A comment, an inference or information that does not logically follow from a premise or the conclusion.

Red Herring

The introduction of a topic not related to the subject at hand with the intention of distracting the audience or reader from the issue.

Condescending

Having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority.

Reverent

Feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.

Mournful

Feeling, expressing, or inducing sadness, regret, or grief.

Vibrant

Full of energy and enthusiasm.

Ecstatic

Feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.

Deter

Discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.

Inclusive

Not excluding any of the parties or groups involved in something.

Endeavor

Try hard to do or achieve something.