Rhetorical Terms #3

Ad Hominem Argument

• An argument attacking an individual’s character rather than his or her position on an issue.

Anaphora

• The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences.

Antithesis

• The juxtaposition of two opposing ideas, whether in a sentence, paragraph, etc.

Claim

• The thesis or main point of an essay or argument.

Cumulative Sentence

• A sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases.

Didactic

• Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing

Ethos

• Establishing the integrity of the speaker.

Fallacy

• An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid.

Grounds

• In Toulmin logic, the material that a writer uses to support a claim

Mood

• The emotional atmosphere of a work.

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical elements within a sentence or sentences. NOTE:With parallel structure, the reader can quickly process information and see relationships between ideas. Strong writers use parallel structure to organize words, phrases, clauses, and even whole essays to guide readers through their ideas.

Pathos

Periodic Sentence

• A long sentence, marked by suspended syntax, in which the sense is not completed until the final word--usually with an emphatic climax.

Polysyndeton

The use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

• A logical fallacy that involves looking back at two events that occurred in chronological sequence and wrongly assuming that the first event caused the second.

Qualifier

• Indicates the strength of the leap from the data to the warrant and may limit how universally the claim applies.

Rebuttal

• Despite the careful construction of the argument, there may still be counter-arguments that can be used.

Style

• The choices a writer makes regarding diction, point of view, syntax, figurative language, and organization.

Syntax

• The manner in which words are arranged into sentences.

Warrant

• In Toulmin logic, the inference that connects the claim to the grounds.

Zeugma

• A construction in which one word is used in two different senses.

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• "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way."

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• A teenager to her parents: “everybody is doing it; why can’t I”

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• Three out of four dentists approve CREST toothpaste

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• "The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end."

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• A baby turtle breaks free from the leathery shell of its egg, catching its first glimpse of its first sunrise. It pauses a moment to rest, unaware of the danger that lies so close to it. As the tide comes in, approaching the nest, it also approaches a small pile of metal - cesium. The water draws closer and closer, the turtle unsuspecting of the danger. Finally, the water touches the cesium. The nest is torn to bits in the resulting explosion, destroying even more of an endangered species.

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• Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.

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• There is a support desk that deals with technical problems.

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• There was much game hanging outside the shops, and the snow powdered in the fur of the foxes and the wind blew their tails. The deer hung stiff and heavy and empty, and small birds blew in the wind and the wind turned their feathers. It was a cold fall and the wind came down from the mountains.”

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• A prosecutor asks the judge to not admit the testimony of a burglar because burglars are not trustworthy.

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• A hearing aid helps most people to hear better.

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• Separate consecutive terms of imprisonment imposed upon a defendant who has been convicted of two or more distinct offenses; any term of imprisonment that becomes effective subsequent to the expiration of a prior one.

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• A prosecutor asks the judge to not admit the testimony of a burglar because burglars are not trustworthy.

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• Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering--and it's all over much too soon.

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• Over 70% of all people over 65 years have a hearing difficulty.

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• "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

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• Separate consecutive terms of imprisonment imposed upon a defendant who has been convicted of two or more distinct offenses; any term of imprisonment that becomes effective subsequent to the expiration of a prior one.

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• You should use a hearing aid.