Language Features

Question 1

Hyperbole

Answer 1

Exaggeration; Eg. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

purpose: To emphasize the magnitude of something.

Question 2

Pun

Answer 2

A play on words; Eg. We went camping it was in tents (intense)
Purpose: Humour

Question 3

Personification

Answer 3

Given human characteristics to a non-human thing; Eg. The branch knocked on the window.
Purpose: Stretches the boundaries of reality to make literature and poetry more vivid.

Question 4

Personal Pronouns

Answer 4

Used when referring to a person; Eg. I, you, she
Purpose: Personal pronouns make the text seem as though it is directly addressing the reader, making it more personal and more likely for the reader to respond. … Use of personal pronouns can establish a connection between the reader and the writer.

Question 5

Simile

Answer 5

Comparing two things using the words like or as; Eg. Her eyes were like diamonds
Purpose: emphasize what they are trying to convey to the reader or listener in a vivid way. Also to add depth to creative pieces.

Question 6

Metaphor

Answer 6

Comparing two things saying one is the other; Eg. Her eyes were diamonds
Purpose: allows writers to convey vivid imagery that transcends literal meanings, creates images that are easier to understand and respond to than literal language. Metaphorical language activates the imagination, and the writer is more able to convey emotions and impressions through metaphor.

Question 7

Alliteration

Answer 7

A string of words that begin with the same letter or sound; Eg. Tiny Tim Takes Tennis
purpose: it sounds pleasing. It’s a means to get the attention of readers.

Question 8

Sibilance

Answer 8

Alliteration with the letter ‘S’; Eg. She Sells Sea Shells.
Purpose: Writers also sometimes use sibilance to give their writing form and structure. As with assonance, consonance, and alliteration, sibilance adds rhythm and musicality to a piece of text by suggesting which syllables a reader should emphasize

Question 9

Assonance

Answer 9

Repetition of the vowel sound; Eg. The moon’s a balloon
Purpose: It guides which syllables should be stressed. This rhythm-making has a flow-on effect. It helps to embed a set of words within the mind of whoever is hearing them

Question 10

Onomatopoeia

Answer 10

A noise that sounds like the word; Eg. Bang, splat
Purpose: It guides which syllables should be stressed. This rhythm-making has a flow-on effect. It helps to embed a set of words within the mind of whoever is hearing them

Question 11

Repetition

Answer 11

The act of repeating a sentence or phrase; Eg. Hit it, hit it, hit it
Purpose: can help to emphasize a point and make a speech easier to follow. Adds to the power of persuasion.

Question 12

Connotation

Answer 12

Words with an association that can lead to other meanings; Eg. Skinny can mean bony or malnourished
Purpose: create emotional associations that can be either positive, negative, or neutral. To invoke emotion in the reader.

Question 13

Use of senses

Answer 13

Using senses to engage the reader or explain something in detail. Eg: The trees smelt foreign.
Purpose: engage a reader’s mind on multiple levels.

Question 14

Cliche

Answer 14

A phrase or opinion that is overused and lacks originality
eg:The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Purpose: helps familiarise a topic.

Question 15

Colloquialism

Answer 15

A word or phrase that is not formal and is used in familiar conversation

eg: TV, ain’t, gonna
purposes: in informal writing situations and creates a conversational tone. Everyday spoken language gives your writing a casual, relaxed effect. Colloquial language is not necessarily “wrong,” but it is used when a writer is trying to achieve informality.

Question 16

Statistics

Answer 16

Used for drawing conclusions using analysis of data
eg: 1 in 4 have depression
Purpose: Gives evidence to the reader to further persuade them.

Question 17

Emotive Language

Answer 17

Words or phrases that carry emotional weight,
eg: An innocent bystander was murdered in cold blood in Downtown Chicago.
innocent and murdered
Purpose: used to persuade people to agree with them.

Question 18

Imperative

Answer 18

A suggestion or command
eg: Please don’t forget your belongings
Purpose: To issue a command or instruction, make a request, or offer advice.

Question 19

Euphemism

Answer 19

A mild or indirect expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh.
Eg: passed away instead of died.
Purpose: Some Euphemisms are used to make the situation less serious or while presenting something in a sarcastic way. Euphemism provides a mask to the impolite or rude expression and conveys the same meaning to the readers by reducing its harshness.

Question 20

Anecdote

Answer 20

A short amusing or interesting story
eg: if a group of coworkers are discussing pets, and one coworker tells a story about how her cat comes downstairs at only a certain time of the night

Purpose: entertain the audience as well as enable the characters to have more depth. Through these stories, the reader is able to better understand the personalities of the people in the piece of literature.

Question 21

Allusion

Answer 21

An expression designed to bring something to mind without recalling it
eg: Chocolate is his Kryptonite
Purpose: An allusion can be used as a straightforward device to enhance a text by providing further meaning, but it can also be used in a more complex sense to make an ironic comment on one thing by comparing it to something that is dissimilar.

Question 22

Jargon

Answer 22

Special words or expressions used by a professional or group and hard to understand by others
eg: due diligence
Purpose: Jargon in literature is used to emphasize a situation, or to refer to something exotic. In fact, the use of jargon in the literature shows the dexterity of the writer, of having knowledge of other spheres. Writers use jargon to make a certain character seem real in fiction, as well as in plays and poetry.

Question 23

Superlative

Answer 23

The highest degree of something
eg- smallest, most comfortable, fastest
Purpose: The superlative form of an adjective is used to show something has a quality to the greatest or least degree. The superlative form of an adverb is used to show something has performed an action to the greatest or least degree.

Question 24

Denotation

Answer 24

Literal meaning of something
eg: The boy was pushy.
Purpose: The purpose of denotation is for a word to be understood by a reader. If the word is not understood, the reader may look this word up in order to obtain the correct meaning. If words did not have denotation, we would not have a consistent definition to refer to and readers would be confused on meaning.

Question 25

Antithesis

Answer 25

Placing opposite ideas together
eg: “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing
Purpose: When used correctly, antithesis highlights the stark difference between opposing ideas by placing them side-by-side in exactly the same structure. When used in the context of an argument, the way these ideas are placed side-by-side can make it obvious which idea is better.

Question 26

Caesura

Answer 26

A natrual pause, a break in line of poetry usually indicated by a punctuation mark.
Eg: When will the bell ring and end this misery?

Question 27

Symbolism

Answer 27

A word or phrase signifying a sign or mark representing something else.
Eg: The cross of Christianity

A symbol brings a significant idea and all its connotations through the use of a single word.

Question 28

Oxymoron

Answer 28

Two words or phrases of opposite or contrasting meaning are placed together.
Eg- sweet sorrow
Purpose; Oxymorons can support a lighthearted mood or tone, as well as emphasize conflict. The juxtaposition of two opposing words can also: Add dramatic effect.

Question 29

Enjambment

Answer 29

When the meaning of a line of poetry is completed on the next line. This emphasizes ideas or can add rhythm to the lines.
Eg: A bower quiet for us, and asleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Purpose: By allowing a thought to overflow across lines, enjambment creates fluidity and brings a prose-like quality to poetry, Poets use literary devices like enjambment to: Add complexity. Enjambment builds a more complex narrative within a poem by fleshing out thought instead of confining it to one line. also encourages the reader to continue reading from one line to the next, since most of the time a line of poetry that’s enjambed won’t make complete sense until the reader finishes the clause or sentence on the following line or lines.

Question 30

Rhyme

Answer 30

The repetition of sounds.
Purpose: Can give a musical quality to the poem, help us to remember verses and ideas, make us laugh, give us a sense of security, or shock us.
eg: With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row
purpose:

Question 31

Rhythm

Answer 31

Rhythm can be described as the beat and pace of a poem.
eg
Purpose: The rhythm or beat of a poem is there to reinforce the subject matter and ideas in the poem.