Apel Notes

Terms to Know - Rhetorical Devices

Nicolas Mounier

Vocabulary Term	Definitions	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
Diction High/Formal Middle/Moderate Low/informal Colloquial Abstract Concrete Monosyllabic Polysyllabic Connotation	The use of vocabulary and specific words to establish a voice and writing style. Diction that uses professional, formal language that follows grammar rules. Diction that is neutral, neither formal nor informal, often seen in newspapers. Diction that uses casual language often in dialogue between characters. Diction that is highly informal and may reflect regional expressions. Words or phrases that don’t appeal to the audience’s sensations. Words or phrases that appeal to the audience’s sensations. Diction that uses one word with a single syllable. Diction that uses words with multiple syllables. The implicit suggestion of words and phrases.	The patient has undergone acute trauma to his left deltoid. Please withdraw yourself from the complex machinery. Get out of the car. What’s up bud! How you doing? My best friend is wicked smart! The painting was beautiful. The gentle gust of wind blew past my face. The cat was in a hat. Delighted children. The women had a heart of an angel.	Establishes the voice and style of a text while evoking specific emotions from the audience. To provide a sophisticated and serious tone that reflects the purpose of the text. Provides relatability to the audience while presenting a normal tone. To provide a conversational and lighter tone to the writing piece. To provide a conversational and casual tone while reflecting culture and expressions of an area. To express a vague topic or idea that is difficult for the reader to fully grasp. To resonate with the audience and provoke a sensory response from the audience. To express a sense of simplicity, urgency, or create rhythm To express a sense of complexity and intellect, while being more descriptive To express a straight-forward and implied meaning
Syntax Simple Compound Complex Compound-complex Declarative Parallel construction	The arrangement of words to create structured sentences. A syntactical order made up of a subject + verb + object/complement. A syntactical order made up of two simple syntax (clauses) combined by a conjunction and comma or semicolon only. A syntactical order made up of multiple clauses, an independent clause, conjunction, and dependent clauses A syntactical order made up of at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. A statement of information, fact, or explanation. (parallelism) The use of a grammatical pattern multiple times within a sentence.	He went to the store. Bob drove his car. Bob walked to work, but he had a car. Since my popsicles were melting, I put them in the freezer. Since my popsicles were too warm, I cooled them in the freezer. America gained their independence in 1776. My brother not only likes to play video games, but he also likes to sleep.	Set of rules to structure sentences and express ideas in unique ways. Provides a simple way for the writer to convey a simple statement. Provides writing and text a faster pace by combining ideas. Create texts that provide vivid details and emotions to the reader. Creates complex sentences with more complicated details. To provide information and data to an audience in the form of a statement. Allows writers to create a connection between ideas and establish a relationship between them.
Tone What kind of adjectives describe tone? What creates tone?	The author’s attitude towards the subject conveyed by diction and syntax. Descriptive and powerful adjectives that help express the author’s feelings effectively describe tone Tone is created by the author’s use of viewpoint, diction, and syntax.	Formal: To whom it may concern Studies show many people enjoy roller coasters Informal: Dear Grandpa You like rollercoasters, right?	Tone invokes a feeling or emotion that shows evidence of the author’s attitude towards the topic to help develop and further emphasize the main ideas of a story.
The Appeals Logos Ethos Pathos	Methods of a good argument, used to persuade. An appeal to logic and reasoning using facts, statistics, and rationale An appeal to the credibility and ethics of the speaker, using accomplishments or expertise. An appeal to emotions and feelings achieved by using descriptive language or narrations.	Studies show that 40% of driving accidents are due to underage drinking I’m LeBron James and I can teach you the basics of basketball. You would make this world a better, happier place by adopting this starving and lonely puppy.	Used to appeal and persuade to the audience through different methods and create a convincing argument To support an argument and persuade the audience through logic. To support an argument and persuade the audience by creating credibility. To support an argument and persuade the audience by evoking an emotional response.
Rhetorical Situation Exigence Audience Speaker Occasion Purpose and Message	A circumstance where someone uses communication to shift someone else’s perspective. The origin of a rhetorical situation, something that motives a rhetor to argue. The people/person who listen to the argument. Who the author is speaking to. The one who conveys the argument or statement to the audience. An event or time period that motivates the speaker’s argument or statement The speaker’s desired outcome of explaining their argument.	No honey! I did not cheat on you. We should have stricter gun laws in the US. Fortnite’s target audience is young adults and teenagers The president gave a speech about World War 3 Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” was a result of the injustices against African Americans in the 1960s To help inform teenagers about the dangers of underage drinking and driving.	Used to change the perspective of the audience. To explain and develop reasoning behind an author’s desire to write Affects the tone and decision-making behind how the author writes. Affects the reason and purpose behind writing and spreading ideas. Changes the author’s tone and purpose behind writing. Often used to inform, persuade, or entertain. Changes the tone of the text to provide a desired outcome to the audience.
Claim	The main argument that the speaker works to prove and convey	The death penalty should be reinstated	To establish a centralized idea directed towards convincing an audience.
Evidence	Sources, facts, and information that is used to support an argument	According to the study, the death penalty deters crime by 50%	To provide and support an argument while persuading the audience.
Rhetorical and Literary Strategies Allusion Rhetorical Questions Pronoun Usage Selection of Detail Juxtaposition Use of Absolutes (all, none, etc.) Point of View	(Devices) Words or phrases used to send a message to the audience and persuade/provoke a response. A reference to something without directly saying it. An indirect or casual reference. A question that’s purpose is to make a statement rather than be answered. Not taking it literally. The usage of pronouns in replace of previously mentioned nouns Details, including vocabulary, events, or events the author uses to convey a narrative or POV Strategy consisting of placing two or more things together to highlight their differences. The usage of absolute terms, terms that aren’t bound by limitations (fixed). The perspective of the speaker that determines how a story is told.	Cheesecake is my Achilles heel. How could you be so stupid?! He was the only one who scored a goal. Everyone thought the boy was non-intellectual, but he got a perfect score on his SAT Beggars can’t be choosers. We’ve all had rough days. The boy stopped playing basketball after getting teased in middle school.	To evoke an emotional response and connection with the audience and persuade. Used to enhance a text or piece by providing elaborated and hidden meaning. Used not to question, but to persuade and apply an effect on the audience. Used to enhance and develop ethos by drawing attention to a persona. To establish a specific impression or impact on the reader by emphasizing specific ideas. To encourage the audience to understand a connection between two things. To convey a fixed value that helps the audience understand and develop a perception Used to express specific feelings, thoughts, or experiences that the audience can resonate and understand.