Language Analysis Flashcards
Literary words to use to analyse dystopian texts
Noun
A word used to NAME a person, place, thing or idea, e.g. car, hat, bottle, tree
Common Noun
A word used to name a GENERAL person, place, thing or idea rather than a specific one, e.g. dog, girl, country
Proper Noun
A word used to name a SPECIFIC person, place, thing or idea, e.g. America, Heidi, the Pacific Ocean
Abstract Noun
A word naming an IDEA, QUALITY or STATE rather than a concrete object, e.g. anger, freedom, love
Concrete Noun
A word naming a PERSON, PLACE or THING - something which can be perceived through SENSES, e.g. chocolate, roses, orange juice
Verb
A word used to indicate an ACTION, STATE OF BEING or OCCURRENCE, e.g. run, think, play
Adjective
A word used to DESCRIBE a NOUN, e.g. warm, fat, beautiful
Comparative Adjective
A describing word which indicates a relationship between TWO words, with the comparative being amplified over the other e.g. angrier, more anxious, wiser
Superlative Adjective
A describing word which indicates a relationship between THREE OR MORE words, with the superlative being most amplified over the others, e.g. most extreme, best, most hopeful
Adverb
A word used to DESCRIBE a VERB, ADJECTIVE, or another ADVERB, e.g. loudly, very, nicely
Conjunction
A word that CONNECTS clauses, either through coordination, subordination or correlation, e.g. but, yet, and, because
Pronoun
A word used to REPLACE a NOUN, which can be understood in context, e.g. me, we, her, our
Determiner
A modifying word that determines the kind of REFERENCE a noun or noun group has, e.g. a, an, the
Preposition
A word governing a noun or pronoun, expressing RELATION, e.g. under, over, during
Denotation
The LITERAL or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests, the definition
Connotation
An idea or FEELING which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is NOT LITERALLY APPLICABLE, e.g. curtain of night
Extended Metaphor
Lengthy metaphors that are intended to create DEEP comparisons, metaphor that extends over several lines
Semantic field
A lexical set of semantically RELATED items (related in terms of meaning), e.g. colours, body parts
Idiom
A group of words established by USAGE as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words, e.g. over the moon, see the light
Euphemism
A MILD or INDIRECT word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing, e.g. passed away, kicked the bucket
Dysphemism
A DEROGATORY or UNPLEASANT term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one, e.g. cancer sticks, looney bin
Declarative sentence
A STATEMENT, e.g. my father had a small house
Interrogative sentence
A QUESTION, e.g. what is the time?
Imperative sentence
A COMMAND, e.g. bring some pepper
Exclamative sentence
Expresses strong EMOTION, with an exclamation point, e.g. well, that’s a surprise!
Minor sentence
A sentence without a verb, e.g. coffee, please
Apposition
When two nouns or noun phrases occur NEXT to each other, and both refer to the same thing, we say the second is in apposition to the first, e.g. my daughter, the lawyer
Polysyndeton
A linguistic construction in which conjunctions are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed, e.g. “mingle with the waves of other beer, AND gin, AND tea, AND coffee, AND whatnot”
Asyndeton
A linguistic construction in which conjunctions are removed and replaced with commas, e.g. “the air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish”
