Rhetorical
Devices

Master the persuasive techniques authors use to shape meaning, and learn how to identify their effects on the ACT Reading section.

ACT Reading

What Are Rhetorical Devices?

Rhetorical devices are deliberate techniques that writers and speakers use to persuade, emphasize, or evoke emotion in their audience. They go beyond simple word choice: they shape how ideas land in the reader's mind.

Why They Matter on the ACT

Craft & Structure

Roughly 25-30% of ACT Reading questions ask about author technique, purpose, and structure.

Author's Purpose

Recognizing a device helps you infer why the author wrote something, not just what it says.

Tone & Effect

Devices shift tone: irony undercuts, repetition amplifies, analogy clarifies. Spotting them reveals tone.

The Three Pillars of Persuasion

Core Categories of Devices

Simile vs. Metaphor vs. Analogy

	Simile	Metaphor	Analogy
Signal Words	"like," "as"	None: direct	Extended comparison
Length	Single phrase	Single phrase	Sentence to paragraph
Purpose	Vivid image	Identity shift	Explain the unfamiliar
Example	"Sharp as a tack"	"Time is money"	"The brain is like a computer..."

The Power of Repetition

Anaphora

Repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Creates rhythm and emphasis.

Parallelism

Using the same grammatical structure in a series. Creates balance and memorability.

Epistrophe

Repeating a word at the end of successive clauses. Drives home a final point.

Contrast & Irony

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what you mean. Creates a gap between words and intention.

Understatement

Deliberately minimizing something's importance. Draws attention by saying less.

Antithesis

Placing opposing ideas in parallel structure. Sharpens the contrast between concepts.

The RIDE Method

R

Read the question first. Know whether it asks about purpose, effect, or meaning before reading the passage excerpt.

I

Identify the technique. Look for signal patterns: repeated words, "like/as," contrasting pairs, or exaggeration.

D

Determine the effect. Ask: does this emphasize, persuade, clarify, create humor, or evoke emotion?

E

Eliminate wrong answers. Cross out choices that name a different effect or that the passage doesn't support.

Example 1: Identifying Metaphor

1

Spot the device: "The classroom was a zoo" uses no "like" or "as" for the main comparison: it's a metaphor.

2

Note the bonus: "papers flying like confetti" uses "like," making it a simile layered on top.

3

Determine effect: The metaphor creates a vivid, chaotic image that conveys the classroom's disorder more powerfully than simply saying "it was noisy."

Example 2: Spotting Anaphora

1

Pattern spotted: "We shall" repeats at the beginning of each clause: this is anaphora.

2

Effect: Builds a sense of determination and resolve. The repetition makes the commitment feel unbreakable.

3

ACT answer phrasing: Look for choices like "to emphasize the speaker's unwavering commitment" or "to create a sense of mounting resolve."

Example 3: Recognizing Irony

1

Device: Maria's words express the opposite of her real feeling. This is verbal irony combined with understatement.

2

Effect: Reveals Maria's coping mechanism: humor in the face of loss. Creates a bittersweet, resilient tone.

3

ACT answer phrasing: Correct choices often say "to reveal the character's resilience" or "to create a contrast between the situation and the response."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✕ Naming the Device

The ACT rarely asks you to identify a device by name. If you pick "the author uses a simile" without explaining the effect, you'll miss the point.

✕ Confusing Tone with Topic

A passage about war isn't automatically "angry." Look at how the author writes: irony can make a war passage feel resigned, not furious.

✕ Over-Generalizing Effect

Saying a device "makes it more interesting" is too vague. Be specific: does it emphasize, contrast, persuade, or evoke sympathy?

Signal Words Cheat Sheet

Device	Signal Words / Patterns	Effect on Reader
Simile	"like," "as," "resembles"	Creates vivid imagery
Metaphor	"is," "was," "became" (no "like")	Transforms understanding
Anaphora	Same words at clause start	Builds emphasis / rhythm
Antithesis	Contrasting pairs in parallel	Sharpens a distinction
Verbal Irony	Tone mismatch with content	Creates humor or critique
Understatement	Minimizing language	Draws attention by restraint

Devices on the ACT: Question Types

Question 1 of 5

"We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."

▼ Tap to read passage

The repetition of "we will not" at the beginning of each clause is an example of which device, and what is its primary effect?

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Here, "we will not" hammers home the speaker's determination, making the commitment feel absolute.

Question 2 of 5

"The diplomat described the international crisis as 'a minor disagreement' between the two nuclear powers."

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The phrase "a minor disagreement" is best described as:

Calling a nuclear crisis "a minor disagreement" deliberately minimizes its gravity. This understatement ironically draws the reader's attention to how serious the situation actually is.

Question 3 of 5

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness."

▼ Tap to read passage

The author's use of contrasting pairs in parallel structure primarily serves to:

This is antithesis: opposing ideas ("best/worst," "wisdom/foolishness") placed in parallel structure. The effect is to capture the era's inherent contradictions, showing that both extremes coexisted.

Question 4 of 5

"The news hit her like a freight train, and for a moment the world stopped spinning. She stood in the doorway, a statue frozen mid-step, unable to process what she had just heard."

▼ Tap to read passage

Which rhetorical devices are present in this excerpt, and what is their combined effect?

"Like a freight train" is a simile (uses "like"), conveying overwhelming force. "A statue frozen mid-step" is a metaphor (no "like/as"), conveying paralysis. Together they show the news was both powerful and immobilizing.

Question 5 of 5

A student claims: "The author's use of the phrase 'the heart of the city' is an example of personification because it gives the city a human organ, and its primary effect is to make the city seem alive and emotional."

▼ Tap to read passage

What is the most significant weakness in this student's analysis?

"Heart of the city" is a dead metaphor: it simply means "center" and no longer evokes a literal heart. The student over-reads the phrase as personification. On the ACT, avoid attributing strong effects to common expressions that have lost their figurative power.

RhetoricalDevices

What Are Rhetorical Devices?

Why They Matter on the ACT

The Three Pillars of Persuasion

Core Categories of Devices

Simile vs. Metaphor vs. Analogy

The Power of Repetition

Contrast & Irony

The RIDE Method

Example 1: Identifying Metaphor

Example 2: Spotting Anaphora

Example 3: Recognizing Irony

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Signal Words Cheat Sheet

Devices on the ACT: Question Types

Question 1 of 5

Question 2 of 5

Question 3 of 5

Question 4 of 5

Question 5 of 5

Rhetorical
Devices