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Rhetoric Vocab

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Form of personification - speaking to an absent or dead person or object as if it is there






2. Where the audience knows more than the character






3. Saying one thing but meaning the opposite






4. Time and place of a story






5. Direct contrast or opposite






6. Statement that contradicts itself - "the more you learn the less you know"






7. A device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts - events - episodes






8. Clues that tip the reader off as to What is to come later in the work






9. Describing something indirectly by referring to things around it






10. The manipulation of words for a specific purpose






11. A political comment through the use of humor






12. Dictionary definition of a word






13. A conclusion drawn from presented details






14. The 'unravelling' or resolution of the story - falling action






15. Reaching for the sublime - the tone results in the absurd






16. A rhetorical strategy that attacks the person rather than the idea






17. A comic imitation that ridicules the original. It can be mocking or gently humorous






18. The answer to a question






19. An unexpected outcome






20. Scholarly - academic writing that is difficult to understand






21. Literary devices that enable an author to operate on levels other than the literal (simile - metaphor - etc)






22. Character whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character






23. Contrasting words placed together for effect






24. Writing whose purpose is to instruct or teach






25. Deliberately unclear - having multiple meanings






26. Technical - specialized language






27. Sentences - or parts of a sentence with similar structure






28. Word order or organization






29. Pattern; repeated image - symbol - idea






30. A type of pun where the use of a word modifies two or more words - but used for different meanings (On the fishing trip - he caught three trout and a cold.)






31. A conclusion that can be arrived at without any observations of the world - but relies only on logical connections between ideas






32. Meaning or emotion underneath the words






33. A word that represents a larger idea or concept






34. Choices a character makes in relation to an obstacle (problem)






35. Emotional definition of a word






36. A formal - often pompous - speech






37. A story that operates on the symbolic level and teaches a lesson or moral






38. A form of logic that moves from the general to the specific






39. Making a situation seem less important or serious than it is






40. Exaggeration






41. The recreation of regional spoken language






42. An inference that does not follow logically from the premise (literally - does not follow)






43. Same ending sounds






44. Point of understanding or awakening (not necessarily emotional)






45. Word choice






46. A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is reversed ('Susan walked - and in rushed Mary.')






47. A detail - image - or character type that occurs frequently in myth and literature - thought to appeal to the unconscious






48. Type of irony in which a person seems to be praising something but actually insulting






49. Words - phrases - ideas placed side by side for effect






50. Direct contrast or opposite