Rhetorical Devices

A question asked for effect, not to get an answer.

"Who would not want a cleaner, safer town?"

Asking a question and then immediately answering it.

"Why should we act now? Because tomorrow will be too late."

Anticipating an objection and answering it in advance.

"Some will say it is too expensive - but doing nothing will cost far more."

Drawing attention to something by claiming not to mention it.

"I will not even mention my opponent's three failed businesses."

Expressing real or pretended doubt about what to say or do.

"Where do I even begin to thank you all?"

Repeating an idea while adding detail to stress its importance.

"Rain - cold, relentless, soaking rain - fell all week."

Appealing to the speaker's credibility, expertise or character.

"As a doctor with twenty years' experience, I urge you to get vaccinated."

Appealing to the audience's emotions.

"Imagine a child waking up cold and hungry tonight."

Appealing to logic, facts and reasoning.

"Recycling one tonne of paper saves around 17 trees."

Choosing the right, timely moment to make an argument.

"Right after the flood, she pushed for new flood defences."

Repeating the same word or phrase at the start of successive clauses.

""We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds..." - Winston Churchill"

Repeating the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.

""...government of the people, by the people, for the people..." - Abraham Lincoln"

Combining anaphora and epistrophe: same start and same end.

"When we are tired, we keep going. When we are doubted, we keep going."

Ending one clause with the word that begins the next.

""Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." - Yoda"

Repeating a word several times in a row for emphasis.

"Location, location, location."

A series of three parallel words, phrases or clauses.

""Veni, vidi, vici" - I came, I saw, I conquered. (Julius Caesar)"

Placing contrasting ideas in balanced, parallel structure.

""That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." - Neil Armstrong"

Reversing the grammatical structure of a phrase in the next.

""Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.""

Repeating words in reverse order in the next clause.

""Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy"

Using the same grammatical pattern for related ideas.

"She likes reading, writing and painting."

Leaving out conjunctions between items for speed and force.

"He was brave, strong, kind, honest."

Using many conjunctions in close succession for emphasis.

"We have ships and men and money and stores."

Arranging words or ideas in order of increasing importance.

"It is a crime, a disgrace, a tragedy."

Inserting an extra word, phrase or sentence as an aside.

"The results - and this surprised everyone - were excellent."