Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

GCSE English > GCSE Language Paper 1&2 Key Vocabulary > Flashcards

GCSE Language Paper 1&2 Key Vocabulary Flashcards

1
Q

Adjective (Language)

A

A word that DESCRIBES a noun or pronoun, e.g. heavy, kind, unusual

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

Adverb (Language)

A

A word that gives EXTRA INFORMATION about a VERB, e.g. carefully, rarely, tightly.

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

Alliteration (Language & Literature)

A

When words that are CLOSE TOGETHER start with the SAME SOUND. e.g. “the Beat of the Band”.

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

Antithesis (Language & Literature)

A

A RHETORICAL TECHNIQUE where OPPOSING words or ideas are presented TOGETHER to show a contrast.

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

Assonance (Language & Literature)

A

Using words with SIMILAR VOWEL SOUNDS but different consonants. E.g. “thEY plAY in the waves.”

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

Audience (Language & Literature)

A

The PERSON or GROUP OF PEOPLE that read or listen to a text.

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

Biased writing (Language & Literature)

A

Gives MORE SUPPORT to one point of view than to another, due to the writer’s own OPINIONS affecting the way they write.

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

Chronological writing (Language)

A

Presented in TIME ORDER, from earliest to latest.

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

Cinematic writing (Language & Literature)

A

Writing that makes the reader feel like they are watching a FILM.

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

Clause (Language)

A

Part of a sentence that has a SUBJECT and a VERB. MAIN CLAUSES make sense on their own.

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

Cliffhanger (Language & Literature)

A

When a story, or a section of a story, ENDS in a DRAMATIC way that introduces a NEW PLOT or IDEA

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

Colloquial language (Language & Literature)

A

INFORMAL language that sounds like SPEECH.

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

Command (Language)

A

A sentence that TELLS the reader to do something.

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

Commentary (newspaper article). (Language)

A

A type of newspaper article that expresses the OPINIONS of the writer on a theme or news event. Also called a COLUMN or OPINIONS PIECE.

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

Complex sentence (Language)

A

A sentence that links together TWO OR MORE CLAUSES.

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

Compound sentence (Language)

A

Two MAIN CLAUSES joined to make one sentence using a CONJUNCTION such as ‘or’, ‘but’ or ‘and’. E.g. “The cat came in, AND the dog left the room” .

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

Connotations (Language & Literature)

A

The SUGGESTIONS that words can make BEYOND their obvious meaning. E.g. ‘stroll’ men’s ‘walk’, but it also has connotations of moving slowly.

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

Context (Language & Literature)

A

The BACKGROUND to something, or the situation SURROUNDING it, which affects the way it’s understood. E.g. the context of a text from 1915 would include the First World War.

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

Counter-argument (Language & Literature)

A

The OPPOSITE point of view to the writer’s own view. This is useful when writing to argue or persuade - first give the counter-argument, then explain why you DISAGREE with it.

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

Determiner (Language)

A

A word that goes before a NOUN to show possession or quantity (e.g. ‘his’ ‘two’).

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

Direct address (Language & Literature)

A

When a writer talks STRAIGHT TO THE READER, e.g. “you might recall…”

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

Double negative (Language & Literature)

A

A sentence construction that INCORRECTLY expresses a NEGATIVE IDEA by using TWO negative words or phrases, e.g. “I DON’T want NO trouble.”

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

Emotive language (Language)

A

Language that has an EMOTIONAL effect on the reader.

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

Empathy (Language)

A

The ability to IMAGINE and UNDERSTAND someone else’s FEELINGS or EXPERIENCE.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Exclamation (Language)
A sentence that conveys strong EMOTIONS, usually ending with an EXCLAMATION MARK.
26
Explicit information (Language)
Information that is DIRECTLY STATED in a text.
27
Figurative language (Language & Literature)
Language that is used in a NON-LITERAL way to create an effect, e.g. personification.
28
First person (Language & Literature)
A NARRATIVE VIEWPOINT where the narrator is one of the CHARACTERS, written using words like ‘I / we’.
29
Flashback (Language & Literature)
A writing technique where the narrator is one of the scene shifts from the PRESENT to an event in the PAST.
30
Foreshadowing (Language & Literature)
When a writer gives HINTS about what will happen later in the narrative.
31
Form (Language & Literature)
The TYPE of text, e.g. a letter, a speech or a newspaper article.
32
Frame narrative (Language & Literature)
An OVERARCHING story that contains OTHER STORIES within it.
33
Generalisation ( Language & Literature)
A statement that gives an OVERALL IMPRESSION (sometimes a misleading one), without going into details. E.g. “children today eat too much junk food.”
34
Hyperbole (Language & Literature)
When EXAGGERATION is used to have an EFFECT on the reader.
35
Imagery (Language & Literature)
A type of FIGURATIVE language that creates a PICTURE IN YOUR MIND, e.g. metaphors and similes.
36
Imperative verb (Language)
A verb that gives orders or directions, e.g. “RUN away” or “STOP that.”
37
Impersonal tone (Language)
A tone of writing that DOESN’T try to directly ENGAGE with the reader.
38
Implicit information (Language)
Information that is HINTED at WITHOUT being said outright.
39
Inference (Language & Literature)
A CONCLUSION reached about something, based on EVIDENCE. E.g. from the sentence “Yasmin wrinkled her nose at the lasagne”, you could INFER that Yasmin doesn’t like lasagne.
40
Intensifier (Language)
A word that is used ALONGSIDE an adjective to provide EMPHASIS, e.g. ‘VERY friendly.’
41
Inversion (Language & Literature)
Altering the NORMAL WORD ORDER for EMPHASIS, e.g. ‘on the table sat a hedgehog.’
42
Irony (Language & Literature)
Saying one thing but MEANING THE OPPOSITE. E.g. “what a great idea to go for a walk in a storm.”
43
Juxtaposition (Language & Literature)
When two CONTRASTING ideas are placed near or next to each other in a text.
44
Language (Language)
The CHOICE OF WORDS and PHRASES used.
45
Limited narrator (Language)
A narrator who only has PARTIAL KNOWLEDGE about the events or characters in a story.
46
Linear structure (Language & Literature)
A type of narrative structure that tells the events of a story in CHRONOLOGICAL order.
47
Linguistic devices (Language)
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES that are used to have an EFFECT on an audience, e.g. onomatopoeia.
48
List of three (Language & Literature)
Using THREE words (often adjectives) or phrases together to create EMPHASIS.
49
Metaphor (Language & Literature)
A way of DESCRIBING something by saying that it IS something else, e.g. “his eyes were emeralds”.
50
Motif (Language & Literature)
A RECURRING image or idea in a text.
51
Narrative (Language & Literature)
Writing that tells a STORY or describes an EXPERIENCE.
52
Narrative viewpoint (Language & Literature)
The PERSPECTIVE that a text is written from, e.g. FIRST-PERSON point of view.
53
Narrator (Language & Literature)
The VOICE or CHARACTER speaking the words of the narrative.
54
Non-linear structure (Language & Literature)
A type of narrative structure that tells the events of a story in a NON-CHRONOLOGICAL order.
55
Noun (Language)
A NAMING word that refers to a PERSON, THING, PLACE or IDEA, e.g. Alex, soul, Germany, love.
56
Objective writing (Language)
A NEUTRAL, UNBIASED style of writing which contains FACTS rather than opinions.
57
Omniscient narrator (Language & Literature)
A narrator who KNOWS the thoughts and feeling of all the characters in a narrative.
58
Onomatopoeia (Language & Literature)
A word that IMITATES the sound it describes as you say it, e.g. ‘whisper’, ‘buzz’.
59
Oxymoron (Language & Literature)
When two OPPOSING IDEAS are brought together in a word or phrase, e.g. “beautiful disaster”.
60
Paradox (Language & Literature)
A statement that CONTRADICTS ITSELF.
61
Paraphrase (Language)
Describing or rephrasing something in text WITHOUT including a direct quote.
62
Parenthesis (Language & Literature)
A RHETORICAL TECHNIQUE where an EXTRA clause or phrase is INSERTED into a complete sentence.
63
Pathetic fallacy (Language & Literature)
A kind of PERSONIFICATION where NATURE (often weather) is given HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS.
64
Personification (Language & Literature)
Describing a non-living thing as if it’s a PERSON. E.g. ‘the sea growled hungrily.’
65
Possessive determiner (Language)
A DETERMINER such as ‘your’ or ‘my’ that tells you who something BELONGS to.
66
Possessive pronoun (Language)
A PRONOUN such as ‘yours’ or ‘mine’ that tells you who something BELONGS to.
67
Pronoun (Language)
A word that can TAKE THE PLACE of a noun in a sentence, e.g. ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’.
68
Purpose (Language & Literature)
The REASON someone writes a text. E.g. to persuade, to argue, to advise, to inform.
69
Register (Language & Literature)
The specific LANGUAGE used to MATCH writing to the SOCIAL SITUATION that it’s for.
70
Rhetoric (Language & Literature)
Using LANGUAGE techniques (e.g. repetition or hyperbole) to achieve a persuasive EFFECT.
71
Rhetorical question (Language & Literature)
A question that DOESN’T NEED AN ANSWER. E.g. “why do we do this to ourselves.”
72
Sarcasm (Language & Literature)
Language that has a scornful or mocking tone, often using IRONY.
73
Satire (Language)
A style of text that MAKES FUN out of people or situations, often by IMITATION and EXAGGERATION.
74
Second person (Language & Literature)
A NARRATIVE VIEWPOINT that is written as if the READER is one of the CHARACTERS.
75
Sensory language (Language & Literature)
Language that appeals to the FIVE SENSES.
76
Sibilance (Language & Literature)
REPEATING sounds like ‘S’ and ‘SH’ to create a ‘HISSING’ or ‘SHUSHING’ effect, e.g. ‘the Slow Slug’.
77
Simile (Language & Literature)
A way of describing something by COMPARING it to something else, usually by using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. E.g. ‘he was as pale as the moon.’
78
Simple sentence (Language)
A sentence that is only made up of a SINGLE MAIN CLAUSE.
79
Slang (Language & Literature)
Words or phrases that are INFORMAL, and often specific to one AGE group or SOCIAL group.
80
Standard English (Language & Literature)
English that is considered to be CORRECT because it uses formal, standardised features of SPELLING and GRAMMAR.
81
Statement (Language)
A type of sentence that is used to deliver INFORMATION.
82
Structure (Language & Literature)
The ORDER and ARRANGEMENT of ideas in a text. E.g. how the text begins, develops and ends.
83
Style (Language & Literature)
The WAY that a text is WRITTEN, e.g. the type of language, sentence forms and structure used.
84
Subject (Language)
The person or thing that performs the action described by the verb. E.g. in ‘BILLY ate a sandwich’, Billy is the subject.
85
Superlative (Language & Literature)
The most EXTREME form of an ADJECTIVE or ADVERB. E.g. “Ted is the OLDEST man I know.”
86
Third person (Language & Literature)
A NARRATIVE VIEWPOINT where the narrator remains OUTSIDE the events of the story, written using words like ‘he’ and ‘she’.
87
Tone (Language & Literature)
The MOOD or FEELING of a piece of writing, e.g. happy, sad, serious, lighthearted.
88
Verb (Language)
A DOING or BEING word, e.g. dig, breathe, are, is.
89
Viewpoint (Language & Literature)
The ATTITUDE and BELIEFS that a writer is trying to convey.
90
Allegory (Literature)
When the CHARACTER, SETTINGS and EVENTS of a story are used to REPRESENT SOMETHING ELSE, e.g. ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.
91
Allegory (Literature)
When the CHARACTER, SETTINGS and EVENTS of a story are used to REPRESENT SOMETHING ELSE, e.g. ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.
92
Aside (Literature)
When a CHARACTER in a play makes a SHORT COMMENT that reveals their THOUGHTS to the AUDIENCE and no other character can hear it.
93
Blank verse (Literature)
Lines form a play or poem that are written in IAMBIC PARAMETER and DON’T RHYME.
94
Caesura (Literature)
A PAUSE in a line of poetry. E.g. the full stop in “over the drifted stream. My father spins”.
95
Chronological (Literature)
When events are arranged in the ORDER in which they HAPPENED.
96
Cyclical structure (Literature)
Where key elements at the START of the text REPEAT themselves at the END.
97
Dramatic irony (Literature)
When the reader or audience KNOWS SOMETHING that a character DOES NOT KNOW.
98
Dramatic monologue (Literature)
A FORM of poetry that uses the assumed voice of a SINGLE SPEAKER who is NOT THE POET to address an IMPLIED AUDIENCE.
99
Embedded narrative (Literature)
A story within the main story, e.g. the letters in ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’.
100
End-stopping (Literature)
Finishing a line of poetry with the END of a PHRASE OR SENTENCE, usually marked by punctuation.
101
Enjambment (Literature)
When a sentence or phrase runs over from ONE LINE or STANZA to the NEXT.
102
Free verse (Literature)
Poetry that DOESN’T RHYME and has NO REGULAR RHYTHM or LINE LENGTH.
103
Half rhymes (Literature)
Words that have a SIMILAR, but not identical, END SOUND. E.g. “plough” and “follow”.
104
Iambic parameter (Literature)
Poetry with a METRE of TEN SYLLABLES - five of them stressed, and five unstressed.
105
Internal rhyme (Literature)
When two or more words RHYME and at least one of them ISN’T at the end of a line.
106
Metre (Literature)
The arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables to create RHYTHM in a line of poetry.
107
Monologue (Literature)
ONE PERSON speaking alone for a long period of time.
108
Monosyllabic (Literature)
When a word only has ONE SYLLABLE, e.g. ‘had’, ‘thought’, ‘play’.
109
Mood (Literature)
The FEEL or ATMOSPHERE of a text, e.g. humorous, peaceful, fearful.
110
Novella (Literature)
A PROSE TEXT that is longer than a short story, but SHORTER than a NOVEL, e.g. ‘A Christmas Carol’.
111
Phonetic spellings (Literature)
When words are spelt as they SOUND rather than with their usual spelling.
112
Pun (Literature)
A word or phrase that’s deliberately used because it has MORE THAN ONE MEANING.
113
Rhyme scheme (Literature)
A PATTERN of rhyming words in a poem.
114
Rhyming couplet (Literature)
A PAIR OF RHYMING LINES that are next to each other.
115
Rhythm (Literature)
A PATTERN OF SOUNDS created by the arrangement of STRESSED and UNSTRESSED syllables.
116
Soliloquy (Literature)
When a CHARACTER in a play speaks their THOUGHTS ALOUD, but no other characters can hear them.
117
Sonnet (Literature)
A form of poem with FOURTEEN LINES, that usually follows a CLEAR RHYME SCHEME.
118
Stage directions (Literature)
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS in a play that describes how the play should be STAGED or PERFORMED.
119
Staging (Literature)
How a play appears on the STAGE, including the SET, COSTUMES and where the ACTORS stand.
120
Stanza (Literature)
A GROUP OF LINES in a poem.
121
Syllable (Literature)
A single UNIT OF SOUND within a word. E.g. ‘all’ has one syllable, ‘always’ has two.
122
Symbolism (Literature)
When an object STANDS FOR SOMETHING ELSE. E.g. a cross symbolises Christianity.
123
Voice (Literature)
The CHARACTERISTICS of the PERSON narrating the poem or text.
124
Volta (Literature)
A TURNING POINT in a poem, when the argument or tone CHANGES DRAMATICALLY.

GCSE English (5 decks)

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