Figuritive Language Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables
Simile
A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as
Cliche
A word or phrase that has become overly familiar or commonplace
Hyperbole
Big exaggeration, usually with humor
Idiom
The language peculiar to a group of people
Metaphor
Comparing two things by using one kind of object or using in place of another to suggest the likeness between them
Onomatopoeia
Naming a thing or an action by imitating the sound associated with it
Assonance
is a figure of speech that involves the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. This can help create a musical effect within the text. Examples include “The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain” and “The early bird catches the worm.
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a term that features two words that appear to contradict each other but make sense of the situation overall. This rhetorical device is often used for humor or to make a point. Examples include “jumbo shrimp,” “civil war,” and “deafening silence
Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language. It is used to give an inanimate object or item a sense of being alive. The speaker would talk to the object as if it could understand and was intelligent. This helps create a more vivid and relatable image for the reader.
For example, “The wind whispered through the trees” paints a picture of a gentle breeze by giving it the human action of whispering
Irony
Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of what is actually said eg: if it were a cold, rainy gray day, you might say, “What a beautiful day
Repetition
The definition of repetition in poetry is repeating words, phrases, lines, or stanzas. It is an intentional technique that the author uses throughout the poem
Sibilance
Sibilance is a type of literary device and figure of speech wherein a hissing sound is created in a group of words through the repetition of ‘s’ sounds
Stanza
Another name for Paragraphs in poetry division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme
Punctuating sentences
Use a comma to create a pause to separate ideas in the sentence
Example: “Hello”! I’ll be there at 3:30 P.M.
Brackets
Punctuation mark stuff we used to include parentheses (a word or phrase inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, in writing usually marked off by brackets, dashes, or commas.) or additional information to a sentence.
Apostrophe
A punctuation mark used to indicate either possession
Pre position
A word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to show location, time or object
Coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions are : for, and, nor, but, or ,yet ,so
Punctuation direct speech
Add a pair of inverted commas around the words spoken by the character
Adjectives
A word naming an attribute of announced such as sweet, red or technical
Verbs
Words that represent actions that are external and internal 
Pronouns
A type of word that replaces a noun such as: she, he, them, and this
Simple sentences
Identifying a simple sentence is quite straightforward once you understand its structure. A simple sentence consists of just one independent clause, meaning it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you identify simple sentences easily:
- Look for a subject: The subject is typically the noun or pronoun that performs the action in the sentence. It answers the question “who” or “what” the sentence is about.
- Find the verb: The verb is the action word in the sentence. It describes what the subject is doing.
- Check for a complete thought: A simple sentence expresses a complete idea or thought. It can stand alone as a complete sentence without needing additional information.
- Look for additional clauses or phrases: Simple sentences don’t contain dependent clauses (clauses that cannot stand alone as complete sentences) or complex phrases. If you see additional clauses or phrases, the sentence is likely not simple.
For example:
- “The cat sleeps.” (Subject: The cat, Verb: sleeps) This sentence contains one subject and one verb and expresses a complete thought, so it’s a simple sentence.
- “While I was sleeping, the cat knocked over the vase.” This sentence contains a dependent clause (“While I was sleeping”) and an independent clause (“the cat knocked over the vase”), so it’s not a simple sentence.
By following these steps and analyzing the components of a sentence, you can easily identify whether it’s simple or not.
Simple sentences
Identifying a simple sentence is quite straightforward once you understand its structure. A simple sentence consists of just one independent clause, meaning it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you identify simple sentences easily:
- Look for a subject: The subject is typically the noun or pronoun that performs the action in the sentence. It answers the question “who” or “what” the sentence is about.
- Find the verb: The verb is the action word in the sentence. It describes what the subject is doing.
- Check for a complete thought: A simple sentence expresses a complete idea or thought. It can stand alone as a complete sentence without needing additional information.
- Look for additional clauses or phrases: Simple sentences don’t contain dependent clauses (clauses that cannot stand alone as complete sentences) or complex phrases. If you see additional clauses or phrases, the sentence is likely not simple.
For example:
- “The cat sleeps.” (Subject: The cat, Verb: sleeps) This sentence contains one subject and one verb and expresses a complete thought, so it’s a simple sentence.
- “While I was sleeping, the cat knocked over the vase.” This sentence contains a dependent clause (“While I was sleeping”) and an independent clause (“the cat knocked over the vase”), so it’s not a simple sentence.
By following these steps and analyzing the components of a sentence, you can easily identify whether it’s simple or not.
Compound sentence
Identifying compound sentences involves recognizing the presence of multiple independent clauses joined together. Here’s a simple guide to help you identify compound sentences easily:
- Look for multiple subjects and verbs: Compound sentences consist of two or more independent clauses, each with its own subject and verb.
- Identify coordinating conjunctions: These are words like “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor,” “for,” “so,” and “yet” that join independent clauses together. When you see one of these coordinating conjunctions, it often indicates a compound sentence.
- Find semicolons: In some cases, independent clauses in compound sentences are joined by semicolons instead of coordinating conjunctions. Semicolons indicate a strong connection between the independent clauses.
- Check for comma + coordinating conjunction: Sometimes, independent clauses in compound sentences are joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. This conjunction acts as a bridge between the two clauses.
For example:
- “I like to read, and she likes to write.” (Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction “and”.)
- “She sings beautifully; her voice is like an angel’s.” (Two independent clauses joined by a semicolon.)
- “He ran quickly, but he missed the bus.” (Two independent clauses joined by a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but”.)
By looking for these indicators—multiple subjects and verbs, coordinating conjunctions, semicolons, or comma + coordinating conjunction—you can easily identify compound sentences.
Complex sentence
Identifying complex sentences involves recognizing the presence of at least one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you identify complex sentences easily:
- Find the independent clause: Start by identifying the main clause in the sentence, which contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
- Look for dependent clauses: Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences because they rely on the independent clause for meaning. They often begin with subordinating conjunctions such as “although,” “because,” “since,” “while,” “if,” “when,” etc.
- Check for relative pronouns: Relative pronouns like “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that” often introduce dependent clauses in complex sentences, especially in relative clauses.
- Identify the relationship between clauses: In complex sentences, the dependent clause typically adds extra information to the independent clause, providing context, explaining a cause-and-effect relationship, showing time sequence, or expressing contrast.
For example:
- “Although it was raining, we went for a walk.” (Independent clause: “we went for a walk”; Dependent clause: “Although it was raining”)
- “Because he studied hard, he passed the exam.” (Independent clause: “he passed the exam”; Dependent clause: “Because he studied hard”)
- “The book that I borrowed from the library is fascinating.” (Independent clause: “The book is fascinating”; Dependent clause: “that I borrowed from the library”)
By looking for these indicators— independent clauses, dependent clauses, subordinating conjunctions, and relative pronouns—you can easily identify complex sentences.
Complex sentence
Identifying complex sentences involves recognizing the presence of at least one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you identify complex sentences easily:
- Find the independent clause: Start by identifying the main clause in the sentence, which contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
- Look for dependent clauses: Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences because they rely on the independent clause for meaning. They often begin with subordinating conjunctions such as “although,” “because,” “since,” “while,” “if,” “when,” etc.
- Check for relative pronouns: Relative pronouns like “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that” often introduce dependent clauses in complex sentences, especially in relative clauses.
- Identify the relationship between clauses: In complex sentences, the dependent clause typically adds extra information to the independent clause, providing context, explaining a cause-and-effect relationship, showing time sequence, or expressing contrast.
For example:
- “Although it was raining, we went for a walk.” (Independent clause: “we went for a walk”; Dependent clause: “Although it was raining”)
- “Because he studied hard, he passed the exam.” (Independent clause: “he passed the exam”; Dependent clause: “Because he studied hard”)
- “The book that I borrowed from the library is fascinating.” (Independent clause: “The book is fascinating”; Dependent clause: “that I borrowed from the library”)
By looking for these indicators— independent clauses, dependent clauses, subordinating conjunctions, and relative pronouns—you can easily identify complex sentences.
