Language Proficiency 1 Flashcards
which is correct?
- sister-in-laws
- sisters-in-law
sisters-in-law
- He is a pronoun used as the ____ of a sentence.
- Him is a pronoun used as the ____ of a sentence.
- subject
- object
- i is used as the ____ of a sentence
- me is used as the ____ of a sentence
- subject
- object
- me is used as the ____ of a sentence
- myself is used as the ____ of a sentence
- object
- reflexive pronoun
reflexive pronouns are used when the object and subject are the same. e.g. I bought it for myself.
- who refers to the ____ of a sentence
- whom refers to the ____ of a sentence
- subject
- object
who is used when referring to a person performing the action of the verb in the sentence (applies to he, she, or they), while whom is used when the person in question is receiving the action (applies to him, her, or them).
which is correct?
- 60 day
- 60-day
60-day
a compound adjective is an adjective that is made up of individual words. they are hyphenated when they come before the noun they modify.
e.g. high-quality, two-year-old, happy-go-lucky, well-known, seven-year etc.
- beside is a preposition meaning ____
- besides is a preposition meaning ____
- next to
- in addition to; adverb: furthermore
“despite” is always written on its own, while “in spite of” must always be complete. true or false?
true
- anymore means ____
- any more means ____
- any longer
- something additional/further
- especially means ____
- specially means ____
- particularly/above all/out of all/specifies something
- in a special manner
- in behalf of means ____
- on behalf of means ____
- in order to help; “for the benefit of” or “in the interest of”
- representing something/someone; “in place of” or “as the agent of”
- send in means ____
- send up means ____
- send for means ____
- send down means ____
- send to a recipient/to cause to come
- to put in prison
- to request to come
- to dismiss from university
- better is used when ____
- best is used when ____
- there are 2 choices (comparative -er)
- there are 3 or more choices (superlative -est)
which is correct?
a. having read the book, the film will be a hit.
b. aware of the risk, the job was abandoned.
c. crossing the road, I noticed the sun had started to set.
the correct answer is c.
a modifier modifies the meaning of another element in the structure. it gives information about another word. it can be a word, a phrase, or a clause. modifiers must always have a word it modifies.
ex. after writing, she went for a walk.
- emigrate means to ____
- immigrate means to ____
- leave a country
- move in a country
is the repeating of consonant sounds right next to each other, which creates a memorable or melodic effect.
Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.
Alliteration
is a literary technique that places opposite things or ideas next to one another in order to draw out their contrast.
Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .” —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Antithesis
is when a character addresses someone or something that isn’t present or cannot respond. The character might speak to someone deceased, an inanimate object, or a concept.
Example: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” —William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Apostrophe
is the use of a purposely wordy description. You can think of it as talking in circles.
Example: In the Harry Potter series, most characters don’t say Lord Voldemort’s name; instead, they use this circumlocution: “He Who Must Not Be Named.”
Circumlocution
is a clever and memorable statement. You will find epigrams in speeches, poetry, and at the front of a book.
Example: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
Epigram
is a way to say something in an understated manner, often to avoid difficult topics—like money, death, or sex. A mild word/phrase used to replace one that is thought to be too harsh.
Example: Rather than telling a friend that a relative died, you might say they “kicked the bucket,” “passed away,” or are “no longer with us.”
Euphemism
is a deliberate exaggeration that adds emphasis, urgency, or excitement to a statement.
Example: If I don’t eat soon, I’m going to die of hunger.
Hyperbole
is a situation that subverts a reader’s expectations. A contradiction of expectation between what is said and what is meant between what might be expected and what actually occurs. It is a statement which conveys the opposite meaning of what is being said.
Example: One of the characters in your story is a hypochondriac, always convinced that they have an exotic and uncurable disease. An ironic ending for that character would be if they died of a common cold.
Irony
It uses a double negative to create a positive.
Example: You’re not wrong.
Litotes
is the direct comparison of dissimilar things to create more vivid imagery or understanding.
Example: He was an onion; to understand him, she had to peel back the layers.
Metaphor
is a literary device in which a word or object is substituted by a closely related word or object. It gives a writer more variability with descriptions. It is when one word or phrase is used in place of another with which it is closely associated.
Examples:
- The press is here.
- The pen is mightier than the sword.
- The White House declared that…
Metonymy
is a word that sounds like what it means.
Example: When a character is exasperated, they might exclaim, “Sheesh!” That’s both a word to show exasperation and a sound that happens when you sigh loudly.
Onomatopoeia
is a phrase that uses two contradictory words to create a new meaning.
Example: That strawberry cake was awfully good.
Oxymoron
is a statement that appears to contradict itself but contains some truth, theme, or humor.
Example: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” —George Orwell, Animal Farm
Paradox
is assigning human attributes to nonhuman things.
Example: The floorboards groaned under the weight of each step.
Personification
is the use of more words than necessary to convey meaning. A writer might use it for humor or emphasis, or they might not realize they’re using extra words at all.
Example: The burning fire warmed the whole house.
Pleonasm
is a form of wordplay that purposely substitutes words that sound similar but have different meanings.
Example: “‘Mine is a long and a sad tale!’ said the Mouse, turning to Alice and sighing. ‘It is a long tail, certainly,’ said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse’s tail; ‘but why do you call it sad?’” —Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Pun
compares two dissimilar things using “like” or “as.” The goal of simile is to give the reader a more vivid understanding of something.
Example: It was the first real day of summer, and by the time she came back indoors, she was as red as a tomato.
Simile
is when a smaller unit is used to signify a larger unit or vice versa. When a part of something is used to refer to the whole.
Examples:
- Check out my new wheels!
- I have four mouths to feed at home.
Synecdoche
is the intentional downplaying of a situation. This can create a humorous or deadpan effect in writing.
Example: “I have to have this operation. It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.” —J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Understatement
