rhetorical devices

Question 1

What is diction?

Answer 1

The choice of words used in speech or writing.

Example: ‘The student used elevated diction to respond to the complaint.’

Question 2

Define lexis.

Answer 2

The level of language consisting of vocabulary, as opposed to grammar or syntax.

Example: ‘The author used elevated lexis to create a more professional message.’

Question 3

What does ‘register’ refer to in writing?

Answer 3

The style the author chooses to use to convey his or her message.

Example: ‘The author’s tone was dripping with sarcasm.’

Question 4

What is syntax?

Answer 4

The arrangement of words in a sentence.

Question 5

What are figures of speech?

Answer 5

Various uses of language that depart from customary construction, order, or significance, such as metaphor, hyperbole, oxymoron, personification, etc.

Question 6

What is allegory?

Answer 6

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

Question 7

Define alliteration.

Answer 7

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables.

Question 8

What is an allusion?

Answer 8

A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.

Question 9

What does amplification mean in writing?

Answer 9

The action of enlarging upon or adding detail to a story or statement.

Question 10

What is an analogy?

Answer 10

Reasoning or arguing from parallel cases.

Question 11

Define anaphora.

Answer 11

A type of parallel structure that involves the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.

Question 12

What is an anecdote?

Answer 12

A short story that makes a point.

Question 13

What is antithesis?

Answer 13

The rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences.

Question 14

Fill in the blank: The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables is called _______.

Answer 14

[alliteration]

Question 15

What is Assonance?

Answer 15

The identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words

Assonance is often used in poetry and prose to create rhythm and enhance the musical quality of language.

Question 16

Define Asyndeton.

Answer 16

Omission of the conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words or clauses

Asyndeton can create a sense of speed or urgency in writing.

Question 17

What is meant by ‘Audience’ in a text?

Answer 17

For whom a text is written, or who is being addressed

The audience can vary from general to very specific depending on the genre.

Question 18

What is Chiasmus?

Answer 18

An inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases

Chiasmus is often used for rhetorical effect.

Question 19

Define Cline.

Answer 19

Mounting by degrees through words or sentences of increasing weight in parallel construction

Cline emphasizes the high point or culmination of a series of events.

Question 20

What is Colloquialism?

Answer 20

Characteristic of writing that seeks the effect of informal spoken language

Colloquialism is distinct from formal or literary English.

Question 21

Define Connotation.

Answer 21

The emotional implications and associations a word may carry

Connotation refers to the implied or suggested meaning of a word.

Question 22

What does Consonance refer to?

Answer 22

The repetition of ending sounds that are consonant sounds within words

Consonance is often used to create rhyme or cadence.

Question 23

Define Denotation.

Answer 23

The direct or dictionary meaning of a word

Denotation contrasts with figurative or associated meanings.

Question 24

What is a Dialect?

Answer 24

A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, and/or vocabulary

Dialects can vary significantly even within the same language.

Question 25

What is Dialogue?

Answer 25

A conversation between two or more characters ## Footnote Dialogue is a key element in storytelling and character development.

Question 26

Define Didactic.

Answer 26

Intended or inclined to teach or instruct, often excessively ## Footnote Didactic writing aims to impart knowledge or moral lessons.

Question 27

What is Ellipsis?

Answer 27

Three dots that indicate words have been left out of a quotation; it can also indicate suspense ## Footnote Ellipsis can also refer to the omission of words in a phrase or sentence.

Question 28

What does Epiphany mean?

Answer 28

The moment when there is a sudden realization that leads to a new perspective ## Footnote Epiphany often clarifies a problem or situation for a character.

Question 29

What is parallel structure that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses called?

Answer 29

Epistrophe ## Footnote Epistrophe is a rhetorical device used for emphasis.

Question 30

What is the term for an appeal to credibility, ethics, or moral principles?

Answer 30

Ethos ## Footnote Ethos is a fundamental concept in persuasive writing and speaking.

Question 31

What is the substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit called?

Answer 31

Euphemism ## Footnote Euphemisms are often used to soften the impact of unpleasant topics.

Question 32

What is an extended metaphor?

Answer 32

A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem ## Footnote Extended metaphors enrich the text's meaning.

Question 33

Define figurative language.

Answer 33

Language in which figures of speech (such as metaphors, similes, and hyperbole) freely occur ## Footnote Figurative language enhances creativity in writing.

Question 34

What is a flashback?

Answer 34

A writing technique used to alter time in order to convey a past event or significant moment ## Footnote Flashbacks provide background information and context.

Question 35

What does foreshadowing refer to in writing?

Answer 35

A writing technique used to subtly suggest or indicate something ahead of time ## Footnote Foreshadowing builds anticipation in the reader.

Question 36

What is a genre?

Answer 36

A category of artistic composition, as in film or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content ## Footnote Genres help categorize and understand different types of art.

Question 37

What is hypophora?

Answer 37

A rhetorical device where a speaker or writer states a question and then immediately answers it ## Footnote Hypophora engages the audience and clarifies points.

Question 38

What is hyperbole?

Answer 38

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally ## Footnote Hyperbole is often used for emphasis or humor.

Question 39

Define an idiom.

Answer 39

An expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words and must be learned as a whole ## Footnote Examples include phrases like 'kick the bucket' to mean 'to die.'

Question 40

What is imagery in writing?

Answer 40

Descriptive language that appeals to our five physical senses ## Footnote Imagery enhances the reader's experience by creating vivid pictures.

Question 41

What is informative expository writing?

Answer 41

A type of composition in which the writer seeks to present or reason information accurately for the purpose of improving the reader's understanding ## Footnote This form of writing is crucial for educational content.

Question 42

True or False: Sarcasm is the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.

Answer 42

True ## Footnote Sarcasm often involves a sharp or cutting remark.

Question 43

What is meant by the term 'tone' in writing?

Answer 43

The speaker's or writer's attitude toward the subject matter ## Footnote Tone can greatly affect the reader's perception and emotional response.

Question 44

Fill in the blank: _______ is a term used to describe a recurring idea or theme in a literary work.

Answer 44

Motif ## Footnote Motifs help reinforce the main themes and messages of the work.

Question 45

What is jargon?

Answer 45

The specialized language of a professional, occupational, or other group, often meaningless to outsiders. ## Footnote Jargon can create barriers to understanding for those not within the group.

Question 46

Define juxtaposition in writing.

Answer 46

A writer's side by side placement of two descriptions, ideas, characters, actions, or events in a text. ## Footnote Juxtaposition can highlight contrasts or similarities.

Question 47

What does kairos refer to?

Answer 47

An appeal to time or place. ## Footnote Kairos emphasizes the relevance of timing in an argument.

Question 48

What are logical fallacies?

Answer 48

Errors found in the reasoning of an argument. ## Footnote Logical fallacies can undermine the validity of an argument.

Question 49

Define logos.

Answer 49

An appeal to logic or reason. ## Footnote Logos is one of the three modes of persuasion in rhetoric.

Question 50

What is meiosis?

Answer 50

Understatement - the presentation of a thing with underemphasis especially in order to achieve a greater effect. ## Footnote Meiosis can create irony or humor.

Question 51

What is a metaphor?

Answer 51

A word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar. ## Footnote Metaphors enrich language and help convey complex ideas.

Question 52

Define metonymy.

Answer 52

A figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (such as 'crown' for 'royalty'). ## Footnote Metonymy relies on the association between concepts.

Question 53

What is mood in literature?

Answer 53

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. ## Footnote Mood can be influenced by setting, tone, and events.

Question 54

Define narrative writing.

Answer 54

A type of composition that tells a story, the elements of which may be fiction or nonfiction. ## Footnote Narrative writing often includes characters, a plot, and a setting.

Question 55

What is onomatopoeia?

Answer 55

The forming of a word (as 'buzz' or 'hiss') in imitation of a natural sound. ## Footnote Onomatopoeia enhances descriptive language.

Question 56

What is an oxymoron?

Answer 56

A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side. ## Footnote Oxymorons create a paradoxical effect that can provoke thought.

Question 57

Define pacing in writing.

Answer 57

The methods or strategies a writer uses to advance a plot and create tension, mood, and/or tone in a text. ## Footnote Pacing can affect reader engagement and emotional response.

Question 58

What is a paradox?

Answer 58

A statement that appears to contradict itself but actually contains a degree of truth. ## Footnote Paradoxes challenge conventional thinking.

Question 59

What does parallelism refer to in writing?

Answer 59

The similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses involving the repetition of verb forms, parts of speech, or sentence structures. ## Footnote Parallelism enhances readability and rhythm in writing.

Question 60

What is a parody?

Answer 60

A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule. ## Footnote Parody often exaggerates certain features of the original work.

Question 61

What is pathos?

Answer 61

An appeal to emotion. ## Footnote Pathos is often used in persuasive writing to evoke feelings from the audience.

Question 62

Define personification.

Answer 62

Representing a thing or idea as a person in art or literature. ## Footnote This technique helps to create relatable imagery.

Question 63

What does perspective refer to in literature?

Answer 63

The view of a text and/or its elements, as created by a writer. ## Footnote Perspective shapes how readers interpret the story.

Question 64

What is polysyndeton?

Answer 64

A literary technique in which conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or) are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas. ## Footnote This can create a sense of urgency or rhythm in writing.

Question 65

What is the purpose of an author?

Answer 65

The reason why an author decides to write a text, such as 'to inform', 'to entertain', or 'to persuade'. ## Footnote Understanding the author's purpose helps to interpret the text.

Question 66

What is point of view?

Answer 66

The perspective from which a speaker or writer tells a story or presents information, commonly in 1st or 3rd person. ## Footnote Point of view influences the reader's connection to the narrative.

Question 67

Define prose.

Answer 67

Ordinary writing (both fiction and nonfiction) as distinguished from verse. ## Footnote Prose is typically written in sentences and paragraphs.

Question 68

What is a pun?

Answer 68

A word employed in two senses, or a word used in a context that suggests a second term sounding like it. ## Footnote Puns are usually used for comic effect.

Question 69

What is refutation?

Answer 69

The part of an argument wherein a speaker or writer anticipates and counters opposing points of view. ## Footnote Also referred to as a counterargument.

Question 70

What is repetition in writing?

Answer 70

An instance of using a word, phrase, or clause more than once in a short passage, usually to emphasize a point. ## Footnote Repetition can enhance the rhythm and memorability of a text.

Question 71

Define rhetoric.

Answer 71

The study and practice of effective persuasion in speaking or writing. ## Footnote Rhetoric involves techniques used to influence an audience.

Question 72

What is a rhetorical question?

Answer 72

A statement made in the form of a question with no expectation of an answer. ## Footnote It is often used to provoke thought rather than elicit a response.

Question 73

What is sarcasm?

Answer 73

A mocking, often ironic or satirical remark where the literal meaning differs from its intended meaning. ## Footnote Sarcasm can convey contempt or humor.

Question 74

What is satire?

Answer 74

A genre that uses irony, derision, or wit to expose or attack human vice or foolishness. ## Footnote Satire often aims to provoke change or reflection in society.