Rhetorical Terms List #2 – Homework: For each term below, write an example on the lines provided
or on notebook paper. Learn the terms for a quiz next week. A Day, Fri., 2/6 & B Day, Thursday, 2/5
1. analogy [uh-nal-uh-jee] – A similarity or comparison between two different things or the
relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or
pointing out its similarities; more extensive and elaborate than a simile or metaphor
Ex. __________________________________________________________________________
2. epistrophe [ih-pis-truh-fee] – a close relative to anaphora; It is the repetition of a group of words at
the end of successive clauses or sentences.
Ex. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. hypophora [ hi-PAH-for-uh] – Figure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and
then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one’s own
question(s)
Ex.______________________________________________________________________________
4. aphorism [af-uh-riz-uh m] - a brief saying embodying a moral; a concise statement of a principle or
precept given in pointed words.
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
5. apostrophe [uh-pos-truh-fee] - a strategy in which an absent person, inanimate object ( the sun,
for example) or abstract being (Death) is addressed directly.
Ex. _____________________________________________________________________________
6. paradox [par-uh-doks] – a statement which seems self-contradictory, but which may reveal some
truth; forces the reader to pause and seek clarity
Ex. _____________________________________________________________________________
7. chiasmus [ kahy-az-muh s] – a syntactical structure by which the order of the terms in the first two
parallel clauses is reversed in the second. This may involve a repetition of the same words or just a
reversed parallel between two corresponding pairs of ideas.
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
8. hyperbole [hahy-pur-buh-lee] – exaggeration; deliberate exaggeration for emphasis
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
9. litotes [lī-ˈtō-tēz] – opposite of hyperbole; intensifies an idea by understatement using a word
opposite to the condition.
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
10. anadiplosis [an-uh-di-ploh-sis] – repeats the last word of one phrase, clause, or sentence at or near
the beginning of the next. It can be generated in series for the sake of beauty or to give a sense of
logical progression.
Ex. _____________________________________________________________________________
11. euphemism [yoo-fuh-miz-uh m] – an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is
considered offensive or harsh; makes the idea more appealing and acceptable to the reader
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
12. satire – use of ridicule, sarcasm, irony, etc. to expose vices, abuses, etc.
Ex.
_________________________________________________________________________________
13. simple sentence – also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it
expresses a complete thought.
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
14. compound sentence – two or more independent clauses ( simple sentences) joined by a
coordinating conjunction or a semi-colon ( FANBOYS;)
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
15. complex sentence- a sentence containing one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses.
Ex. ______________________________________________________________________________
RHETORICAL MODES – The AP Multiple Choice section of the exam will ask you to identify and
recognize the various rhetorical modes that authors use. You must know the difference between
narration, description, cause and effect, classification, definition, etc. Understanding why a
particular mode is effective for the author's ideas is also helpful. ( do not need to find examples for
this section)
16. description– the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of
color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch ( sensory details)
17. narration- The act of telling a story, usually based on personal experience; it usually incorporates
descriptive elements--senses, metaphors, and similes. Narration is used to get the reader to
"identify" with the writer on some level, and thereby ultimately agree with the writer.
18. classification – classification takes individual examples and groups them based on common
traits. Classification is important because it organizes a large amount of material for the reader.
19. definition - The process of explaining a word, object, or idea in such a way that the reader knows
precisely what the writer means. A good definition focuses on the special qualities of a word or
phrase that set it apart. It gives the reader and writer a mutual starting point.
20. cause/effect– presents the causes and/or effects of a situation or phenomenon; this can be used as
an author’s main organizational strategy, or it can be one paragraph used to support a point in an
essay developed through another pattern.
Note: All twenty terms will be on the quiz.