Writing Skills Flashcards

Which best describes the rhetorical strategy of 'ethos' in writing?

Answer: Establishing the writer's credibility and trustworthiness.

Ethos is the rhetorical appeal based on the author's character, expertise, or moral standing.

Which sentence makes the most effective use of a concrete detail to support an abstract claim?

Answer: In 2023, over 700 million people lived on less than $2.15 a day.

Specific statistics ground an abstract claim in verifiable reality, making the argument far more persuasive.

Which term describes the technique of deliberately arranging words in an unexpected order to create emphasis?

Answer: Inversion

Inversion, or anastrophe, reverses normal word order (e.g., 'Great was her surprise') to foreground particular words.

What distinguishes denotation from connotation?

Answer: Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is its implied or emotional association.

Denotation is the objective, literal definition of a word, while connotation refers to the feelings and ideas it evokes.

Which sentence contains a correctly placed restrictive clause (no commas needed)?

Answer: Students who study regularly tend to perform better.

A restrictive clause limits which students are being described and must not be set off by commas.

Which revision best improves cohesion between these two sentences: 'The study produced surprising results. Researchers decided to run the experiment again.'

Answer: Because the study produced surprising results, researchers decided to replicate the experiment.

Using 'because' explicitly shows the causal relationship and 'replicate' adds precision, improving both cohesion and style.

In formal prose, which approach best handles the introduction of a technical term the reader may not know?

Answer: Define the term in parentheses or a brief appositive clause on first use.

Defining technical terms inline on first use ensures clarity without interrupting the flow of the text.