Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Academic English > Definitions Quiz (literacy Terms) > Flashcards

Definitions Quiz (literacy Terms) Flashcards

1
Q

Foreboding

A

Fearful apprehension, a feeling something bad will happen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Metaphor

A

Direct comparison to 2 unlike things without using like, as or than

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Dramatic irony

A

Situation in which the audience has knowledge the character is lacking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Verbal irony

A

Statement made by an individual, stating one thing but implying another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Situational irony

A

Incongruity between what we are led to believe by the author to expect will happen and the actual outcome of events

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Pathos

A

Feeling of extreme sympathy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Pathetic fallacy

A

When nature mirrors human actions or emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Theme

A

Central topic a text treats

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Biblical allusion

A

Reference to the bible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Historical allusion

A

Reference to historical event

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Literal allusion

A

Reference to another work of literature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Personification

A

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Plot

A

Plot is a literary term used to describe the events that make up a story or the main part of a story. These events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence. The structure of a novel depends on the organization of events in the plot of the story

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Exposition

A

introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc. to the audience or readers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Inciting force

A

The event or character that triggers the conflict.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Rising action

A

series of events when action increases in interest leading to climax

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Falling action

A

conflict is unraveled; events leading to resolution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Crisis

A

The conflict reaches a turning point. At this point the opposing forces in the story meet and the conflict becomes most intense. The crisis occurs before or at the same time as the climax.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Climax

A

The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Dénouement

A

Definition of Denouement The denouement of a story occurs just after the climax and is the final moment in which there is resolution for any remaining conflicts in the plot. All the loose ends of the plot are tied up in this last scene, secrets are revealed, and there may be a sense of catharsis for the reader or audience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Internal conflict

A

a struggle that occurs in a character’s mind; man vs. himself

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

External conflict

A

struggle between two opposing forces outside of a character’s mind; man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Round character

A

character who exemplifies a lot of traits; well-developed; multi-faceted;reader knows more about them


How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Flat character

A

a character who is not well developed; you see only one trait

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Static character

A

a character who remains the same throughout the story; not changed by the action of the plot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Dynamic character

A

a charecter who develops, grows, changes, during the course of the action of the story

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Protagonist

A

The main character in the story

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Antagonist

A

Opposition to the main character

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Stock character

A

Understands a character from traditions (stereotypical)

25
Q

Foil character

A

Highlights characteristics in another character

26
Q

Setting

A

the time, place, and historical context in which a story takes place

27
Q

Time

A

Period when story takes place (era)

28
Q

Place

A

Area where story takes place

29
Q

Atmosphere

A

Feelings or emotions a writer conveys

30
Q

Point of view

A

vantage from which the story is told; determines the type and amount of information the writer can reveal

31
Q

1st person

A

the story is told by a character using the pronoun “I”; the reader sees only what the character reveals; the narrator may not be reliable; the reader often connects personally with the narrator

32
Q

3rd person point of view objective

A

The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.

33
Q

Third person limited

A

The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.

34
Q

Third person omniscient

A

The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

35
Q

Stream of consciousness

A

A persons thoughts and conscious reactions to events perceived as a conscious flow, uninterrupted by objective

36
Q

Instructive narrator

A

Allows the novel tone used for general moral contemporary

37
Q

Naive

A

Most often a character within a story whose voice is used to create a sense of ironic observations through their own in experience

38
Q

Meditative narrator

A

Protagonist and antagonist narrarate story

39
Q

Bias

A

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair

40
Q

Tone

A

The attitude of a writer toward subject or audience (voice within writing)

41
Q

Personification

A

Human traits are given to non-human things

42
Q

Figurative language

A

Figurative language is using figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive and impactful. Figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, allusions go beyond the literal meanings of the words to give the readers new insights

43
Q

Allusion

A

Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.

44
Q

Imagery

A

Uses words that appeal to sense and that paints a picture using words

45
Q

Visual imagery

A

Visual imagery appeals to the sense of sight, and plays the largest role in imagery in literature. It describes what a scene or character looks like

46
Q

Auditory imagery

A

Auditory imagery describes specific sounds that are happening within the story

47
Q

Symbolism

A

the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.

48
Q

Motif

A

Is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work with a symbolic significance that helps develop theme

49
Q

Foreshadowing

A

Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story

50
Q

Flashback

A

Flashbacks are interruptions that writers do to insert past events in order to provide background or context to the current events of a narrative. By using flashbacks, writers allow their readers to gain insight into a character’s motivation and provide a background to a current conflict.

51
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.

52
Q

Hyperbole

A

Extreme exaggeration

53
Q

Understatement

A

An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.

54
Q

Paradox

A

It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas.

55
Q

Oxymoron

A

Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect

56
Q

Euphony

A

The literary device euphony is derived from the Greek word “euphonos” that means sweet-voiced. It can be defined as the use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having a wide range of noteworthy melody or loveliness in the sounds they create. It gives pleasing and soothing effects to the ears due to repeated vowels and smooth consonants

57
Q

Cacophony

A

If we speak literally, cacophony points to a situation where there is a mixture of harsh and inharmonious sounds. In literature, however, the term refers to the use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing and unmelodious sounds primarily those of consonants to achieve desired results.

58
Q

Allegory

A

An allegory is a work of art, such as a story or painting, in which the characters, images, and/or events act as symbols. The symbolism in an allegory can be interpreted to have a deeper meaning.

59
Q

Satire

A

Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire uses fictional characters, which stand for real people, to expose and condemn their corruption.

60
Q

Diction

A

Diction can be defined as style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer

61
Q

Denotation

A

Denotation is generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings.

62
Q

Connotation

A

Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations.

63
Q

Dialect

A

The language used by the people of a specific area, class, district or any other group of people. The term dialect involves the spelling, sounds, grammar and pronunciation used by a particular group of people and it distinguishes them from other people around them.

64
Q

Irony

A

The use of irony in literature refers to playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence or word is actually different from the literal meaning.

65
Q

Allusion

A

An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned.

Academic English (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions