Rhetorical device and appeal vocabulary (ethos, pathos, logos, and common devices) used when analyzing sources in AP Seminar. Front: the term. Back: a plain-language definition with an example.
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- Ethos
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An appeal to credibility or authority. The speaker establishes trustworthiness to persuade the audience. Example: A doctor recommending a health product because of their medical expertise.- Pathos
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An appeal to emotion. The speaker uses emotional language or imagery to move the audience. Example: Describing a struggling family to evoke sympathy and motivate charitable giving.- Logos
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An appeal to logic and reason. The speaker uses facts, statistics, or logical reasoning to persuade. Example: Citing scientific studies to argue that a medicine is effective.- Metaphor
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A direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Life is a journey' compares life to a journey without the word 'like'.- Simile
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A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'She was as brave as a lion' uses 'as' to compare bravery to a lion's nature.- Analogy
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An extended comparison between two things to clarify or explain one by showing its similarity to another. Example: Explaining how a cell works by comparing it to a factory.- Hyperbole
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Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Example: 'I've told you a million times' exaggerates the number of times to emphasize frequency.- Understatement
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Deliberately representing something as less important or serious than it is, also called meiosis. Example: Calling a severe injury 'just a scratch'.- Personification
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Giving human qualities to non-human things or animals. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees' gives the wind the human ability to whisper.- Onomatopoeia
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A word that imitates the sound it represents. Example: Buzz, hiss, crack, and sizzle are words that sound like what they describe.- Rhetorical question
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A question asked for effect that does not require or expect an answer. Example: 'Who doesn't want to be happy?' makes a point without needing a response.- Irony
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A general term for situations or statements where the outcome is opposite of what is expected. Has three main types: verbal, situational, and dramatic.- Verbal irony
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When someone says the opposite of what they mean, often for sarcasm or humor. Example: Saying 'Oh great, another traffic jam' to express frustration.- Situational irony
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When the actual outcome is opposite of what is expected to happen. Example: A fire safety building burns down.- Dramatic irony
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When the audience knows something the character does not, creating tension or humor. Example: In a horror movie, the audience sees the killer behind the door, but the character does not.
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