In logical arguments, claims come in neutral forms – without the “bells and whistles” that evoke our emotions. When persuasive strategies are used to mix in language containing emotive force, language which suggests something without outright saying it, or language …
A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning that is often accidental. However, sometimes people use faulty logic on purpose to fool others. Protect yourself from being duped by finding out as much as possible about the different types of fallacies, …
Reasoning can be an effective way to convince someone. You probably reason with others every day. For example, you may have to persuade your brother to share the last few sips of his strawberry milkshake. Two kinds of reasoning, deductive …
People use euphemisms and dysphemisms to enhance what they really mean or to avoid directly saying something nasty about a person, place or idea. These terms give you an easier way to talk about something you find very scary or …
Visual rhetoric communicates themes and ideas through images, color and text style. Art, display ads and web pages can all convey visual rhetoric. It is similar to spoken or written rhetoric in its use of specific conventions to communicate, convince, …
Slanters are the bells and whistles, the devices that praise, censure, downplay, obscure, or distract. They are words that are used to convince on an emotional, rather than logical, level. Words like good, tasty, and vibrant are positive slanters while words …
Wondering how to Fact Check? For works that are purportedly “non-fiction,” how do we know what we are reading, hearing, or seeing is true? Fact checkers have the job of conducting quick and accurate research to weigh in on the …
The Five Canons of Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, five basic principles form the bones of rhetorical speech, and encompass a system for crafting powerful speeches. Note that most of these canons apply to the written word as well. 1. Invention (develop and define …
