1. What is the purpose of using comparisons in writing, and how do they help readers understand complex subjects?

2. Why must comparisons be mutually understood by both the writer and audience to be effective?

1. How do similes and metaphors differ in structure, and what is the advantage of each type of comparison?

2. What happens to a comparison's effectiveness when the audience lacks shared understanding of the reference?

3. How does Didion's metaphor comparing living in Death Valley to experiencing antimatter convey her ideas about morality without explicit explanation?

1. What is an analogy and how does it differ from a simile or metaphor?

2. How can analogies be used in deductive reasoning to support an argument?

3. What are false analogies and why do they undermine a writer's credibility?

1. What is an anecdote and how does it function differently from other types of comparisons?

2. What purposes can anecdotes serve in developing an argument?

1. What are the main purposes writers have for using comparisons in arguments?

2. How does King's comparison of justice to rolling waters and righteousness to a mighty stream create emotional resonance with his audience?

3. What questions should writers ask when evaluating whether a comparison is effective for their audience?

1. Why is shared understanding between writer and audience essential for a comparison to advance the writer's purpose?

2. How does Ann Richards use the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers comparison to address gender inequality without alienating her audience?

1. What is diction and how can a single word choice affect a writer's credibility and message clarity?

2. How do sensory words enhance reader engagement and emotional response in an argument?

3. What are the different categories of diction and how does the rhetorical situation guide a writer's word choices?

1. How can a writer's word choices reveal personal bias, and what effect does bias have on audience credibility?

2. How does Gordon Gekko's diction in the Wall Street speech use positive connotations to manipulate his audience's perception of greed?

1. What is syntax and how does the arrangement of words influence an audience's acceptance or rejection of an argument?

1. How does sentence length affect the rhythm and emotional impact of writing?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using primarily short sentences in an argument?

3. How does varied sentence length in the polar bear examples create different effects and engage readers differently?

1. How can punctuation be used to control meaning, tone, and emphasis in a sentence?

2. How do semicolons establish relationships between ideas in a sentence?

1. How does Didion use repetition of key words and parallel sentence structures to emphasize her main ideas?

2. Why is repetition effective when it reinforces key concepts without becoming redundant?

1. Why are audiences considered unique and dynamic rather than uniform groups with identical beliefs?

2. How did Ann Richards account for the diversity within her Democratic National Convention audience when crafting her speech?

1. How did the drafters of the Declaration of Independence revise their language to appeal to multiple audiences with different perspectives?

2. What was the significance of Benjamin Franklin's change from 'sacred' to 'self-evident' in the Declaration of Independence?

3. Why did the Declaration's authors choose not to address slavery directly, and what does this reveal about their consideration of audience?

1. What audience did Didion have in mind when writing 'On Morality' for The American Scholar, and how did this influence her evidence choices?

2. How does Didion's use of the desert as a metaphor reflect both her immediate context and her awareness of future audiences?

3. How does Didion's alternating diction between simple and academic language reflect her attitudes toward different aspects of morality?