AP LANG

the art of speaking/writing effectively and persuasively to inform, motivate, or influence an audience

rhetoric

form

the "how" (the structure, style, and physical or logical execution)

content

the "what" (the substance, message, or subject matter)

audience

the specific group of readers, listeners, or viewers that a writer or speaker is trying to reach and influence

context, time, place, occasion

core components of the Rhetorical Situation that explain why a text or speech was created and how it works

Purpose

the writer's reason for composing a text—the specific goal, effect, or outcome the writer hopes to achieve with a particular audience within a given context

bias

a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward a particular perspective, value, or outcome.

thesis, claim, assertion

a hierarchies of argument.They move from the overarching argument of an entire essay down to individual supporting statements (3 words)

subject

the general topic, idea, or focus of a text

speaker

the individual, group, or constructed persona who creates and delivers a text or speech

persona

the deliberate character, role, or voice a writer or speaker adopts to connect with a specific audience, shaped by the rhetorical situation

rhetorical triangle

a model of persuasion that illustrates the relationship between the speaker, the audience, and the subject (or text), rooted in the three appeals defined by Aristotle: ethos, pathos, and logos

ethos

credibility Why should I trust this speaker?

logos

logic What evidence or reasoning supports the claim?

pathos

emotion What feelings or values is the speaker trying to evoke?

the author's or speaker's attitude toward their subject, audience, or both

tone

cynical

Assumes people are motivated by selfishness or dishonesty.

exigence

the specific event, problem, or catalyst that prompts a writer or speaker to create a text

paradigm

a typical example, model, or a broad framework of assumptions, values, and thought patterns that shapes how a group or discipline understands reality.

arrangement

the structure, organization, and order of parts in a text or speech

speaker, purpose, audience, context, exigence, choices, appeals, tone

SPACE CAT

Narration

Tells a story or describes a sequence of events.

• Events, characters, a beginning and an end

Description

Uses sensory details to create a picture of something.

• Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, imagery

Exemplification

Explains an idea using specific examples.

• Examples that support a general claim

Definition

Explains the meaning of a word, concept, or idea

• what something means or how it’s understood

Classification and division

Organizes information into categories or beaks a topic into parts

• groups, types, categories, components

Compare and contrast

explains similarities and/or differences between subjects

• words like similarly, unlike, whereas, and in contrast

Cause and Effect

Explains why something happens and/or what results from it

• reasons, consequences, results

Process analysis

Explains how something works or how to do something step by step

• instructions, stages, or a sequence of steps

Argumentation

Makes a claim and supports it with reasoning and evidence to persuade the audience

• a position, evidence, logic, counterarguments

Persuasion

attempts to convince an audience to believe something or take action

• appeals to emotions, credibility, or logic