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Rhetorical Devices

Instructions:
  • Answer 16 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. Premise and conclusion indicators are both _________ in that they both can occur in argumentative discourse to signal - a transition from one premise to another or from one or more premises to a conclusion.






2. Words or expressions that tend to excite an audience - even though often they do not have a clear meaning.






3. Deliberate exaggeration that is often used to slant (often by misrepresentation of a position) a discussion in favor of or against a particular view.






4. Words or phrases that take the place of argumentation in that they are used to suggest that an appropriate argument could be given when needed but do not supply that argument.






5. A simplified - inadequately supported view of image of the typical or average member of a population.






6. Technical vocabulary of a specialized discipline. Speakers and writers who face an audience familiar with the jargon of a discipline can use the jargon efficiently in communicating complex ideas. Unfortunately - though - sometimes speakers and writer






7. Involves a speaker saying something that suggests (or conversationally implies) something negative about a person or persons.






8. Involves attaching a label carelessly and inappropriately to a person - a group of people - or a position so as to suggest something about the person - group of people - or position. Because of the strong emotive force associated with certain words -






9. Offered when a speaker or writer compares one thing with another thing to which strong positive or negative emotions are attached. When a speaker or writer wishes to cast aversion on something - he compares the thing with something already held in a






10. Words or phrases that serve to weaken a claim - without at the same time making the claim less significant - so that it is harder for someone to refute the claim. Some _______ limit the extent of a generalization; others qualify or place restrictions






11. A word or phrase that is emotively neutral or negative and is used instead of a word of phrase with a more favorable emotive force.






12. Words used to make a conjunctive claim. The two claims made - though - are in oppositioni in the sense that What is suggested by one of the claims is different than What is suggested by the other claim. The ______________ is used to discount - or dow






13. Such words or phrases as: but - even though - although - however - yet - nevertheless - inspite of the fact that - notwithstanding the fact that






14. A word of phrase that is emotively positive or emotively neutral and is used instead of a word or phrase that has a less favorable emotive force.






15. Change - think outside the box - family values - freedom - American values - American way of life.






16. Questions inappropriately asked in a discussion because the presuppose that an unresolved issue has already been - in fact - resolved - an issue that may be the very point of the discussion to settle.