Rhetorical Appeals & Devices

IB English HL 1

Directions: FIRST, write the definition of the term in your own words. SECOND, write an
example sentence that expresses the proper use of the rhetorical device. Keep in mind that we are
not limited to these rhetorical strategies, as we will still be analyzing the text for figurative
language, anecdotes, tone & mood, repetition, syntax, bias, etc.

Rhetorical Appeals:

1. Logos:

● Greek word meaning 'a word' or 'reason'. In rhetoric, it is an appeal to logic and reason. It

is used to persuade an audience by logical thought, fact and rationality

● Instead of sentimental or personal credibility, the advertising team will use scientific facts

to argue why their product is superior

2. Ethos:

● Greek word meaning 'character'. In terms of persuasive language, it is an appeal to

authority and credibility. Ethos is a means of convincing an audience of the reliable

character or credibility of the speaker/writer, or the credibility of the argument

● A doctor will declare their role as a medical professional to their patient and how their

advice on how to care for their body is more credible than a family member’s advice.

3. Pathos:

● Greek word meaning 'suffering' or 'experiencing', and it is used in persuasive speech as an

appeal to the emotions of the audience. Pathos is the way of creating a persuasive

argument by evoking an emotional response in the audience/reader

● The couple will use their past experiences of homelessness and the hardships of having

children in a safe environment to obtain their home from the land offerer.

Rhetorical Devices:

4. Antithesis:
 ● Rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangement of words, clauses,or

sentences. meaning and example. opposition; contrast "action, not words"

● “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools” (Martin Luther

King Jr.).

5. Anaphora (uh-nah-fur-a):

● Repetition of a word or phrase as the beginning of successive clauses

● “If you can’t run, then fly. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl”

(Martin Luther King Jr.).

6. Analogy:

● A comparison between two things that are usually thought to be different from each

other, but that have something in common. Analogies help us to understand something

because they are compared to something

● “Go is to Green as Red is to Stop”

7. Allusion:

● A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural,

literary or political significance

● Marjane Satrapi mentioned Michael Jackson in her novel, Persepolis

8. Asyndeton:

● Omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses

● “I came. I saw. I conquered” (Julius Caesar).

9. Polysyndeton:

● The use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause

● “They lived and laughed and loved and left”

10. Rhetorical Question:

● Question is asked for effect and not usually designed for an answer
 ● “If the whole world was blind, how many people would you impress?”

11. Hypophora (hypo-for-a):

● The technique of asking a question, then proceeding to answer it

● “When the enemy struck on that June day of 1950, what did America do? It did what it

always has done in all its time of peril. It appealed to the heroism of its youth” (Dwight

D. Eisenhower).

12. Hyperbole & Understatement:

● A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or

evoke humor / When the force of the statement is less than what it should have been

● “I had a story that NO ONE could beat! And to think that I saw it on MULBERRY

STREET!” (Dr. Seuss).

13. Epistrophe (uh-pist-ruh-fee):

● The repetition of phrases or words at the end of the clauses or sentences

● “And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from

the Earth” (Abraham Lincoln).

14. Parallelism:

● Using the same pattern of words for two or more words or ideas in a sentence. Using

parallel structure shows that the words/ideas have the same level of importance and

makes the sentence easier to understand

● “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do

for your country” (John F. Kennedy).

15. Register:

● Form of language appropriate to a particular situation

● “Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not” (Oscar

Wilde).
16. Enumeration (and “Triples”):

● Relaying numbers one by one, singularity

● If I were to say I need to drink water, do my homework, eat breakfast, and stretch or do

yoga on my to-do list