AP Lang Rhetorics 1

Credibility: The trustworthiness or believability of a speaker or writer, often established through expertise, tone, or reputation.

Emotion: The use of language to appeal to the audience's feelings to persuade or connect with them.

Logic: Reasoning based on evidence and clear principles to support an argument or conclusion.

Simile: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as."

Metaphor: A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by saying one is the other.

Analogy: A comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Anecdote: A short, personal story used to illustrate a point or engage the audience.

Allusion: An indirect reference to a well-known person, event, text, or cultural element.

Illustrate: To clarify or explain something by providing examples or imagery.

Clarify: To make an idea or statement easier to understand by elaborating or simplifying.

Set a mood: To establish a particular emotional atmosphere or tone in writing.

Exemplify: To show or represent something clearly through examples.

Associate: To connect ideas or concepts in the reader's mind to reinforce meaning or argument.

Amplify: To expand upon an idea or point for emphasis or deeper understanding.

Synthesis: Combining ideas from multiple sources to form a coherent, unified argument.

Attribution: The act of crediting a source or author when referencing their ideas or words.

Complexity: The presence of multiple, often conflicting, layers of meaning or perspectives in an issue.

Oversimplification: Reducing a complex issue to a simple, often misleading explanation.

Generalization: A broad statement made about a group or concept based on limited evidence.

Absolute term: A word that leaves no room for exception, such as "always," "never," or "everyone."

Qualify: To limit or refine a claim by acknowledging exceptions or conditions.

Invalid argument: A claim that lacks logical consistency or is not supported by sound reasoning.

Perspective: A particular point of view or attitude toward a subject.

Counterargument: An opposing viewpoint presented to challenge or refute the main argument.

Deductive reasoning: A logical process where a general principle leads to a specific conclusion.

Inductive reasoning: Drawing a general conclusion based on specific observations or evidence.

Causal reasoning: Explaining events or phenomena by identifying a cause-and-effect relationship.

Comparative reasoning: Drawing conclusions or making arguments by comparing similarities or differences between two or more things.

Illogical / specious arguments: Reasoning that appears logical at first but is actually flawed or deceptive.

Non sequitur: A conclusion that does not logically follow from the preceding statement or argument.

Deductive flaw: An error in reasoning where the conclusion does not logically follow from the general premise.

Inductive flaw: A faulty generalization made from insufficient or unrepresentative evidence.

Either-or fallacy: Presenting only two options when more possibilities exist, often in a way that misleads.

Causal fallacy: Incorrectly assuming a cause-and-effect relationship without sufficient evidence.

Comparative flaw: Making a flawed comparison that lacks relevance or equivalence.

Overgeneralization: Making a sweeping statement that applies broadly without enough evidence.

Ad hominem: Attacking the person rather than the argument they are making.

Red herring fallacy: Introducing an irrelevant topic to distract from the original issue.

Coherence: The logical and consistent connection of ideas in writing, making it easy to follow.

Parallel structure: Using the same grammatical pattern in a series of elements to create rhythm and clarity.

Juxtaposition: Placing two contrasting ideas or images next to each other to highlight differences or create effect.

Sensory language: Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses to create vivid imagery.