Glossary 1 Flashcards
The subject of the sentence performs the action. This is a more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases.
Active Voice
Example: Anthony drove while Toni searched for the house
NON- Example: The car was driven by Anthony
Active Voice
Impact: helps ensure clarity by making it clear to the reader who is taking action in the sentence
Active Voice
An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar.
Allusion
Example: Chocolate is my Kryptonite
Allusion
Impact: draws connections between text and reader by harnessing them into the space where context resides.
Allusion
A brief recounting of a relevant episode. Anecdotes are often inserted into fictional or non fictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.
Anecdote
Example: “NO I don’t want your kisses!”
Anecdote
Impact: provides a personal insight into an issue
Anecdote
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
Antecedent
Example: If I could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it.
Antecedent
Art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures.
Classicism
Example: Odysseus/ The Odyssey
Classicism
when a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood somewhat
Comic relief
Example:The “gatekeeper scene” in Macbeth is an example of comic relief.
Comic relief
Impact: gives the reader or audience an emotional break from the tension and heavy mood of a serious or tragic plot.
Comic relief
Word choice, particularly as an element of style
Diction
Ordinary or familiar type of conversation
Colloquial
Example: “y’all”, “gonna”, “wanna”
Colloquial
Impact: imparts a strong sense of realism – of time, of place, of character – to your work and draws your readers into the story and help them relate to your characters
Colloquial
Implied meaning rather than literal meaning
Connotation
The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations
Denotation
The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity
Jargon
Example: Hockey terms; “icing” or “mitts thrown”
Jargon
Impact: sets up your characters’ backgrounds and professions in a realistic way
Jargon
- Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional clan or group. 3. Plain everyday speech
Vernacular
A term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
Didactic
Example: “The Tortoise and the Hare”
Didactic
A folk saying with a lesson
Adage
Impact: communicates a particular message to readers
Adage
Example: “A rolling stone gathers no moss.”
Adage
A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts. The interaction of these characters, things, and events is meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth
Allegory
Example: Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Allegory
Impact: creates a moral, spiritual, or political meaning the author wishes to convey.
Allegory
A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author’s point
Aphorism
Example: “A watched pot never boils.”
Aphorism
Impact: to cleverly and concisely express observations or philosophical ideas
Aphorism
The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author
Ellipsis
Example: “The whole day, rain, torrents of rain.”
Ellipsis
Impact: enhancing the emotional impact of a scene or dialogue
Ellipsis
A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. Sometimes they are used for political correctness.
Euphemism
“Physically challenged,” in place of “crippled.”
Euphemism
Impact: readers can gain insights into the power dynamics, prejudices, or social expectations of a particular time or place
Euphemism
Writing that is not meant to be taken literally.
Figurative Language
An analogy is a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables. When a writer uses an analogy, he or she argues that the relationship between the first pair of variables is the same as the relationship between the second pair of variables.
Analogy
Example: “America is to the world as the hippo is to the jungle.”
Analogy
Impact: gives the reader a deeper understanding of something complex or abstract
Analogy
An Exaggeration
Hyperbole
Example: “My mother will kill me if I am late.”
Hyperbole
Impact: creates emphasis and depending on the context, you can use it for comic or dramatic effect, to create vivid images, or to convey intensity or emotion
Hyperbole
A common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally
Idiom
Example: “I got chewed out by my coach.”
Idiom
Impact: adds color, depth, and emotion to the text, making it more engaging and memorable for readers
Idiom
Making an implied comparison, not using “like,” as,” or other such words.
Metaphor
Example: “My feet are popsicles.”
NON- Example: “My feet are so cold they feel like popsicles.”
Metaphor
Impact: creates images that are easier to understand and respond to than literal language
Metaphor
Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept
Metonymy
Example: “I could not understand his tongue,”
Metonymy
Impact: often substitutes a concrete image for an abstract concept
Metonymy
A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa
Synecdoche
Example: “Check out my new wheels.”
Synecdoche
Impact: elevates language, making a sentence or phrase sound more interesting or more poetic
Synecdoche
Using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very different things
Simile
Example: “My feet are so cold they feel like popsicles.”
NON-Example- “My feet are popsicles.”
Simile
Impact: gives readers a fuller understanding of the subject and help them connect to the text
Simile
A description involving a “crossing of the senses.”
Synesthesia
Example: “A purplish scent filled the room.”
Synesthesia
Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human
Personification
Impact: it serves to develop increased interiority, letting readers see things from the protagonist’s or speaker’s perspective
Synesthesia
Example: “The tired old truck groaned as it inched up the hill.”
Personification
Impact: elicits emotional responses from readers by humanizing abstract concepts or imbuing objects with sentiment and empathy
Personification
