Rhetorical Structures — The Songs That Moved the World
Grammar: Rhetorical structures: tricolon, anaphora, antithesis
Free ESL grammar exercise on rhetorical structures themed around the songs that moved the world. Printable worksheet from classplan.ai.
What's on this worksheet
A Level 6 (proficiency) ESL grammar exercise on culture, practising rhetorical structures: tricolon, anaphora, antithesis. The worksheet has a short reading excerpt, a grammar reference and graded practice items.
From the reading
Shanties coded resistance, geography, and solidarity — three layers woven into every verse.
Grammar: Rhetorical Structures
- Tricolon
- Three parallel elements for cumulative force. They sang at dawn, at dusk, and in the eye of every storm.
- Anaphora
- Repeated opening phrase across clauses. They sang because they were tired. They sang because they were afraid.
Sample items
- The shantyman sang. The crew pulled. The rope moved. → Combine as a tricolon.
- They trusted the rhythm. They trusted the shantyman. They trusted each other. → Use anaphora.
- The song was not decorative. It was essential. → Rewrite as antithesis.
Subscribe to access the full exercise
View Plans