The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
Have you ever been talked into something — but you have no idea why you changed your mind? Chances are, rhetorical tools were at work. Rhetorical language informs, persuades or motivates audiences by appealing to emotions, as well as shared values or logic. You'll find examples of rhetoric in literature, politics and advertising, all designed to form (or change) an audience's opinion.
Sometimes, when we read a given portion of text, we’re not entirely sure what’s going on. This is where context clues come in. Context clues provide further information about a word or phrase that helps readers understand its meaning. These clues offer insight - either directly or indirectly - into the portion of text that’s difficult to understand. Let’s explore various examples of context clues to see how they work.