AP English Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Flashcards

When an author concedes a point to the opposing side before pivoting to reinforce their own argument, the transition word most commonly signaling this move is:

Answer: Admittedly

'Admittedly' (along with 'granted' or 'while it is true') typically signals a concession before the author reasserts their main claim.

In the sentence 'The pen is mightier than the sword,' the rhetorical device being used is:

Answer: Metonymy

Metonymy substitutes a closely related concept for the thing itself; 'pen' stands for written communication and 'sword' stands for military force.

An AP student is asked to analyze how diction contributes to an author's argument. The student should focus on:

Answer: The author's choice of specific words and their connotations

Diction analysis examines word choice, including denotation and connotation, and how those choices shape meaning and persuasion.

Which rhetorical strategy is being used when a writer asks a question and then immediately answers it themselves?

Answer: Hypophora

Hypophora involves posing a question and then directly answering it, allowing the writer to control both the inquiry and the response.

A student reading a Frederick Douglass speech notices he shifts from formal, measured language to passionate, exclamatory sentences. This shift most likely signals:

Answer: A deliberate tonal shift to intensify emotional impact at a climactic moment

Strategic tonal shifts are rhetorical choices that build emotional intensity and direct the audience's attention to the most important ideas.

The term 'periodic sentence' in rhetorical analysis refers to a sentence that:

Answer: Withholds the main clause until the end to build suspense

A periodic sentence delays the main clause to the end, creating syntactic suspense and emphasizing the final idea.

Which of the following is NOT a component of the classical rhetorical appeals?

Answer: Mythos

Aristotle identified ethos, pathos, and logos as the three primary rhetorical appeals; mythos is not one of the classical three.