Language Features Flashcards
Imperative
Give an authoritative command
eg. Go now!
Effect -reader is directly addressed and encouraged to act
Allusion
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
Imagery
Using descriptive language to create an image in the minds of the readers.
eg. He whiffed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee
Onomatopoeia
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
Rhetorical Question
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.
Antithesis
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.”
Metonymy
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’’
Listing
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.
Paradox
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
Personification
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.
Metaphor
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.
Symbolism
the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
eg. The dove is a symbol of peace.
Alliteration
The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
eg. An Amazing Alligator Always Acts Awesome
Connotation
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”
Simile
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
Allegory
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.
Repetition
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
Colloquialism
The use of informal or everyday language.
eg. g’morn’ mate
Effect -Creates a casual, informal, everyday tone. Creates a sense of realism.
Rythm
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…
Juxtaposition
The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
eg. struggle for life and acceptance of death
Personal Pronoun
A pronoun that is used to refer to a specific person or king.
eg. He loves his pineapple
Incomplete sentence
A sentence that lacks either a predicate or both a subject and a predicate.
eg. Big hairy spider
Rhyme
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.
Emotive Language
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
Simple Sentence
A sentence consisting of only one clause, with a single subject and predicate.
eg. The boy cried
Irony
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.
Hyperbole
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.
Assonance
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.
Slang
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.
Jargon
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
Facts & Stats
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.
Cliche
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.
Euphemism
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
Idiom
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.
Neologism
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.
Sibilance
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.
