Coming up: vocabulary quiz on rhetorical terms on Wednesday, April 18.(class handout / another copy below);
In class: practice identifying rhetorical devices; introduction and practice with active vs passive voice.
Part 1: Identify the rhetorical device –logos, ethos or pathos- employed in the following examples and explain how they are used.
1. “Doctors all over the world recommend this type of treatment.”
Rhetorical device______________________
How used:__________________________________________________________________________
2. Yes, this car is more expensive, but don't you want your family to be safe?
Rhetorical device___________________________
How used:___________________________________________________________________________
3. “My endless volunteering resume, years of experience interacting and assisting the people of this community, and efficient cooperation skills work to build me up as the most appropriate candidate for mayor.”
Rhetorical device__________________________________
How used:___________________________________________________________________________
4. "Based on the dozens of archaeological expeditions I’ve made all over the world, I am confident that those potsherds are Mesopotamian in origin."
Rhetorical device____________________________________
How used: ___________________________________________________________________________
5. "The algorithms have been run in a thousand different ways, and the math continues to check out."
Rhetorical device___________________________________
How used: _________________________________________________________________________
6. "You’ll make the right decision because you have something that not many people do: you have heart."
Rhetorical device_________________________________
How used:_____________________________________________________________________
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7. "In 25 years of driving the same route, I haven’t seen a single deer."
Rhetorical device__________________________________
How used:_______________________________________________________________
8. "You will never be satisfied in life if you don’t seize this opportunity. Do you want to live the rest of your years yearning to know what would have happened if you just jumped when you had the chance?"
Rhetorical device__________________________________
How used:_____________________________________________________________________
Active Voice Versus Passive Voice
What Is Active Voice?
I'll start with active voice because it's simpler. In an active sentence, the subject is doing the action. A straightforward example is the sentence "Steve loves Amy." Steve is the subject, and he is doing the action: he loves Amy, the object of the sentence.
Another example is the title of the Marvin Gaye song “I Heard It through the Grapevine.” "I" is the subject, the one who is doing the action. "I" is hearing "it," the object of the sentence.
What Is Passive Voice?
In passive voice, the target of the action gets promoted to the subject position. Instead of saying, "Steve loves Amy," I would say, "Amy is loved by Steve." The subject of the sentence becomes Amy, but she isn't doing anything. Rather, she is just the recipient of Steve's love. The focus of the sentence has changed from Steve to Amy.
Active vs. passive voice. In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. In a sentence written in the passive voice the subject receives the action.
To know whether you are writing in the active or passive voice, identify the subject of the sentence and decide whether the subject is doing the action or being acted upon. Passive Voice: the subject is the receiver of the action.
Samples:
Active vs. passive voice
In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. In a sentence written in the passive voice the subject receives the action.
Active: The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget.
Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by Congress.
Active: Researchers earlier showed that high stress can cause heart attacks.
Passive: It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be caused by high stress.
Active: The dog bit the man.
Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
When to use passive voice
There are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice.
To emphasize the action rather than the actor
After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-range planning committee.
To keep the subject and focus consistent throughout a passage
The data processing department recently presented what proved to be a controversial proposal to expand its staff. After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by . . . .
To be tactful by not naming the actor
The procedures were somehow misinterpreted.
To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or unimportant
Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having cancer.
To create an authoritative tone
Visitors are not allowed after 9:00 p.m.
Your turn: class handout / copy below
Name______________________
Passive to active voice Directions: Change each passive voice sentence into the active voice. Note you may need to adjust the form of the verb.
1. The rock star was constantly chased by photographers.
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2. Our vehicle had been stolen from our garage by the same burglary team.
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3. Melissa was taken to Disney World by the people in the office.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. All of the data on the hard drive was erased by the careless blogger.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. All Siamese cats are held by the SPCA for four days.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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6. Allison was stunned by the actions of her classmates.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. A good insurance plan can now be gotten by all drivers.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. An election was held by the township to determine the boundaries
of all districts
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9. A full tuition scholarship is presented to the winner each year by the judges.
_____________________________________________
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10. A good deal of money will be made by that investment.
___________________________________________
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11. The television was purchased by a young man as a Father's Day gift.
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12. A colorful blanket for the new baby was knitted by a family friend.
12. A colorful blanket for the new baby was knitted by a family friend.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Three finalists will be given prizes by the film festival judges tonight.
13. Three finalists will be given prizes by the film festival judges tonight.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Peter Rabbit has been told by his mother not to play in Mr. McGregor's garden.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. The mittens were lost by the three little kittens.
_____________________________________________________________
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16. Sally and I were treated to an old blues tune by the pianist while we ate.
16. Sally and I were treated to an old blues tune by the pianist while we ate.
____________________________________________________________
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17. The man was rescued by a mysterious woman in a cape.
17. The man was rescued by a mysterious woman in a cape.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
18. Ella complains that she is always given a million excuses by her daughter.
18. Ella complains that she is always given a million excuses by her daughter.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
19. In this picture, my brother is being given a violin lesson by our cousin, Jessica.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
20. When the bread arrived, it was gobbled down by the hungry guests.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Device Definition
1. anaphora the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
2. epistrophe the repetition of a word at the end of each phrase or clause: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
3. analogy the comparison of two pairs that have the same relationship. The key is to ascertain the relationship between the first so you can choose the correct second pair. Part to whole, opposites, results of are types of relationships you should find
4. apostrophe interruption of thought to directly address a person or a personification: “So, I ask you, dear reader, what would you have me do?”
5. * imagery language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching
6. counterpoints contrasting ideas such as black/white, darkness/light, good/bad
7. * hyperbole exaggeration or overstatement
8. irony an expression, often humorous or sarcastic, that exposes perversity or absurdity
Aristotelian Appeals
9. logos appeals to the head using logic, numbers, explanations, and facts. Through Logos, a writer aims at a person's intellect. The idea is that if you are logical, you will understand
10. ethos appeals to the conscience, ethics, morals, standards, values, principles
