WRITING DEVICES
Literary or writing devices can be used to different effects in a text. These devices can help make text more interesting or an argument more effective. Used correctly, they can greatly improve a person's writing.
Rhetorical Devices
A rhetorical device is a technique that uses words in specific ways, and writers can use them to convey a specific meaning, evoke certain emotions, or persuade readers to support a position.
There are several different rhetorical devices that can be used. Some rhetorical devices can also be considered figurative language, which uses words in non-literal ways.
- A direct address is used when a writer relays a message directly toward an individual or a group of people. The second person pronoun "you" is often used to directly address the reader.
Smokey the Bear: Only You Can Prevent Wildfires
Direct addresses can help make an argument more persuasive because it connects the reader directly to the topic being discussed. In the example above, readers are made to feel that they have a direct impact on wildfires.
- A metaphor is a type of figurative language that makes a comparison between two things without using like or as.
Albert Einstein said, "All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree."
Writers can use metaphors to make specific connections between ideas. This can help make a topic more clear or make a certain point about an idea.
Logical Fallacies
A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning. When used in a text, it can weaken an argument. Despite this, logical fallacies can still be quite persuasive, so it is important to be aware of them.
Logical fallacies are very common in all kinds of writing, including newspapers and advertisements. They can make incorrect assumptions about a topic or argue for a specific position without using any evidence.
- Stereotyping occurs when a writer uses a general belief about a group and assumes that it accurately describes all members of a group.
When looking for babysitters, it is better to go with a female sitter instead of a male sitter. Women are more caring and patient, so they will be able to handle children more easily.
The writer uses a stereotype about women to make the argument that they are better babysitters. This is a logical fallacy because it assumes all women are more caring and patient than men, which is not true.
- Emotional appeal is a type of logical fallacy in which the writer tries to elicit certain emotions, such as anger or pity, from readers to gain support for a position instead of using actual evidence.
Everyone should have a security system in their house. Thieves and all kinds of unsavory people target houses without security systems. If you do not have one, you and your family will be in more danger.
In the example, the writer tries to make the reader feel fearful so that he or she will be more likely to get a security system. They do not give any actual evidence that thieves are more likely to target houses without security systems or that security systems actually help in anyway.
NOTE: Be careful not to confuse a rhetorical device with a logical fallacy or vice versa. Rhetorical devices are used in addition to supporting evidence to help strengthen an argument. Logical fallacies are used as the evidence for an argument and will make it weaker.
6th Grade Reading - Rhetorical Devices & Logical Fallacies Lesson