Rhetoric Quiz #1

Ad Hominem

An argument based on the personal or character failings of an adversary rather than on the merits of the case.

Allegory

A narrative in which objects, persons, and actions in a text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text.

Alliteration

The repetition of an initial consonant sound in a series of words.

Allusion

A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event—real or fictional.

Ambiguity

The presence of two or more possible meanings in a passage.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, (Similes Metaphor) often for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Anachronism

Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time.

Antecedent

The noun or noun phrase referred to by a pronoun.

Antithesis

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.

Aphorism

A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion.

Assonance

The identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.

Claim

An arguable statement which may be a claim of fact, value, or policy.

Clause

A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate.

Colloquial

Characteristic of writing that seeks the effect of informal spoken language.

Concession

An argumentative strategy by which a speaker or writer acknowledges the validity of an opponent’s point.

Connotation

The emotional implications and associations that a word may carry.

Coordination

The grammatical connection of two or more ideas to give them equal emphasis and importance.

Deduction

A method of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises.

Denotation

The direct or dictionary meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.

Dialect

A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, and/or vocabulary.

Epitaph

A short inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone or monument.

Ethos

A persuasive appeal based on the projected character of the speaker or narrator.