Language Techniques Flashcards
Imagery
words and phrases that create vivid experiences or a picture for the reader.
Simile
compares to things to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind
Metaphor
directly compares one thing to another for rhetorical effect
Flashbacks
used within a plot to insert past events in order to provide context to the current events of a narrative
Alliteration
two or more words that start with the same sound and are used repeatedly in a phrase or sentence
Personification
you give human characteristics, including thoughts, feelings or actions to something non-human, like objects.
Assonance
two words that occur in a sentence that share the same vowel sounds
Colloquial language
casual forms of communication in the written form
Dialect
used when establishing different characters in a story. It is a type of language that is spoken by people in a particular geographical area
Enjambment
used in poetry where a sentence continues beyond the end of the line or verse
Hyperbole
over the top or exaggerated sentence
Irony
when words or ideas are used in a sarcastic or humorous way to imply the direct opposite of what they mean
Onomatopoeia
words describing a sound from a noise
Oxymoron
two words that are typically not associated with one another are used together
Pathos
used to stir up feelings of sadness
Repetition
repeated words or phrases
Rhyme
a sound that corresponds to another
Rhythm
The measured flow of words and phrases
Symbolism
use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
Tone
used to create a specific mood or feeling in a text
Allusion
something from a completely unrelated context is referred to indirectly
Anaphora
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence or sentences
Anecdote
a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
Cliché
a type of expression or phrase that is extremely popular and over-used, they tend to lose their original meaning but serve a different purpose in a text
Consonance
the repetition of consonants throughout a sentence or phrase.
Contrast
two or more objects, events or characters that directly oppose each other
Didaché
intentionally pushing forward a particular moral message to the reader
Ellipses
creating a pause for dramatic or suspenseful effect
Pathetic fallacy
human feelings are given to inanimate objects
Satire
mocks certain aspects of human nature or behaviour
Allegory
characters often stand for abstract concepts that teach a lesson through an interesting story
Ambiguity
double or multiple meanings
Analogy
a point-by-point comparison between two dissimilar things
Antagonist
a character that opposes the protagonist (evil)
Ballad
a narrative poem that was originally meant to be sung
Cacophony
harsh, clashing, or dissonant sounds produced by a combination of words
Catalog
a long list of anything
Character
the vehicle (person, animal, creation) that moves the story forward
Characterization
refers to the techniques employed by writers to develop characters
Climax
the conflict of the story begins to reach a turning point and begins to be resolved
Conceit
an elaborate figure of speech comparing two very dissimilar things
Visual imagery
qualities of how something looks visually to best create an image in the reader’s head
Auditory imagery
used to explain things, ideas and actions using sounds that appeal to our sense of hearing
Tactile imagery
engages the sense of touch in a text
Exclamation
a sudden cry or remark expressing surprise, strong, emotion or pain
First-person pronouns
refers to the speaker or writer
Collective language
a word or phrase that refers to a group of people or things as one entity
