A rhetorical device uses words in a certain way to convey meaning or to persuade. It can also be a technique used to evoke emotions within the reader or audience.
Skilled writers use many different types of rhetorical devices in their work to achieve specific effects. Some types of rhetorical devices can also be considered figurative language because they depend on the non-literal usage of certain words or phrases.
Rhetorical Device Quiz
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Rhetorical Device Quiz Answers
1. The technique or skill of persuading through your choice of words is which of the following rhetorical devices?
A. Alliteration
B. Metaphor
C. Rhetorical
D. Allusion
2. A similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based is which of the following rhetorical devices?
A. Simile
B. Invective
C. Alliteration
D. Analogy
3. A figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared using like or as is which of the following rhetorical devices?
A. Understatement
B. Simile
C. Oxymoron
4. The following is an example of which rhetorical device? “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”
Epistrophe
Hyperbole
Anaphora
Personification
5. The following is an example of what kind of rhetorical device? “Strong in the force, you are.” Yoda, Star Wars
Hyperbole
Anastrophe
Antithesis
Apostrophe
6. The following is an example of what kind of rhetorical device? Money is the root of all evils: poverty is the fruit of all goodness.
Epistrophe
Hyperbole
Anastrophe
Antithesis
7. The following is an example of what kind of literary device? “The big sycamore by the creek was gone. The willow tangle was gone. The little enclave of untrodden bluegrass was gone. The clump of dogwood on the little rise across the creek–now that, too, was gone….”
Hyperbole
Epistrophe
Apostrophe
Anastrophe
8. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” What rhetorical device is being used here?: “Come, civil night, Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, and learn me how to lose a winning match.” (Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 2, lines 10-12, page 154).
Diction
Paradox
Rhyme
Pathos
9. In “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, the text states, “The Jet bombers going over, going over, one two, one two…” (Bradbury, 13-14). What rhetorical device is he using?
Assonance
Aphorism
Repetition
Anaphora
10. What rhetorical device is being used in the poem, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, by Dylan Thomas?: “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage, against the dying of the light…” (Thomas, 1).
Assonance
Repetition
Alliteration
Anaphora
11. “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” (Luther, 1). Which rhetorical device is being used here in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech?
Allusion
Repetition
Restatement
Diction
12. What rhetorical device is being used here in “The Bible?”: “And Joshua, and all of Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had.” (The Bible, Joshua 7:24).
Alliteration
Anecdote
Repetition
Polysyndeton
13. A statement that is not good enough to explain how good, bad, or impressive something really is?
A. Understatement/Meiosis
B. Personification
C. Parallelism
14. The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
A. Paradox
B. Juxtaposition
E. Satire
15. The following is an example of what kind of rhetorical device? I was so embarrassed, I almost died right there in front of everyone!
Anaphora
Hyperbole
Oxymoron
Antithesis
16. The following is an example of which kind of rhetorical device? How many people die from lung cancer each year? About 157,423 people die from lung cancer each year.
Rhetorical question
Oxymoron
Hypophora
Irony
17. The following is an example of which type of rhetorical device? There are roaches infesting the office of a pest control service.
Personification
Juxtaposition
Irony
Paradox
18. A statement that seems impossible because the ideas are opposites, but have an element of truth is which of the following rhetorical devices?
A. Paradox
B. Hyperbole
C. Satire
19. “Comrades,” he said quietly, “do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and has overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!” he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder.” (Orwell, 82). Which rhetorical device is being used here in Orwell’s, “Animal Farm?”
Understatement
Hyperbole
Restatement
Rhetorical Questions
20. The following is an example of which rhetorical device? All’s fair in love and war.
Metaphor
Pun
Rhetorical question
Juxtaposition
21. The following is an example of which kind of rhetorical device? Anger is a monster waiting to devour happiness.
Simile
Metaphor
Oxymoron
Hyperbole
22. Using several word near each other that start with the same sound is which rhetorical device?
A. Alliteration
B. Allusion
C. Anaphora
23. What rhetorical device is being used here in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee?: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, 30).
Aphorism
Repetition
Both A and B
None of the above
24. What rhetorical device is being used here in “The Bible?”: “Is Anything To Difficult For The Lord?” (The Bible, Genesis 18:13).
Rhetorical Question
Rhetoric
25. A question asked to make a point, not that you want an answer is which of the following rhetorical devices?
A. Imagery
B. Personification
C. Rhetoric
E. Rhetorical Question
26. The following is an example of which rhetorical device? Bill is a cheerful pessimist.
Irony
Oxymoron
Paradox
Metaphor
27. The following is an example of which rhetorical device? Sometimes paddling upstream is smoother than flowing with the current.
Irony
Paradox
Hyperbole
Pun
28. The following is an example of which rhetorical device? The fog crept through doorways and keyholes.
Irony
Metaphor
Simile
Personification
29. Which rhetorical device is being used here? : “Here comes the Helen of our school.”
Allusion
Rhetoric
Both Allusion and Rhetoric
None of the above
30. The following the an example of which type of rhetorical device? How does that make you feel?
Rhetorical Question
Personification
Hypophora
Paradox
Term to learn
Allegory
A story, poem, or picture that has a hidden meaning such as a moral or political one. Example: Animal Farm
Alliteration
The occurrence of the same sound at the beginning of closely connected words. Sally sells seashells by the sea shore.
Allusion
Something that calls something to mind without directly mentioning it.
Ambiguity
Something that is unclear and could be interpreted in multiple ways.
Generic Conventions
Features shown by texts that allow them to be put into a specific genre; i.e. Eerie noise and tense sound effects in horror
Litotes
An ironic understatement.
Loose Sentence
A sentence in which the main idea is elaborated by additional clauses.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that refers to one thing by mentioning something else for rhetorical effect. A comparison without using like or as.
Personification
When an inanimate object is given human characteristics Ex: The candlestick danced around the room.
Polysyndeton
Use of conjunctions, like and or use, used repeatedly to join successive words or phrases. Ex: “We have ships and men and money and stores.”
Point of View
The way of communicating things, the mode of narration.
Metonymy
the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant,: Example business executive for suit
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a term for a part of something refers to the whole of something or vice versa; i.e. The word “bread” refers to food or money as in “Writing is my bread and butter” or “sole breadwinner”.
Syntax
The arrangement of words into a sentence that make sense in a given language; has to do with agreement, case, reflexive pronouns, and word order.
Mood:
The feeling of a piece of work.
Figure of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning other than the literal meaning. It can be a metaphor or simile that’s designed to further explain a concept. Or it can be the repetition of alliteration or exaggeration of hyperbole to give further emphasis or effect.
Chiasmus
When two clauses are used in the same sentence, the second clause flips the wording of the first clause for an artistic effect. Example: Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.
Clause
Grammatical organization that makes up a sentence with a subject and a verb. There are independent and dependent clauses. Dependent must be accompanied by independent. Ex Independent: We went outside. Dependent: When it rained
figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately proved an answer to that question. ex. “What made me take this trip to Africa? There is no quick explanation. Things got worse and worse and worse and pretty soon they were too complicated.”
Syllogism
Starts an argument with a reference to something general and from this it draws conclusion about something more specific. A facet of deductive reasoning; i.e. Kids in A.P. Lang are good at English; Dexter is in A.P. Lang; Therefore, Dexter is good at English.
Symbol/Symbolism
Symbol: a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process; Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities; i.e. Mockingbirds in “To Kill a Mockingbird” represents innocence
Genre
A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter; i.e. fantasy, science fiction, nonfiction, realistic fiction, etc.
Homily
Literally “sermon”, or any serious talk, speech, or lecture providing moral or spiritual advice; i.e. “I Don’t Talk About Race With White People”
Repetition
Repeats the same words or phrases a few times, to make a point clearer
Subordinate Clause
a group of words that contain a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence
Subjective Complement
the adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows a linking verb. The following verbs are true linking verbs
Undertone
an attitude that lies under the ostensible tone of a literary work
Semantics
interpretation and meaning of the words, sentence structure and symbols
Rhetoric
a technique of using language effectively and persuasively
Style
the way a writer writes and it is the technique which an individual author uses in his writing
Imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in literary work
Inference
a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning
Prose
Form of language that has no formal structure Normal talking and writing is in prose
Theme
the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person’s thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic
Extended Metaphor
Metaphor and analogy that continues throughout the passage or poem for an extended time
Figurative Language
language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.
Thesis
a statement of theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved
Tone
the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
Transition
the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another
Anaphora
Deliberate repetition of a word or phrase of the first part of a sentence
Predicate Nominative
subject compliment, a word or group of words that follows a linking verb or verb phrase Example: Sean Connery has been an actor for many years. (Actor is the predicate nominative; it identifies Sean Connery)
Exposition
a very detailed statement or explanation, is used to introduce background information
Onomatopoeia
The formation of a word from the sound associated with what it is named (sizzle)
Oxymoron
Figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect
Paradox
Contrary to expectations, beliefs or perceptions
Periodic Sentence
has the main clause or predicate at the end. used for emphasis and can be persuasive by putting reasons for something at the beginning before the final point is made
Euphemism
using words that are more indirect and mild to express the meaning of something more harsh or offensive
Irony/ironic
use of words that express the opposite of the literal meaning
Narrative
A report of related events arranged in logical sequence that is told by a narrator
Juxtaposition
the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
Pedantic
someone who is concerned with precision, formalism, accuracy
Parody
an imitation of a writer, artist, subject, or genre in such a way as to make fun of or comment on the original work
Diacope
Repetition of a phrase or word, with other words in-between
Antecedent
Something that precedes something else. The word that a pronoun refers back to
Invective
Abusive and highly critical language
Connotation
An implied meaning of a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly
Denotation
Literal meaning, dictionary definition
Parallelism
parts of the sentence are grammatically the same, or are similar in construction. It can be a word, a phrase, or an entire sentence repeated. example: King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ repetition
Understatement
Making something seem less important than it actually is.
Anecdote
A short story about a real incident or person
Hyperole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Atmosphere
refers to the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer conveys to a reader through the description of setting and objects
Asyndeton
absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence
Diction
The choice of and use of words and phrases in writing
Didactic
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive
Enumeratio
Figure of amplification in which a subject is divided into constituent parts or details, and may include a listing of causes, effects, problems, solutions, conditions, and consequences; the listing or detailing of the parts of something.
Expletive
(of a word or phrase) serving to fill out a sentence or line of verse.
Rhetorical Modes
(also known as modes of discourse) describe the variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of language-based communication, particularly writing and speaking
Rhetorical question
a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer
Sarcasm
When you say one thing but mean another
Satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues
Analogy
A comparison between two things
Conceit
two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors
Wit
A clever expression of thought; whether harmless or aggressive, with or without any disparaging intent toward something or someone.
Predicate Adjective
A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies (i.e., refers back to) the subject of the linking verb. A predicate adjective contrasts with an attributive adjective, which typically sits immediately before the noun it modifies.
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