AP English Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Flashcards

A student writing a rhetorical analysis essay should avoid which of the following common errors?

Answer: Simply labeling devices without explaining their effect on the audience

Merely naming a device (e.g., 'the author uses metaphor') without explaining why it is effective earns little credit on the AP exam.

In a speech, a senator says: 'My colleagues across the aisle are not evil—they are simply mistaken.' This is best described as:

Answer: A concession that preserves ethos by avoiding personal attacks

By distinguishing between malice and error, the senator makes a concession that appears fair-minded, strengthening her own ethical credibility.

Which best describes the purpose of analyzing syntax in a rhetorical passage?

Answer: To understand how sentence structure, length, and arrangement shape meaning and emphasis

Syntax analysis examines how the construction and arrangement of sentences create rhythm, emphasis, and rhetorical effect.

An author ends every paragraph of an essay with the phrase 'and still, we wait.' This is an example of:

Answer: Epistrophe

Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or paragraphs.

When an author uses an allusion to the myth of Sisyphus while writing about a futile political reform effort, the primary rhetorical effect is:

Answer: To invoke a culturally shared image of endless, pointless labor to characterize the reform

The Sisyphus allusion efficiently conveys the idea of hopeless, repetitive effort by referencing a story shared by the educated audience.

Which term describes a writer's deliberate choice to mention something while claiming not to mention it (e.g., 'I won't even bring up his criminal record')?

Answer: Paralipsis

Paralipsis (also called apophasis) draws attention to something by pretending to pass over it, allowing the writer to plant information while denying responsibility.

In AP rhetorical analysis, a 'line of reasoning' refers to:

Answer: The sequence of claims and evidence the author uses to support the thesis

A line of reasoning is the logical chain—how claims build on each other and connect to evidence—that supports the overarching argument.