Would you like to Identify the many techniques writers use to make their writing more effective or would like to use some of your own? Here are some many terms and examples: Logical Fallacies Fallacies are errors or flaws in reasoning. Although essentially unsound, fallacious arguments seem superficially plausible and often have great persuasive power. Here are the most common logical fallacies: Begging the question: Arguing that a claim is true by repeating the claim in different words. Confusing chronology with causality: Assuming that because one thing preceded another, the former caused the latter. Either-or-reasoning: Assuming that there are only two sides to a question and representing yours as the correct one. Equivocating: misleading or hedging with ambiguous word choice false analogy: Assuming that because one thing resembles another, conclusions drawn from one also apply to the other. Hasty generalization: Offering only weak or limited evidence to support a conclusion. Failing to accept the burdon of proof: Asserting a claim without presenting a reasoned argument to support it. Overreliance on authority:Assuming that something is true simply because an expert says so and ignoring the contrary evidence. Oversimplifying: Giving easy answers to complicated questions, often by appealing to emotions rather than logic. Personal Attack: Demeaning the proponents of a claim instead of refuting  their argument. Red herring: Attempting to misdirect the discussion by raising an essentially unrelated point. Slanting: Selecting or emphasizing the evidence that supports  your claim and suppressing or playing down other evidence. Slippery slope: Pretending that one thing inevitably leads to another Sob story: Manipulating readers' emotions in order to lead them to draw unjustified conclusions. Straw man: Directing the argument against a claim that nobody actually holds or that everyone agrees is very weak. Literary Devices Alliteration: Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words. "The crazy clown climbed out of the car" Allusion: Reference to a famous person, place, time, or literary work. "He shoots better than Larry Bird" Assonance: Repetition of the same vowel sound "How now brown cow" Caesura: Physical break in the line Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration "It feels like she's a million miles away Imagery: Words or phrases that appeal to the five senses. Irony: The difference in what seems to be and what actually is Metaphor: The comparrison between two unlike things" My dad is a bear in the morning" onamatopoeia: Words that sound like the words they are imitating "snap" Oxymoron: Two words put together of opposite meaning "Jumbo Shrimp" Paradox: two things that seem to contrast Personification: Giving human qulaities to objects or animals symbol: Something concrete that stands for an abstract idea"flag" Tone: The emotional feeling of a piece Short Story Terms Dialogue: Spoken words of the characters Hook: Something that catches the readers' eye at the beginning Exposition: Background Foreshadowing: Giving hints to something that is bound to happen Conflicts: The underlying problem that must be solved Climax: The breaking point Setting: Where and when the story takes place Point of view: First person, third person, etc. Falling action: The resolution after the conflict Characterization: Has your character changed or stayed the same, how have you developed your character? Plot movement: Is the plot or point of the story consistent? Verisimilitude:Does it depict realism? Argumental Essay Terms Rational, Ethical, And Emotional Appeal Setups: Introduction with assertion A) Set up controversy B)Summary of controversy C)assertion(thesis that takes a side) Concession/Rebuttal, proof, proof, proof, conclusion Or Intro, proof, proof, proof, concession/rebuttal, conclusion Or Intro, refute/opposing argument #1, refute/opposing argument #2, etc., conclusion Dictionary Thesaurus