| A | B |
|---|
| Rhetoric | The study of effective, persuasive language use; according to Aristotle, use of the “available means of persuasion” |
| Audience | One’s listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed |
| Context | Words, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning |
| Purpose | One’s intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing |
| Bias | Prejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue |
| Thesis | The central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer |
| Claim | An assertion, usually supported by evidence |
| Assertion | An emphatic statement; declaration; If supported by evidence, it becomes an argument |
| Subject | In rhetoric, the topic addressed in a piece of writing |
| Speaker | Term for the author, speech-maker, or person whose perspective is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing |
| Rhetorical triangle | The relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience |
| Persona | The speaker, voice or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing |
| Ethos | A Greek term referring to the character of a person; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals |
| Pathos | A Greek term originally referring to suffering but which now has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals |
| Logos | A Greek term that means “word”; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals |
| Tone | In non-fiction, the speaker’s attitude toward the subject or audience |
| Assumption | A belief or statement taken for granted without proof |
| Counterargument | A challenge to a position; an opposing argument |
| Concede | To agree with the truth of an opposing argument |
| Refute | To argue against the truth of an opposing argument |
| Propagandistic | Designed to sway opinion rather than present information (negative connotation) |
| Polemical | Arguing against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, religion, or politics |
| Connotation | That which is implied by a word, as opposed to its literal meaning |
| Satiric | Describes a piece of writing that is ironic, sarcastic or witty and that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it |
| Introduction (exordium) | First step in classical model; introduces the reader to the subject under discussion; “beginning a web” |
| Narration (narratio) | Provides factual information and background material on the subject at hand or establishes why the subject is a problem that needs addressing |
| Confirmation (confirmatio) | Usually the major part of the text; includes the development or the proof needed to make the writer’s case. Usually makes the strongest appeal to logos |
| Refutation (refutatio) | Addresses the counterargument; serves as a bridge between the writer’s proof and conclusion; largely appeals to logos |
| Conclusion (peroratio) | Brings the argument to a close; usually appeals to pathos and reminds the reader of the ethos established earlier; answers question, “So what?” |
