lang

Assertion: a declaration or statement

Cause/Effect: two events where one event brings about or causes the other; the first event is the

cause, the second is the effect; it explains why something happens or is likely to happen

Coherent: logically connected

Compare/Contrast: the process of identifying similarities and differences between things

Condescending: treating people as weak or inferior

Connotation: the moods/associations/implications of a word or phrase, as opposed to its exact

meaning

Denotation: the literal meaning of a word; the dictionary definition

Diction: the particular words an author uses in an essay

Discourse: verbal expression or exchange; conversation

Disingenuous: not straightforward; crafty

Eloquence: the ability to speak vividly or persuasively

Emphasize: to give special attention to something; to stress

Ethos: appeal based on the character of the speaker

Implication: the act of suggesting or hinting

Integrity: trustworthiness; completeness

Logos: appeal based on logic or reason

Pathos: an appeal to emotion; one of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by

Aristotle

Plausible: seemingly valid or acceptable; credible

Rhetoric: the art of using language effectively and persuasively

Rhetorical Question: a question whose answer is assumed; this is designed to force the reader to

respond in a predetermined manner and is a significant tool in the study of rhetoric

Rhetorical Triangle: author, audience, purpose

Simile: a statement using 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike objects

Slippery Slope: this fallacy of argumentation argues that one thing inevitably leads to another

Straw Man: this occurs when a person engaging in an argument defines his opponent's position

when the opponent is not present and defines it in a manner that is easy to attack