英语修辞学考试复习重点

Rhetorical options

*1、What is rhetoric?( Definitions of rhetoric)

the art or science of communication in words; this art or science practiced or taught as a formal discipline, esp. the doctrine formulated by Aristotle and taught throughout the Middle ages; overornate or ostentatious language. (Longman Modern English Dictionary)

2、What’s the purpose of rhetoric?（两种说法）

①The prevailing view about the purpose of rhetoric is to express oneself well and to communicate effectively in order to secure a desired result by employing rhetorical means efficiently.

②“to enlighten the understanding , to please the imagination, to move the passion ,or to influence the will.” “促进理解、引起想象、调动感情、或者说影响人们的意志” (18世纪苏格兰修辞学家George Campbell）

*3、What is discussed in rhetoric?（contents of rhetorical）

Rhetoric is composed of theoretical rhetoric and practical rhetoric. Theoretical rhetoric deals with the theoretical problem of rhetoric, while practical rhetoric helps us improve our ability to use the English language effectively.

rhetoric covers all the elements of oral and written things, including structure, diction. Rhythm, tone, style, and anything related to the effective use of language.

4、The Highest Principles of Rhetoric

the highest principle of rhetoric is to adapt to specific situation, that is, “adaptability”or “appropriateness”.

Sentence（syntactic device）

1、What is sentence？

A sentence is a group of words which expresses a complete thought. Generally, an effective sentence must possess five essential qualities: correctness, clearness, unity, coherence and emphasis.(正确、清楚、统一、连贯、强调）

2、句子的组成

A sentence must contain a subject and a verb (although one may be implied).

①words

②correct grammar

③meaning

3、句子的分类

Sentences may be classified according to Grammar or Rhetoric as to meaning and as to form:

Grammatical Classification of Sentences

I. As to meaning: II. As to Form:

1. Declarative Sentence 1. Simple Sentence

2. Interrogative Sentence 2. Compound Sentence（并列）

3. Imperative Sentence 3. Complex Sentence （复合）

4. Exclamatory Sentence 4. Compound –Complex Sentence

Rhetorical Classification of Sentences

III. As to Arrangement

1. Periodic Sentence （圆周句）left-branching sentence

2. Loose Sentence（松散句）right-branching sentence

3. Balanced Sentence

4、The short and long sentence

①Short sentences, on the whole, are characterized by their brevity, quick tempo and force. The short sentence is relatively simple in form, clear in grammatical relation, and terse and forceful in style.

②Long sentence is relatively complex in form, fully expressive in capacity, and often used in formal style to show one’s complicated mentality or various kinds of relationship of different things.

5、the simple，compound and complex sentence

①A Simple sentence has only one clause to make a statement, and so it is good for directness and clearness.

②The Compound Sentence consists of two or more independent clauses which are of equal status, that is, the clauses are paratactic (parallel; coordinate) in relationship.

③The complex sentence makes clear the logical relationship between events or ideas through subordination. Subordinate clauses are named according to their functions.

Left-branching sentence(periodic sentence)：

*6、the branching sentences

Right-branching sentence（loose sentence）：

Left-branching sentence(periodic sentence)：the periodic sentence has its main idea at the end of the sentence.supportive or qualifying information are placed before the main clause or assertion. Right-branching sentence（loose sentence）：in a loose sentence, the main idea is put at the beginning of the sentence,and supportive or qualifying information comes from it.

*7、Balanced sentence：When a sentence contains tow parallel clauses similar in structure but