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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Example: 'I've told you a million times' exaggerates the number of times to emphasize frequency.
- Understatement
- Deliberately representing something as less important or serious than it is, also called meiosis. Example: Calling a severe injury 'just a scratch'.
- Personification
- 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
- A word that imitates the sound it represents. Example: Buzz, hiss, crack, and sizzle are words that sound like what they describe.
- Rhetorical question
- 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
- 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
- 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
- When the actual outcome is opposite of what is expected to happen. Example: A fire safety building burns down.
- Dramatic irony
- 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.