Language Features

Question 1

Imperative

Answer 1

Give an authoritative command

eg. Go now!

Effect -reader is directly addressed and encouraged to act

Question 2

Allusion

Answer 2

An expression designated to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly

eg. “Making Taco’s Great Again”

Effect -Provides greater context or understanding for the reader by referring to a text/event with similar theme/ideas

Question 3

Imagery

Answer 3

Using descriptive language to create an image in the minds of the readers.

eg. He whiffed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee

Question 4

Onomatopoeia

Answer 4

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

eg. “Boom” “Bang”

Effect -adds interest and allows the author to describe sounds more accurately and realistically

Question 5

Rhetorical Question

Answer 5

A question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

eg. Who likes spiders anyways?

Effect -Used for effect to persuade or influence a reader by encouraging them to think or reflect or engage with the writing.

Question 6

Antithesis

Answer 6

A person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else

eg. “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”
“To err is human; to forgive divine.”
“Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.”

Question 7

Metonymy

Answer 7

The substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant.

eg. “The prince is the next heir to take the crown”
metonymy: crown’ replaces ‘next king’’

Question 8

Listing

Answer 8

A series of names or other items written together in a meaningful grouping or sequence so as to constitute a record.

eg. I want apples, bananas, oranges, pineapple and chocolate.

Question 9

Paradox

Answer 9

A juxtaposition of a set of seemingly contradictory concepts that reveal a hidden and/or unexpected truth.

eg. Less is more
To bring peace we must war

Question 10

Personification

Answer 10

The representation of an abstract quality in human form.

eg. The wind waved at passing trees

Effect -Brings the object to life. Allows
the reader to feel empathy or
understanding of the object by
humanising it.

Question 11

Metaphor

Answer 11

A direct comparison which likens one object to another.

eg. She lay there, her frog legs protruding out behind her.

Effect -Allows the reader to draw comparisons between the similarities and shared traits of the subject/object. Gives the subject of the sentence the qualities of the object.

Question 12

Symbolism

Answer 12

the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

eg. The dove is a symbol of peace.

Question 13

Alliteration

Answer 13

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

eg. An Amazing Alligator Always Acts Awesome

Question 14

Connotation

Answer 14

An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meeting.

eg. “scrawny kid” over “slender kid”

Question 15

Simile

Answer 15

A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, using it to make a description for emphatic or vivid.

eg. The sheep was as white as a cloud

Effect - Gives information about one object (that is unknown by the reader) by comparing it to something else

Question 16

Allegory

Answer 16

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

(An allegory is a story with (count ‘em) two levels of meaning. First, there’s the surface of the story. You know, the characters and plot and all that obvious stuff. Then there’s the symbolic level, or the deeper meaning that all the jazz on the surface represents.)

eg. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is a religious allegory with Aslan as Christ and Edmund as Judas.

Question 17

Repetition

Answer 17

A literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer.

eg. I like to eat, I eat a lot, I eat and eat more than I ought.

Effect -Emphasise or drive home an idea or message

Question 18

Colloquialism

Answer 18

The use of informal or everyday language.

eg. g’morn’ mate

Effect -Creates a casual, informal, everyday tone. Creates a sense of realism.

Question 19

Rythm

Answer 19

The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables.

eg. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall…

Question 20

Juxtaposition

Answer 20

The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

eg. struggle for life and acceptance of death

Question 21

Personal Pronoun

Answer 21

A pronoun that is used to refer to a specific person or king.

eg. He loves his pineapple

Question 22

Incomplete sentence

Answer 22

A sentence that lacks either a predicate or both a subject and a predicate.

eg. Big hairy spider

Question 23

Rhyme

Answer 23

The correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the end of lines of poetry.

eg. I like to eat, I eat a lot, I eat and eat more than I ought.

Effect -Creates mood and rhythm. Used to emphasise specific words.

Question 24

Emotive Language

Answer 24

Words and phrases meant to evoke an emotional response to a subject.

eg. An innocent bystander has his face shredded by broken glass when the drunken idiot lost control

Question 25

Simple Sentence

Answer 25

A sentence consisting of only one clause, with a single subject and predicate.

eg. The boy cried

Question 26

Irony

Answer 26

The expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

eg. I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is.

Question 27

Hyperbole

Answer 27

Extreme exaggeration

eg. he would die if he had to spend another second in that school!

Effect – Can add drama or comedy to a
point. Can stress the importance of the
point for emphasis. Great for use in
propaganda.

Question 28

Assonance

Answer 28

Repetition of vowel sounds

eg. on a proud round cloud in a white high night

Effect -creates mood and rhythm. Used to emphasise specific words.

Question 29

Slang

Answer 29

Casual/spoken language used by particular groups, especially younger people. Almost like a dialect.

eg. she was like YOLO, TTYL

Effect -expresses an attitude/mood/ Shows a connection or belonging to a certain group.

Question 30

Jargon

Answer 30

Specialised language used by a specific group of people or about a specific topic.

eg. “Think outside the paradigm, I think we need to green-field that role STAT!”

Effect -shows expertise in a certain area

Question 31

Facts & Stats

Answer 31

Information or data that supports a certain idea/hypothesis

eg.

Effect -adds support or strength to the argument. Provides evidential support for argument which makes the argument seem more reliable or likely to be true.

Question 32

Cliche

Answer 32

An expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty.

eg. they lived happily ever after

Effect -Cliches show a lack of originality or laziness. They also create a sense of familiarity for the reader.

Question 33

Euphemism

Answer 33

To substitute unpleasant and severe words with more genteel ones in order to mask the harshness

eg. He ‘passed away’ last night (instead of died)

Effect -Allows something which is harsh/difficult, to be expressed more politely or acceptably

Question 34

Idiom

Answer 34

Commonly used phrase. Doesn’t mean what is literally said. Similar to a cliche

eg. something fishy is going on around here!

Effect -Communicates a specific and usually quite precise meaning for which there is no exact word.

Question 35

Neologism

Answer 35

Newly coined or created word or a new meaning for an old word

eg. Google, Noob, Troll

Effect -Keeps the language alive and modern. Allows the author to show they are knowledgeable about cultural/linguistic changes.

Question 36

Sibilance

Answer 36

Repetition of the ‘S’ r ‘Z’ sound

eg. she sells sea shells at the sea shore

Effect -Creates a sinister or soothing effect depending on usage. Draws attention to specific words, used to create emphasis and atmosphere.