5.13 Propaganda Techniques Quiz

This is our promise: if you accept Protected Status, Earthling will never again war against Earthling; your planet's forests, oceans, ice caps, and air will once again be clean and plentiful.

What is a soundness error in this passage?

• The conclusion exaggerates what the Neptunians can do for Earthlings.

• No one can fix all of the environmental issues in the world.

• A promise cannot be a factually correct claim.

Answer explanation

A promise cannot be a factually correct claim. This is what best explains a soundness error in the passage. A promise is an opinion about what might happen, not a fact.

Read this passage.

Each new planet we land on is given the same choice you are being given: join us, or remain isolated from the mainstream of civilized planets.

What is a sufficiency error in this passage?

• The claim that Earthlings have a choice is not relevant to the conclusion about remaining isolated.

• The claim that every planet is given the option to choose is opinion and not fact.

• It does not follow that, just because you refuse thing A, results B will follow. Other results are possible.

Answer explanation

It does not follow that, just because you accept thing A, results B will follow. Other results are possible. This is what best explains a sufficiency error in the passage. It's possible that Earth could communicate with other civilized planets without accepting Neptunian rule.

Match the following

• writer makes a sweeping statement about how a large group of people feel, act or behave.

• ad hominem

• writers form an expectation or belief about a group of people that is different from their own. 

• categorical claim

• a writer overstates the size, magnitude, effect, or significance of something. 

• exaggeration

• a writer dismisses the opposing argument because of the person who delivers it

• stereotyping

Match the following

• Why bother even listening to his argument? He’s not a local, so what does he know?

• categorical claim

• All of students at Grover Cleveland High are just thrilled with their new uniforms!

• Ad Hominem

• Only men should be selected for the task because they are stronger than women.

• Stereotyping

• Elect Sylvia Imp for student council and you’ll never be assigned homework again!

• Exaggeration

An ​ (a)   is an argument that tries to persuade by affecting people’s feelings. A propaganda technique called​ (b)   relies on the extremely positive or negative connotations of certain words.

Another rheortical device is ​ (c)   which is using multiple phrases similar in structure. This reinforces the message by setting up patterns, and works because simple repetition is very effective at getting a message to stick. 

• emotional appeal
• loaded language
• parellelism

What rhetorical device is being used here:

Most of these doubters—the Neptune-Nervous, as I call them—are well-meaning Earthlings who simply need more time to accept something new.

• flatter the audience

• filter the evidence