Exam Prep 2012

English 9 Hock

Rhetoric

art of analyzing all of the language choices a writer makes to be meaningful and effective

Rhetorical question

asked for emphasis; does not expect a response

Simile

comparison of two unlike things using like or as.

Personification

giving human qualities to animals or objects

Pathos

a rhetorical appeal to an audience’s emotions

Anaphora

deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses,

clauses, or paragraphs.

Alliteration

repetition of initial (first) sounds in a series of words

Idiom

an expression (figure of speech) that does not mean what it literally says.

Logical Fallacy

incorrect argumentation in logic and rhetoric resulting in a lack of validity, or more

generally, a lack of soundness

Logos

a rhetorical appeal to logic or reason

Parallelism/Parallel Structure

balanced components within a line, a paragraph, or a larger unit of composition

Synaesthesia

a strong piece of imagery that combines two or more senses

Hyperbole

exaggeration or overstatement

Onomatopoeia

a word that imitates the sound it represents

Emotive

____________ words: evoke an emotional response

Statistics

numbers/percentages used to make an impression

Repetition

repeating lines or a piece of a line for effect

Metaphor

comparison of two unlike things without using like or as.

Antithesis

positioning one term against another for emphasis; pointing out opposites

(sometimes extremes) to make a point (sometimes using “not X, but Y” structure)

Pattern of Three

often used in political speeches for rhythmic purposes; listing three components within a

line, a paragraph, or a larger unit

Symbol

an object or action that means more than its literal meaning

Allusion

reference to well-known historical person/event or literary character/work

Tone

mood or attitude expressed in a work

ethos

a rhetorical appeal to the credibility of the author