Language Devices

Question 1

What is an anecdote?

Answer 1

Real life example/story which refers to the point the writer is making

Question 2

What is alliteration?

Answer 2

Two or more words in succession, beginning with the same letter

Question 3

What is ambiguity?

Answer 3

When something can have more than one possible meaning - used to intentionally confuse the reader

Question 4

What is an adjective?

Answer 4

A describing word

Question 5

What is an adverb?

Answer 5

Describe how, when or where the verb is done

Question 6

What is bathos?

Answer 6

the sudden appearance of a common/down to earth idea within writing of an otherwise elevated matter or style

Question 7

What is bias?

Answer 7

To intentionally lean heavily towards one particular side of an argument, without considering the opposing argument

Question 8

What is counter argument?

Answer 8

When a writer intentionally includes the opposing argument in order to show he/she is not being totally biased

Question 9

What is a cliché?

Answer 9

A phrase that has been overused/very well known (to the point that it usually loses its impact!)

Question 10

What is a declarative sentence?

Answer 10

A sentence which declares an opinion or idea

Question 11

What is emotive language?

Answer 11

Words or phrases which are used to intentionally stir emotions like anger, shock, disgust, pity

Question 12

What is an exclamative sentence?

Answer 12

A sentence that uses an exclamation mark at the end - usually to suggest anger or surprise

Question 13

What is exaggeration/hyperbole?

Answer 13

To exaggerate an idea - usually to create a humorous image (although not always)

Question 14

What is a fact?

Answer 14

A statement which can be proven to be true

Question 15

What is a statistic?

Answer 15

A figure/percentage/number used as fact

Question 16

What is formal language?

Answer 16

When a writer uses more complex words and standard English

Question 17

What is humour?

Answer 17

Used to mock a person/idea/the reader, in order to ‘lighten the tone’ and gain favour with the reader

Question 18

What is informal language?

Answer 18

When a writer uses simpler words and non-standard English (slang, dialect)

Question 19

What is irony/sarcasm?

Answer 19

To make a statement of which you believe the total opposite is true

Question 20

What is an imperative/command?

Answer 20

Statements that tell the reader what to do

Question 21

What is a metaphor?

Answer 21

To compare something to something else that it couldn’t literally be

Question 22

What are modal verbs?

Answer 22

Verbs with different levels of possibility: can, could, should, would, might, will, etc.

Question 23

What is a noun?

Answer 23

A word which names a person, object, animal, company etc.

Question 24

What is an opinion?

Answer 24

A writer’s personal point of view - not necessarily true or right

Question 25

What is personification?

Answer 25

To given an object human qualities or characteristics

Question 26

What is a pun/play on words?

Answer 26

To use language for humour, especially using incorrect homophones to create a humorous caption/headline

Question 27

What is pathetic fallacy?

Answer 27

Using the weather/setting/atmosphere to reflect upon the mood of the character

Question 28

What is a rhetorical question?

Answer 28

A question that does not require an answer, as the answer is implicitly obvious from the question itself

Question 29

What is sibilance?

Answer 29

Repetition of the ‘s’ sound at the beginning of successive words

Question 30

What is a thought-provoking question?

Answer 30

A question that requires the reader to think or consider the issue on a personal level

Question 31

What is a quote/expert opinion?

Answer 31

To quote an expert on their opinion on a topic - usually a doctor, lecturer, writer of a book on the same topic etc.

Question 32

What is repetition?

Answer 32

Repeating words, phrases or images in the reader’s mind, in order to make them more poignant

Question 33

What is the rule of three/triples?

Answer 33

To repeat an image in three alternative ways, or to open three consecutive sentences in the same way

Question 34

What is a simile?

Answer 34

To describe something as being ‘like’ or ‘as’ something else

Question 35

What is scientific jargon?

Answer 35

Language that is ordinarily used in the field of Science, in order to make a fact stand out as an educated point

Question 36

What is first person narrative?

Answer 36

Writing about yourself: ‘I’ ‘me’ ‘mine’

Question 37

What are second person pronouns?

Answer 37

Speaking/writing directly to one other person: ‘you’ ‘your’

Question 38

What are third person pronouns?

Answer 38

Speaking/writing about somebody else: ‘he’ ‘she’ ‘them’ ‘her’ ‘his’

Question 39

What is tone?

Answer 39

The overall ‘voice’ of an article. The tone can be: angry, sarcastic, humorous, insulting, lighthearted, frustrated etc.

Question 40

What are verbs?

Answer 40

Doing or being words (in their infinitive form, these words always have the word ‘to’ in front of them) - most commonly ‘-ing’ or ‘-ed’ words