Language Features Flashcards
Simile
A comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Metaphor
A comparison between two things that does not use ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Onomatopoeia
A word that sounds like what it means.
Personification
A special kind of metaphor where a non-living thing is given human qualities.
Hyperbole
Exaggeration for effect.
Repetition
When a word or phrase gets repeated for effect.
First Person Narrator
Narration using ‘I’ or ‘we’; creates closeness to the narrator’s perspective.
Second Person Narrator
Narration using ‘you’; shows the relationship between the narrator and the character.
Third Person Narrator
Narration using ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, or ‘they’; creates distance from the story.
Allusion
A reference to a well-known cultural story or character.
Dialogue
Direct speech that engages the reader and reveals character information.
Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds close together.
Rhyme
The ends of words at the ends of lines sound the same.
Rhythm
The pattern of sounds in a line or sentence.
Symbolism
An object that represents something abstract, like a concept or emotion.
Cliché
A commonly used and widely known phrase.
Pun
A play on words having two meanings.
Connotation
An idea or feeling evoked by a word, which can be positive or negative.
Sensory Imagery
Imagery that appeals to the senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight.
Assonance
When the vowel sounds of two words are the same, but the consonants are different.
Consonance
When the consonant sounds are the same, but there is no full rhyme.
Emotive Language
Language designed to appeal to emotions.
Rhyme Scheme
A way of identifying the pattern of rhyme words in a poem.
Internal Rhyme
Rhyme words that occur within a line or across two lines.
Imperative Verb
A command verb.
Analogy
Comparing two things to explain their similarity.
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor developed over several lines or a whole passage.
Euphemism
A word or phrase that makes a difficult topic seem less harsh.
Jargon
Terms specific to a particular area, hobby, or workplace.
Slang
Casual language often used in spoken forms.
Colloquial Language
Casual language used in conversation understood by large groups.
Parallel Structure
Using the same pattern of words for phrases or clauses.
Listing
A series of items is given in a list.
Contrast
When authors use contrast between two things or emotions to make a point.
Sibilance
The repetition of the ‘s’ sound, similar to alliteration.
Oxymoron
When two terms that mean opposite things are combined together for effect.
Apostrophe
Addressing someone directly using ‘O …’.
Pathetic Fallacy
When things, animals, or Nature are treated as if they have human characteristics.
Enjambment
In poetry, when the meaning runs across line breaks without punctuation.
Caesura
A distinct pause in the middle of a line of poetry.
Irony
When a character says something and the readers understand the opposite of the surface meaning.
Dramatic Irony
When a character does not understand the significance of their actions, but the readers do.
Prepositions
Words that indicate place, position, time, or means.
Adverbs
Words that describe an action, often ending in ‘ly’.
Adjective
Describing words for nouns.
Verbs
Doing words that express actions.
Nouns
Words that represent a thing.
Common Nouns
Ordinary nouns like cat, pen, couch.
Proper Nouns
Names of specific people, places, or things.
Concrete Nouns
Nouns that can be seen or touched.
Abstract Nouns
Nouns that cannot be seen or touched.
Collective Nouns
Nouns that represent a group of something.
Sentence Types
Different structures of sentences, including parallel and balanced.
Balanced Sentence
A sentence where similar structures are used in roughly equal length and proportions.
Tricolon
A sentence that uses three parallel clauses of equal length and importance.
Anaphora
When a word is repeated at the beginning of phrases or clauses that follow one another.
Simple Sentence
A sentence that has a subject and a verb and may also have an object.
Compound Sentence
A sentence that has two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semi-colon.
Complex Sentence
A sentence that contains one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
Minor Sentence
A short sentence missing a subject or verb, often used in informal writing.
Declarative Sentence
A sentence that makes a statement or expresses a fact.
Interrogative Sentence
A sentence that asks a direct question.
Exclamatory Sentence
A sentence that expresses a strong feeling or emotion and ends with an exclamation mark.
Imperative Sentence
A sentence that gives an instruction, command, or request.
Comma Splice
An error that occurs when two independent clauses are joined with a comma without a conjunction.
Sentence Fragment
An incomplete sentence that lacks a subject or verb.
Run-on Sentence
A sentence that contains two or more independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
