Language Techniques Flashcards

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1
Q

Alliteration

A

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

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2
Q

Allusion

A

Something that is designed to call something to mind without mentioning it

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3
Q

Ambiguity

A

A word or phrase which contains more than one meaning

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4
Q

Archaisms

A

A distinction between archaic or obsolete words very old or old fashioned style of language

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5
Q

Assonance

A

The repetition of vowel sounds to create an internal rhyming within phrases or sentences

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6
Q

Asyndetic listing

A

The act of leaving out one more of the usual conjunctions between sentence elements “I gave her food, clothes, water”

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7
Q

Caesura

A

A pause in a line that is formed by the rhythm of natural speech. A break in words.

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8
Q

Collective noun

A

Something that refers to a group

“Family” “herd” “subjects”

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9
Q

Colloquial language

A

Slang or differential language that is near/nature to a certain area
“Yo”

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10
Q

Dialogue

A

A conversation between two or more people

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11
Q

Direct address

A

The name of the person who is being directly spoken to

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12
Q

Elipsis

A

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13
Q

Euphemism

A

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or too blunt. Can also be suggesting sexual nature.

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14
Q

Form

A

The structure of a text

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15
Q

Hyperbole

A

An exaggeration of something that is ordinary

Over exaggeration

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16
Q

Imagery

A

The term that appeals to our senses, creates a picture in our head.

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17
Q

Imperative mood

A

The form of the verbs that makes direct commands and requests

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18
Q

Metaphor

A

Something that is described as something else

“You are a couch potato”

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19
Q

Monologue

A

When a character exposes their personal thoughts and feeling through a speech to another character

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20
Q

Monosyllabic

A

a word with only one syllable or a person who uses short phrases.

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21
Q

Onomatopoeia

A

A word that sounds like its noise

“Bang” “crash”

22
Q

Oxymoron

A

When two opposites are out together

“A feather of led”

23
Q

Pathetic fallacy

A

When the weather reflects someone’s mood

Also; animals or inanimate things

24
Q

Personification

A

When an object is described with human-like features

25
Q

Plosive language

A

Consonant sounds that are formed by completely stopping airflow

26
Q

Protagonist

A

The main character (the good character)

27
Q

Repetition

A

A repetition of words or phrases after each other

28
Q

Simile

A

Something that is described as being alike to something

“You are like a couch potato”

29
Q

Stereotype

A

A character with generalised traits.

30
Q

Stichomythia

A

Sequences of single alternating line or half lines used in drama

31
Q

The emphasis that falls on certain syllables and not others

A

Stress

32
Q

Superlatives

A

An adjective or adverb used to distinguish an object from three or more others of its type. “Good, better, BEST”

33
Q

Syndetic listing

A

The opposite of asyndetic listing

“I gave her food and shelter and clothing”

34
Q

Syntax

A

The way in which words and sentences are placed together in the writing.

35
Q

Tautology

A

Reflective use of phrases or words that have similar meanings
“They arrived one after the other in succession”

36
Q

Tricolon

A

Rhetorical term that consists of three parallel clauses

37
Q

Abstract nouns

A

A naming word for an idea, concept, state of being or belief (not something you can touch)
Love, hate, jealousy, Christianity, Marxism, etc

38
Q

Active verb

A

A word that represents a physical action

Eg jump, run, leap, ride

39
Q

Comparative adjective

A

An adjective that relates one thing to another in some way
“Smarter”
“Better”

40
Q

Declarative sentence

A

When a sentence makes a statement

41
Q

Exclamatory sentence

A

When a sentence conveys a strong sense of emotion alarm or emphasis

42
Q

Hypophora

A

A rhetorical question is immediately followed by an answer

“Is this the best film ever!?… yes!”

43
Q

Imperative sentence

A

When a sentence is issuing a command

44
Q

Interrogative sentence

A

When a sentence is asking a question

45
Q

Litotes

A

Opposite of hyperbole - Downplaying something for effect

46
Q

Modal verbs

A

An auxiliary verb that expresses a degree of possibility or necessity e.g might, could, must, should

47
Q

Post modification

A

A descriptive technique where the descriptive words come after the thing they are describing.
“The wad of cash, which was BIG AND FAT”

48
Q

Pre modification

A

A descriptive technique where the descriptive words come before the thing they are describing “the BIG, FAT wad of cash”

49
Q

Pronoun

A

A word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence “he, she, they”

50
Q

Register

A

The level of formality of a text

51
Q

Statute verbs

A

A word that represents a process which is often mental e.g. thinking, loving, pondering, wondering

52
Q

Syndedoche

A

A metaphor that states that something is only a consistent part of itself e.g. he has a new set of wheels (car)