What rhetorical technique is used when an author anticipates a potential objection and addresses it directly before opponents can raise it?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Procatalepsis (pre-emptive refutation)
- Step 1: Procatalepsis (or prolepsis) is a rhetorical strategy in which a writer raises an objection to their own argument and then immediately answers or refutes it.
- Step 2: This anticipates skepticism, diffuses objections, and strengthens the author's persuasive stance.
Answer
Procatalepsis (pre-emptive refutation).
Why not the others: 'Hyperbole (deliberate rhetorical exaggeration)' is the use of extreme exaggeration for emphasis; 'Anaphora (repetition of words at beginning of lines)' is a poetic/rhetorical repetition device; 'Ad hominem (direct personal character attack)' is a logical fallacy attacking the speaker.
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