Rhetoric Test
Parallelism: in which parts of a sentence or multiple sentences are grammatically similar or identical in structure, sound, meaning, or meter.
Hypophora: in which a speaker poses a question and then immediately answers it themselves.
Repetition: in which words, phrases, sounds, or ideas are repeated for emphasis and effect.
Figurative speech: uses non-literal expressions to convey meanings, create effects, or enhance writing.
Tricolon: that involves using a series of three parallel elements—such as words, phrases, or clauses—in a sentence or passage.
Polysyndeton: characterized by the deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses in a series.
Juxtaposition: in which two or more contrasting elements—such as ideas, characters, settings, or themes—are placed close together or side by side for the purpose of highlighting their differences or creating a more complex understanding.
Allusion: in which a speaker or writer makes a reference to a person, place, event, work of literature, or other cultural element, often indirectly.
Incongruity: where there’s a mismatch between what is expected and what actually occurs.
Reversal: where the usual order or expected outcome is turned upside down.
Parody: humorously imitates or exaggerates the style, tone, or content of another work, genre, or individual.
Satire: uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize or mock individuals, institutions, or societal norms.
Sarcasm: involves making a statement in which the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning of the words used.
Ambiguity: where a statement or phrase has multiple meanings or interpretations, often intentionally.
Dramatic Irony: where the audience or readers know more about a situation, event, or piece of information than the characters within the story.
Situational Irony: where there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs.
Verbal Irony: in which a speaker says something but means the opposite, or something quite different from what is literally expressed.
Understatement: where a speaker deliberately downplays or minimizes the significance of something, often to create a subtle effect or highlight the true extent of a situation by contrast.
Hyperbole: involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Persuasion: the act of convincing someone to adopt a particular belief, attitude, or course of action.
Rhetorical Question: a question posed not to elicit an actual response, but to make a point or provoke thought.
Pedantic: An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish; using big words for the sake of using big words.
Aphorism: characterized by a concise, clever, and often memorable statement that expresses a general truth, principle, or observation about life.
Apostrophe: A figure of speech that directly addresses and absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer.
Caricature: a visual or verbal depiction that exaggerates certain features, traits, or aspects of a person, group, or situation for comedic or critical effect.
Chiasmus: in which two or more clauses or phrases are balanced against each other by reversing their structure.
Didactic: that is intended to instruct, teach, or provide guidance on moral, ethical, or educational matters.
Euphemism: where a mild or indirect word or expression is used in place of a more direct, harsh, or blunt one.
Homily: that is typically delivered as part of a religious service or sermon.
Metonymy: where one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.
Zeugma: in which a single word, often a verb or adjective, governs or modifies two or more words, though these words typically have different meanings or contexts.
Litotes: that involves making an understatement by using double negatives or negating the opposite to emphasize a point.
Diction: refers to the choice of words and style of expression used by a writer or speaker.
Syntax: The way sentences are grammatically constructed.
Anadiplosis: where the last word or phrase of one clause or sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next clause or sentence.
Synecdoche: in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or the whole is used to represent a part.
Syllogism: a form of logical reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed premises.
Loose sentence/non-periodic sentence: a type of sentence in which the main clause or principal idea comes first, followed by one or more subordinate or additional clauses.
Periodic sentence: a sentence structure in which the main clause or principal idea is delayed until the end of the sentence.
Asyndeton: where conjunctions are deliberately omitted from a series of related clauses or phrases.
Tropes: that involve the use of language in non-literal ways to convey meaning or create a specific effect.
Rhetoric: the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous.
Propaganda: a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of people, often by presenting information in a biased or misleading way.
Polemical: refers to a style of writing or speech that is strongly critical, controversial, or argumentative, often designed to challenge or refute a particular idea, opinion, or position.
Apologists: are those who defend their beliefs against polemicists.
Colloquialism: a local or regional dialect (“y'all" or "gonna" ) not used in formal speech.
Dialect: A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a way of speaking that differs from the standard variety of the language.
Vernacular: the language (spoken) of a particular group, profession, region.
Antimetabole: (a type of chiasmus but using exact words) A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the words in reverse grammatical order.
Archaic Diction: archaism – the use of older, outdated words and expressions.
Hortative: a sentence meant to encourage, to cheer someone on, or a call to action “Keep going!” “ You can do anything.”.
Imperative: a sentence that gives instruction or advice or command.
Interrogative: a sentence that asks a question.
Inversion: the different arrangement (syntax) of words from the normal subject-verb arrangement.
Synesthesia: describing a sensual impression using a different sense or transferring one sensory function on to another.
Anecdote: A personal story or brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point.
Logos: relies on logic and reason to persuade an audience.
Ethos: refers to the credibility or ethical appeal of the speaker or writer.
Pathos: to appeal to the audience's emotions.
Parallelism: in which parts of a sentence or multiple sentences are grammatically similar or identical in structure, sound, meaning, or meter.
Hypophora: in which a speaker poses a question and then immediately answers it themselves.
Repetition: in which words, phrases, sounds, or ideas are repeated for emphasis and effect.
Figurative speech: uses non-literal expressions to convey meanings, create effects, or enhance writing.
Tricolon: that involves using a series of three parallel elements—such as words, phrases, or clauses—in a sentence or passage.
Polysyndeton: characterized by the deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses in a series.
Juxtaposition: in which two or more contrasting elements—such as ideas, characters, settings, or themes—are placed close together or side by side for the purpose of highlighting their differences or creating a more complex understanding.
Allusion: in which a speaker or writer makes a reference to a person, place, event, work of literature, or other cultural element, often indirectly.
Incongruity: where there’s a mismatch between what is expected and what actually occurs.
Reversal: where the usual order or expected outcome is turned upside down.
Parody: humorously imitates or exaggerates the style, tone, or content of another work, genre, or individual.
Satire: uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize or mock individuals, institutions, or societal norms.
Sarcasm: involves making a statement in which the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning of the words used.
Ambiguity: where a statement or phrase has multiple meanings or interpretations, often intentionally.
Dramatic Irony: where the audience or readers know more about a situation, event, or piece of information than the characters within the story.
Situational Irony: where there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs.
Verbal Irony: in which a speaker says something but means the opposite, or something quite different from what is literally expressed.
Understatement: where a speaker deliberately downplays or minimizes the significance of something, often to create a subtle effect or highlight the true extent of a situation by contrast.
Hyperbole: involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Persuasion: the act of convincing someone to adopt a particular belief, attitude, or course of action.
Rhetorical Question: a question posed not to elicit an actual response, but to make a point or provoke thought.
Pedantic: An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish; using big words for the sake of using big words.
Aphorism: characterized by a concise, clever, and often memorable statement that expresses a general truth, principle, or observation about life.
Apostrophe: A figure of speech that directly addresses and absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer.
Caricature: a visual or verbal depiction that exaggerates certain features, traits, or aspects of a person, group, or situation for comedic or critical effect.
Chiasmus: in which two or more clauses or phrases are balanced against each other by reversing their structure.
Didactic: that is intended to instruct, teach, or provide guidance on moral, ethical, or educational matters.
Euphemism: where a mild or indirect word or expression is used in place of a more direct, harsh, or blunt one.
Homily: that is typically delivered as part of a religious service or sermon.
Metonymy: where one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.
Zeugma: in which a single word, often a verb or adjective, governs or modifies two or more words, though these words typically have different meanings or contexts.
Litotes: that involves making an understatement by using double negatives or negating the opposite to emphasize a point.
Diction: refers to the choice of words and style of expression used by a writer or speaker.
Syntax: The way sentences are grammatically constructed.
Anadiplosis: where the last word or phrase of one clause or sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next clause or sentence.
Synecdoche: in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or the whole is used to represent a part.
Syllogism: a form of logical reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed premises.
Loose sentence/non-periodic sentence: a type of sentence in which the main clause or principal idea comes first, followed by one or more subordinate or additional clauses.
Periodic sentence: a sentence structure in which the main clause or principal idea is delayed until the end of the sentence.
Asyndeton: where conjunctions are deliberately omitted from a series of related clauses or phrases.
Tropes: that involve the use of language in non-literal ways to convey meaning or create a specific effect.
Rhetoric: the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous.
Propaganda: a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of people, often by presenting information in a biased or misleading way.
Polemical: refers to a style of writing or speech that is strongly critical, controversial, or argumentative, often designed to challenge or refute a particular idea, opinion, or position.
Apologists: are those who defend their beliefs against polemicists.
Colloquialism: a local or regional dialect (“y'all" or "gonna" ) not used in formal speech.
Dialect: A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a way of speaking that differs from the standard variety of the language.
Vernacular: the language (spoken) of a particular group, profession, region.
Antimetabole: (a type of chiasmus but using exact words) A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the words in reverse grammatical order.
Archaic Diction: archaism – the use of older, outdated words and expressions.
Hortative: a sentence meant to encourage, to cheer someone on, or a call to action “Keep going!” “ You can do anything.”.
Imperative: a sentence that gives instruction or advice or command.
Interrogative: a sentence that asks a question.
Inversion: the different arrangement (syntax) of words from the normal subject-verb arrangement.
Synesthesia: describing a sensual impression using a different sense or transferring one sensory function on to another.
Anecdote: A personal story or brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point.
Logos: relies on logic and reason to persuade an audience.
Ethos: refers to the credibility or ethical appeal of the speaker or writer.
Pathos: to appeal to the audience's emotions.