language features Flashcards
Simile
a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion ). brave like a lion
Assonance
the resemblance of sound between syllables of nearby words, arising particularly from the rhyming of two or more stressed vowels, but not consonants (e.g. sonnet, porridge ), but also from the use of identical consonants with different vowels (e.g. killed, cold, culled ).
Alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.”the alliteration of ‘sweet birds sang’”
Antithesis
a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else. “love is the antithesis of selfishness”
Oxymoron
a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).
Repetition
Repetition is a literary device that involves using the same word or phrase over and over again in a piece of writing or speech. Writers of all kinds use repetition, but it is particularly popular in oration and spoken word, where a listener’s attention might be more limited.
Extended Metaphor
An extended metaphor is a version of a metaphor that extends over the course of multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas of prose or poetry. Extended metaphors build upon simple metaphors with figurative language and more varied, descriptive comparisons. Extended metaphor example: “You’re a snake! Everything you hiss out of your mouth is a lie. You frighten children, and you have no spine.”
Personification
the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. “the book provides a sustained account of how literary personification works”
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. Here are the basics: A metaphor states that one thing is another thing. E.G “A Heart of Stone” …
Onomatopoeia
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle )
Cliché
a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
“that old cliché ‘a woman’s place is in the home’”
Emotive Language
‘Emotive language’ refers to word choices that are intended to get an emotional reaction or arouse an emotion. It doesn’t matter what it is – anxiety, anger, relief, urgency, joy, excitement and so on – as long as it has been evoked by the language used.
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
“he vowed revenge with oaths and hyperboles”
Imperative
are requests, suggestions, advice, or commands. do not usually state a subject. can be affirmative or negative. can have different formats. e.g. Pass the salt.
Neologism
Neologisms are distinct from a person’s idiolect, one’s unique patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Neologisms are usually introduced when it is found that a specific notion is lacking a term, or when the existing vocabulary lacks detail, or when a speaker is unaware of the existing vocabulary.
Personal Pronoun
belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else.
“her personal fortune was recently estimated at £37 million”
Acronym
An acronym is a familiar or memorable word composed of the first letters of a series of words to be remembered. For example, a widely used acronym for remembering the five Great Lakes—Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, and…
Superlative
of the highest quality or degree.
“a superlative piece of skill”
Comparative
Comparison is a rhetorical or literary device in which a writer compares or contrasts two people, places, things, or ideas.
Statistics
Statistics refer to factual, numerical evidence within a Language Analysis piece and are generally convincing for two reasons. Firstly, they highlight the logical importance of the issue and provide evidence for the writer’s contention. Statistics provide a type of evidence that is difficult to refute.
Synonym
a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language, for example shut is a synonym of close.
““the East” was a synonym for the Soviet empire”
Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech in which a statement appears to contradict itself. This type of statement can be described as paradoxical. A compressed paradox comprised of just a few words is called an oxymoron. This term comes from the Greek paradoxa, meaning “incredible, contrary to opinion or expectation.”
Colloquialism
a word or phrase that is not formal or literary and is used in ordinary or familiar conversation.
“the colloquialisms of the streets”
Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
“an allusion to Shakespeare”
Euphemism
A euphemism (YOO-Fuh-miz-uhm) is a form of figurative language. These idiomatic, indirect expressions replace harsh, impolite, taboo, or unpleasant terms with more delicate phrases. They can be used humorously or to downplay or mask a situation, causing some to find the device deceitful or counterproductive.
First Person
In writing, the first person point of view uses the pronouns “I,” “me,” “we,” and “us,” in order to tell a story from the narrator’s perspective. The storyteller in a first-person narrative is either the protagonist relaying their experiences or a peripheral character telling the protagonist’s story
Third Person
In third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the events of the story, and relates the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they. Third-person narration can be further classified into several types: omniscient, limited, and objective.
Irony
The definition of irony as a literary device is a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality. For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning. Irony is associated with both tragedy and humor.
Past Tense
The function of past tense in speech and writing is to express action, activity, or a state of being to have happened in the past. Its principal purpose is to place a situation or action, or to refer to habitual activities, states, conditions, and events in the past.
Present Tense
Simple present tense is a verb tense that indicates an action that is happening regularly, truths, or habits. The main characteristic of simple present tense is using the root form of the verb.
Rhetorical Question
Rhetorical questions are a type of figurative language—they are questions that have another layer of meaning on top of their literal meaning. Because rhetorical questions challenge the listener, raise doubt, and help emphasize ideas, they appear often in songs and speeches, as well as in literature.
Conjunction
A conjunction is a part of speech that functions as a connector between two sentences, clauses, phrases, or words. We often use conjunctions in speech without realizing it. In writing, they can be effectively used in lieu of starting a new sentence.
