Words or phrases that limit the scope of a claim (e.g., usually in a few cases, under these circumstances)

Persuasion through appeals to the audience's emotions. 

Persuasion by means of logic or reasoning. 

Form/Structure/Organization

A spoken, written, or visual text that expresses a point of view; the central point a text is making; a reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong. 

A statement that asserts a belief or truth. 

An audience that is not physically present, but that is affected by the speaker's message. 

What prompts the speaker to speak at this particular point in time. 

Persuasion through convincing the audience of one's moral character. 

A comparison between two objects without using the words like or as. 

Reasoning from General to Specific 

Reasoning from Specific to General 

A comparison between two items in using the words like or as. 

What the speaker wants the audience to feel while listening; what he/she wants the audience to do after listening. 

The audience that is physically present when a speech is delivered. 

The genre or type of text (e.g., journal, editorial,letter,essay,poem,etc.)

Identifying the features of a text AND explaining how the author uses these to develop the meaning or to achieve a particular effect. 

The writer's attitude toward his/her subject. 

Repetition of initial consonant letters (or sounds) in two or more different words across successive sentences, clauses, or phrases [ example: "Somewhere at this very moment a child is being born in America. Let it be our cause to give that child a happy home, a healthy family, and a hopeful future." 

Repetition of the same group of words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or paragraphs [example: "We are a people in quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future. We are a people in search of a national community." 

Short and amusing or interesting account depicting a real incident or person used to support a speaker's argument. 

Logical fallacy in which a writer attacks an opponent's character. 

Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the figure. Typical examples include: infact, of course to be sure indeed, I suppose, I hope, you know, you see, clearly, in any event, in effect, certainly, remarkably. 

Figure of omission in which normally occurring conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) are intentionally omitted in successive phrases, or causes. 

Figure that binds together TWO words that are ordinarily contradictory; a TWO WORD paradox; two words with contrary or apparently contradictory meanings occurring next to each other, and, which, nonetheless, evoke some measure of truth. 

A figure of speech in which an animal, an object, a force of nature, or an idea is given human characteristics. 

Rhetorical strategy in which contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences. 

Making two or more words, phrases, or clauses equal in part of speech or grammatical structure. 

An argument in which the conclusion does not follow from the premises. 

Intentional and extreme exaggeration

A question that is asked merely for effect with no obvious answer expected.

Figure of addition and emphasis which intentionally employs a series of conjunctions(and, or, but, for, nor,so,yet) not normally found in successive words, phrases, or clauses. 

Figure of amplification in which a subject is divided into c constituent parts of details, and may include a listing of causes, effects, problems, solutions, conditions, and consequences. 

Word Choice

Word pictures designed to appeal to the senses. 

A seemingly contradictory or absurd statement that may actually express some truth. 

Sentence length, type, and structure.