1. An Introduction to Rhetoric: Using the “Available Means” Chapter 1: The Language of Composition

2. AUDIENCE Those who read, watch, or listen to elements of literature, written or spoken; one’s listener or readership

3. CONTEXT The occasion or the time and place (setting) in which a work is written or spoken or a word is used; the surrounding material in which information is written

4. PURPOSE The goal, intention or objective of a speaker or writer; the reason for writing a particular work or giving a speech

5. THESIS, CLAIM, ASSERTION A proposition advanced as an argument; a statement serving as a premis in an argument; the central idea in a work

6. SUBJECT The topic that is being discussed, examined, or otherwise dealt with in a piece of writing

7. SPEAKER The author, person or voice (real or imagined) whose perspective is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing

8. RHETORICAL OR ARISTOTELIAN TRIANGLE A diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience

9. PERSONA The speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

10. ETHOS A Greek term referring to the character or authority of a person or speaker

11. LOGOS A Greek term that means “word”; an appeal to logic

12. PATHOS A Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion

13. ASSUMPTION A belief or statement taken for granted without proof

14. COUNTERARGUMENT A challenge to a position; an opposing argument

15. CONCEDE To reluctantly acknowledge or yield to the opposing argument as having some element of truth

16. REFUTE To discredit an argument, particularly a counterargument

17. CONNOTATION That which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word’s literal meaning; the emotional overtones of a word

18. PROPAGANDA A negative term for writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information

19. POLEMIC An argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion

20. SATIRE/SATIRIC An ironic, sarcastic, or witty composition that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it (for the purpose of bringing about change)

21. THE CLASSICAL RHETORICAL MODEL FOR ORATORY

22. 5-PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE The introduction The narration The confirmation The refutation The conclusion

23. PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT NARRATION DESCRIPTION PROCESS ANALYSIS EXEMPLIFICATION COMPARISON AND CONTRAST CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION DEFINITION CAUSE AND EFFECT