Ad Hominem Argument
 (Latin) means “against the man
 involves commenting on or against an opponent to
undermine him instead of his arguments
 These types of arguments are usually mistaken for
personal insults
Appeal to Ignorance
 One individual utilizes another individual’s lack of
information on a specific subject as proof that his or
her own particular argument is right
Argument from Authority
 Citation of information from people recognized for
their special knowledge of a subject for the purpose of
strengthening a speaker or writers arguments
Begging the Question
 When a proposition which requires proof is assumed
without proof
 A type of circular reasoning
Hasty Generalization
 A hasty generalization is a broad claim based on
limited evidence
 unethical to assert a broad claim when you have
only anecdotal or isolated evidence or instance
Non Sequitur
 Statements, sayings and conclusions that do not follow
the fundamental principles of logic and reason
 Frequently used in theater and comedies to create
comedic effects
False Dichotomy
 When someone presents two or more cases as the only
cases possible.
 Ex: “They’re either stupid or crazy.”
 There are many other reasons separate from them being
stupid or crazy.
Slippery Slope
 An assertion that one event will inevitably follow
another without any argument for the inevitability of
the event in the question.
 Ex: “The government has put a tax on water. Soon
there will be a tax on air!”
Straw Man Argument
 When a person simply ignores a person’s actual
position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or
misrepresented version of that position.
 Has a pattern:
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Person A has position X
Person B presents position Y (distortion of X)
Person B attacks Y
Therefore, X is false/incorrect
Faulty Causality
 These fallacies rest on the incorrect assumption that
because two things happen in a sequence, the first
caused the second.
 Ex: People often claim that since the introduction of
violent video games violence among teams has greatly
increased, and therefore should be banned. However,
there is no proven causation in this argument, only
assumed (and thus faulty) causality.
Sentimental Appeals
 Attempts to appeal to the hearts of the readers so that
they forget to use their minds.
 Ex: The assignment I gave you last night was too long,
but think how pleased your parents will be when you
score a 5 on the AP test. They will have tears of joy
streaming down their faces!
Red Herring
 Red herring is a kind of fallacy that is an irrelevant
topic introduced in an argument to divert the attention
of listeners or readers from the original issue.
 Ex: A teacher catches a student cheating during a test.
The student in response says, “I know I’ve made a
mistake. But think of my parents. They’re going to kill
me”.
Scare Tactics
 A strategy using fear to influence the public's reaction
 Ex: “You must believe that God exists. After all, if you
do not accept the existence of God, then you will face
the horrors of hell."
Bandwagon appeals
 Tries to persuade the reader to do, think, or buy something
because it is popular or everyone is doing it
 Ex:
 Bill: "I like classical music and I think it is of higher quality
than most modern music."
 Jill: "That stuff is for old people."
 Dave: "Yeah, only real woosies listen to that crap. Besides,
Beyoncé rules! It Rules!"
 Bill: "Well, I don't really like it that much. Beyoncé is much
better."
Dogmatism
 The strong expression of opinions as if they were facts.
 Ex: Insisting that a feminist view is the one and only
way to look at literature.
Equivocation
 When a key term or phrase in an argument is used in
an ambiguous way, with one meaning in one portion
of the argument and then another meaning in another
portion of the argument.
 Ex: Criminal actions are illegal, and all murder trials
are criminal actions, thus all murder trials are illegal.
Faulty Analogy
 Assuming that because two things are alike in one or
more respects, they are necessarily alike in some other
respect
 Ex: Highschool Student: "No one objects to a
physician looking up a difficult case in medical books.
Why, then, shouldn't students taking a difficult
examination be permitted to use their textbooks?"
Description
 Uses the 5 senses to depict or portray something to
make a point
 The 5 senses- sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell
 Vivid details- verbs, nouns, adjectives, and diction
 Show, don't tell
Narration-telling a story
 In an essay, you must have a point
 Use only essential detail. Do not tell a story that is too
long for the point.
 Consider only- chronological or flashback?
 Use description to show. Not a list of facts.
Examples
 To explain a point using specific incidents or people
 Can use historical figures or events, fictional characters
or themes, and modern world news
Process Analysis
 To tell how to do something, step-by-step
 Write out the steps
Division and Classification
 Divide and conquer
 Divide big category then disseminate into smaller
subjects
 It is a deductive process.
 Classification starts small and becomes larger
Comparison and Contrast
 Listing of similarities and differences
 Often used are Venn diagrams to outline such
similarities and differences
Definition
 To convey a meaning
 Definition by negation- explaining something by what
it is not
Cause and Effect
 How and why something happens
 Why....because
 Inductive: causes...effects
 Deductive: effects.....causes
Argument and Persuasion
 To convince for a specific side of an issue
 Must prove an opinion
 Convince your reader or your position
Resources
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http://literarydevices.net/fallacy/
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"Red Herring - Examples and Definition of Red Herring." Literary Devices. N.p., 10 July 2013.
Web. 08 Mar. 2015.
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Pienero, A. "AP English Language Literary Devices." Flashcards. Quizlet, n.d. Web. 08 Mar.
2015.
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Nordquist, Richard. "Bandwagon - Definition and Examples of the Logical Fallacy." N.p., n.d.
Web. 08 Mar. 2015.
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Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2015.
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"The Logical Fallacies: False Analogy." The Logical Fallacies: False Analogy. N.p., n.d. Web. 06
Mar. 2015.
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http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/begquestionterm.htm