Nonfiction Devices

Audience Readers who already agree with the writer’s ideas and are reading mainly for reinforcement or encouragement. Readers who are interested in and are included to agree with the issue the writer is discussing but want to know more. Readers who are neutral on an issue and want explanation and arguments based on evidence and logical reasoning before they make up their mind. Readers who are skeptical about an issue and will not take a stand until they hear both sides of an argument explained in complete detail.

Thesis A comprehensive sentence, usually coming in the first paragraph or so of an essay, that summarize and previews the main idea the author is going to develop in the essay. Example of an analytical thesis statement: An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds. Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement: The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers. Example of an argumentative thesis statement: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

Claims Claim-general Assertion about the argument the author intends to make Something stated as true Scientific Reasoning Social Reasoning Political Reasoning ClaimThe sun is hot. My mom is mad. Japan should join our international organization.

Evidence/Support Evidence-specific information that support the claims of the argument Example-a specific incident, object, or anecdote used to illustrate and support Facts-often supported by numbers and is difficult to refute Judgments-conclusion that are inferred-effective because they result from carful reasoning Testimony-statements that affirm or assert facts Eyewitness=someone who has first hand experience Expert=someone who is a recognized authority in the subject or topic

Warrant/Explanation/Reasoning Warrant-justification Links the claim to the evidence Explanation or reasoning- a statement offered in connecting the proof to the claim Scientific Reasoning Social ReasoningPolitical Reasoning ClaimThe sun is hot.My mom is mad.Japan should join our international organization. EvidenceWarm or tan skinShouting & glaring Japan needs to increase food supply. ReasoningSkin becomes warmer and darker when exposed to the sun. She did this before and said she was mad. Countries in the organization will send food to other countries.

Appeals Ethos-Ethical appeals to character of the writer relying on reputation and competence Pathos-Emotional appeals to feelings with figurative language and imagery Logos-Logical appeals to reason with facts and testimony be.com/viewVideo.php ?video_id= be.com/viewVideo.php ?video_id=41007

Logic-Inductive Reasoning draws inferences from observations in order to make generalizations. Small details lead to a reasonable conclusion Ex. All the assignments have low grades. I must be failing. Look at how those people are behaving. They must be mad.

Logic-Deductive Reasoning starts with a general case and deduces specific instances Use a known fact or law and apply to small details I have a failing grade. I must have not turned in an assignment, or not done well on an assignment. Gravity makes things fall. The apple that hit my head was due to gravity.

Allusion Reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea in history, classical literature, or even pop culture (mostly biblical) e.g. Clockwork Orange ork/ 09/10/intertextuality-allusion.html

Analogy compares two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one "There are obvious layers of allegory [in the movie Avatar]. The Pandora woods is a lot like the Amazon rainforest (the movie stops in its tracks for a heavy ecological speech or two), and the attempt to get the Na'vi to 'cooperate' carries overtones of the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan." (Owen Gleiberman, review of Avatar. Entertainment Weekly, Dec. 30, 2009)

Repetition simple repeating of a word, within a sentence or a poetical line, with no particular placement of the words, in order to emphasize. This is such a common literary device that it is almost never even noted as a figure of speech. Duty does not trump honesty. Duty does not trump common sense. And duty, my friends, does not trump morality.

Parallelism The use of similar grammatical construction to express ideas that are related or equal in importance Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink/ Nor slumber nor roof against the rain;/Nor yet a floating spare to men that sink -Edna S. Vincent Millay, “Sonnet XXX”

Rhetorical Question A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected. The answer may be obvious or immediately provided by the questioner. "Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? If you prick us, do we not bleed, if you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? (Shylock in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice)