English language techniques Flashcards
Alliteration
The same letter/sound at the beginning of words which are close together, eg “bright blue balloon”
Anecdote
A short personal story which illustrates the point or idea being discussed
Assonance
The same VOWEL (a,e,i,o,u) sound repeated in a phrase or stanza. eg “insistent drizzle irritating me.”
Clause
A phrase which is a ‘thought’, usually with a subject and verb eg “The tiger growled.”
Climax
The most intense, gripping moment in a story; the top of the five-part ‘mountain’
Complex sentence
A sentence where at least one clause is dependent on the main clause. Eg “The tiger, which was a particularly fierce one, growled when it saw the hyena approach.”
Compound sentence
A sentence with two independent clauses eg “The tiger growled but it was not looking for its prey.” and a connective joining them.
Consonance
The same CONSONANT sound repeated within words in a phrase or stanza: “the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle.”
Ellipsis
he … used to create tension and a strong pause.
Metaphor
When something is said to be another thing, for effect eg “Her eyes were blue sapphires.”
Narrator - first person
Writing told from the writer’s point of view. Eg “I woke up and I thought about breakfast..”
Narrator - third person
Writing where the writer uses the third person eg, “She drew her sword. He prepared to defend himself.”
Onomatopoeia
When a word sounds like what it means. Eg ‘whisper’ or ‘crackle’.
Pathetic fallacy
When we attribute human mood to the natural world. E.g. the sun smiled down
Persona
The narrator ‘character’ in a piece of writing. Usually in first person writing the “I” is not actually the author him/herself talking, but a first person ‘character’.
Personification
When you give an object/thing human characteristics.
Prose
Writing which is continuous and not a poem. Eg any novel or short story.
Repetition
When a phrase or word is used several times. eg “The dark night gave way to a dark day.”
Sibilance
The repetition of ‘s’ or ‘sh’ in words close together. Eg “Slithering silently the snake hissed”
Simile
When you compare an object person or thing to something else using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Simple sentence
A sentence which has a subject, verb and object. Eg “The dog ate a bone.”
Structure
The ‘storyline’ or ‘shape’ of the text: it’s beginning middle & end. Also the rise & fall in tension.
Symbolism
A general word which means using one small idea or thing to represent a larger idea. Eg a dove represents peace, or a leaf could represent nature.
Theme
An idea or group of related images which run throughout a text.
Tone
The overall feeling of the author’s voice in the text.
Viewpoint
The perspective or point of view from which a writer is writing. ie 1st, 2nd or 3rd person
