Glossary Terms Flashcards
Alliteration
the repetition of one or more initial consonant sounds
Allusion
a reference to a person, place, event made to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea
Analogy
a comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things
Anecdote
a brief narrative/story often used to illustrate an idea or make a point
Antecedent
a word to which a pronoun refers. EX: Jim went to the store. He bought Milk. Jim is the antecedent of he.
Antithesis
a contrast of ideas brought out by the clever arrangements of words. Ex. They promised freedom, but they delivered slavery.
Clause
a structural element of a sentence consisting of a grammatical subject and a predicate. An Independence clause is technically a complete sentence. A Subordinate clause cannot stand on it’s own. Another way to name these clauses is Independent and dependent.
Diction
is a choice of words
Voice, Active or Passive
Active Voice uses subject, verb, object. Passive voice has a missing or buried subject.
Objective
Dealing with fact, data and logic
Periodic Sentence
a sentence where the main idea is at the end of the sentence. The main idea comes near the period.
Metaphor
a figure of speech that compares unlike objects. EX, My life is a long winding road-to nowhere
Metonymy
a figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated. EX, The white house said today…
Subjective
dealing with emotions, feelings, personal opinions and impressions
onomatopoeia
words whose sounds suggest their meaning. Such as BOOM or ZIP or BUZZ.
Paradox
a statement that seems self-contradictory, but is nevertheless true. Such as, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Parallel Structure
the way to apply the action of a subject onto more than one object EX, John went to the store, and he bought eggs, bread, and milk
Litotes
a statement in which a negative is used to point to a positive. EX, Our destination is not far from here.
Rhetoric
the study of language and how language communicates meaning
Style
the manner in which an author uses and arranges words, shapes ideas, forms sentences, and creates structure to convey ideas.
Simile
a metaphor using like or as. EX, She sings like a canary
Tone
the author’s attitude toward the subject being written about-the spirit of quality that is the work’s emotional essence
Denotation
is the literal or dictionary definition of a word
Connotation
the associated or implied meaning of the world. EX, cool often has a different connotation that its strict denotation
Synecdoche
When a part is used to represent the whole. EX All hands on deck or I roll with mad heads
Irony
When the actual situation is the opposite of what is expected. Irony can be tonal or situational.
