Language Techniques Flashcards
Address
How a speaker or writer talks to another.
‘Fellow countrymen’
Alliteration
Using the same sound at the beginning of several words to emphasise your point.
‘You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of junk”
Emotive Vocabulary
Words designed to provoke an emotional response.
“They say you’re inferior!”
Metaphor
Applies a comparison between two things, by stating one thing IS another.
‘The world is a stage”
Simile
Applies a comparison between two things using like or as. Creates a vivid image.
“As brave as a lion.”
Personal Pronouns
Impact of addressing listeners/readers, creating inclusivity.
“Friends, we are here to..” instead of “you are here to”
Repetition
A key word or phrase repeated for impact.
“This is serious! Incredibly serious!”
Rhetorical Question
Questions that don’t need an answer, to emphasis a point, make your audience think.
“Do you think I’m made of money?”
Personification
Giving human characteristics to something none human.
“The tree waved in the wind”
Pathetic Fallacy
The environment/weather reflects the mood of the character or scene.
“ The fog crept eerily through the streets”
Onomatopoeia
Sounds of words to express meaning and sensory imagery.
“Crunch, pop, screech”
Rule of three
group of three words to strengthen and argument.
“freedom, equality and justice”
Connotations
Implied meaning rather than the literal meaning.
Red is a colour but is could suggest ‘connotations’ of danger or anger.
Hyperbole
Over the top exaggeration for effect.
“I have tonnes of homework”
Lists
A number of connected items, giving vivid description.
“The garden overflowed with Lillie’s, daises, sun flowers and pretty weeds.”
Oxymoron
A phrase combining two or more contradictory terms.
“There was a deafening silence”
Statistics and figures
Factual data used to persuade an audience.
“75% of people agrees they would makes their lives easier.”
Personal Anecdote
Personal story enhance and persuading and argument.
Ellipsis
Creates suspense, adds a pause to writing.
“He save the day, for now…”
Standalone line
Used to emphasise information, create an emotional response.
“ Then he stepped of the cliff.”
“It’s up to us”
