English Techniques Flashcards
Alliteration
When we begin two or more words in a sentence or phrase with the same consonant sound
Allusion
When a text makes an indirect reference to an event in history (historical allusion), a story from the bible (biblical allusion), another written text (literary allusion) or a famous myth (mythical allusion)
Anadiplosis
A type of repetition where we start a new sentence or phrase in the same way that we ended the last sentence of the phrase
Anaphora
A type of repetition - when we repeat a word/s at the beginning of two or more sentences or phrases
Anthropomorphism
When. we give human actions, emotions or characteristics to a god or animal
Antimetabole
When we turn a phrase inside out or repeat the phrase in the reverse order
Apostrophe
Addressing an inanimate object
Assonance
When we repeat vowel sounds in two or more words that are close to each other
Asyndeton
A series of words separated by commas with no conjugation
Caesura
Pause or interruption to the mood of the poem usually marked by some form of punctuation such as ellipsis or a dash
Cliché
An overused expression or idea
Colloquial Language
Informal expressions used in everyday language by common people - often words are abbreviated
Consonance
When we repeat a consonant sound two or more times in a sentence or phrase, but the sound does not need to be at the beginning of the world
Contrast
When we put two things that are unlike each other side by side so that we can see their differences
Dialogue
When characters in a text speak to each other
Direct Address
When we use the second person (you) to speak directly to the responder
Disjunction
When we use a conjunction such as ‘but’ or ‘yet’ to dramatically interrupt the rhythm of a sentence
Ellipsis
A dramatic pause, indicated by three dots (…)
Epistrophe
When we repeat a word/s at the end of two or more sentences or phrases
Epizeuxis
When we repeat words or phrases two or more times immediately after each other
Euphemism
When we use polite or indirect expressions to replace words or phrases that are considered impolite or harsh
Foreshadowing
A way of hinting at what will happen in the future
Fricative Sounds
Soft sounds created by letter such as /s/, /sh/, /f/ and /th/
Hyperbole
When we use exaggeration
Hypophora
When we ask a question and then immediately answer or own question
Idiom
A recognisable or well-known phrase - these phrases are metaphorical and different cultures have different phrases that are well known
Imagery
Auditory: engages the sense of hearing Gustatory: engages the sense of taste Kinesthetic: engages the sense of movement or action Olfactory: engages the sense of smell Tactile: engages the sense of touch Visual: engages the sense of sight
Imperative
A command or an order
Inclusive language
When we use the third person plural: ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’
Irony
When what is said does not match up with what we understand or when what expect to happen doesn’t actually take place
Jargon
The specialist language is used in different trades, occupations, sports, hobbies etc.
Juxtaposition
When we place two different or opposite things (such as characters, ideas, places or actions) side by side with each other
Metaphor
When we portray a person, place, thing or action as being something else, even though it is not really that ‘something else’
Modality
When we say things with certainty, we are using high modality
When we say things in an uncertain way, we are using low modality
Motif
An idea, image or symbol that reoccurs throughout a text
Neologism
A new word or expression or suing an old word in a new way
Onomatopoeia
When we use words to spell out sounds
Oxymoron
Two words side by side that contradict one another
Paradox
When we use a statement that appears to contradict itself but contains some truth to it
Parallelism
Using similar language, structure, events, characters or ideas in different parts of a text
Personification
When we give human qualities (such as actions or emotions) to object that is not living
Plosive Sounds
Hard sounds created by letters such as /t/, /p/, /k/, /c/, /d/ and /b/
Polysyndeton
When we use too many conjugations in a sentence
Pun
A play on words that are created by using a word that suggests two or more meanings
Repetition
When we repeat a word, phrase or structure several times, usually in close proximity
Incremental repetition
A line is repeated in a changed context, or with minor changes in repeated pars
Rhetorical Question
When we ask a question, not to receive an answer but to make the responder think
Semantic field
Semantic field - a collection of words (of verbs or adjectives or nouns) that are related to one another be it through their similar meaning or through a more abstract relation
Sibilance
When we repeat two or more words that begin with the letter /s/ in a sentence or phrase
Symbolism
When we use objects or images to represent abstract ideas
Theriomorphism
When we give humans the characteristics or the actions of an animal
Tone
Using words or voice to convey an emotion - when identifying this technique, you must always use an adjective to describe what the emotion is
Truncated Sentence
An incomplete sentence
Voice
Collective Voice: the voice of a group which could either be a community, a particular racial or gender group
Omniscient Voice: all knowing or objective voice
Intrusive Voice: 1st or 3rd person who intrudes by commenting or shaping our reactions
Self-conscious Voice: a narrator is aware they are telling a story and will often comment on their own narrative (or meta-narrative). A key feature of post-modernism
Multiple Voices: several voices being represented in a text, involving/composed of /the perspective of more than one person
Unreliable Voice (or can say unreliable narrator): provides incomplete or inaccurate information, may be a twist at the end, very narrow focus of own perspective in text
Enjambment
Continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break
Synaesthesia
Rhetorical device or figure of speech where one sense is described in terms of another
