Language Terms

Question 1

Adjective

Answer 1

a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.

Question 2

Adverb

Answer 2

a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there ).

Question 3

Alliteration

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Allusion

Answer 4

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

Question 5

Anaphora

Answer 5

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

Question 6

Anecdote

Answer 6

a brief, concise account of a funny or interesting moment in someone’s life

Question 7

Characterization

Answer 7

the techniques used by the writer to present their characters

Question 8

Diction

Answer 8

the word choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

Question 9

Euphemism

Answer 9

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt
when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

Question 10

Extended metaphor

Answer 10

a metaphor that isn’t just used in one line but is extended over multiple lines or throughout the work

Question 11

Figurative language

Answer 11

language that is intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved

Question 12

Genre

Answer 12

a category of literary work

Question 13

Hyperbole

Answer 13

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Question 14

Idiom

Answer 14

a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deductible from those of the original words

Question 15

Imagery

Answer 15

descriptive language that appeals to any of the senses

Question 16

Noun

Answer 16

a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

Question 17

Omniscient narrator

Answer 17

a narrator who is all-seeing and knows the full picture

Question 18

Onomatopoeia

Answer 18

the formation of a word from a sound associated with its name

Question 19

Paradox

Answer 19

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true

Question 20

Parody

Answer 20

an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect

Question 21

Personification

Answer 21

A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities

Question 22

Point of view

Answer 22

The perspective from which a speaker or writer tells a story or presents information

Question 23

Preposition

Answer 23

a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in “the man on the platform,” “she arrived after dinner,” “what did you do it for ?”.

Question 24

Simile

Answer 24

A figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared using “like” or “as”

Question 25

Style

Answer 25

How a writer decides to express whatever he wants to say; his choice of words, the sentence structure, syntax, language, etc.

Question 26

Symbol

Answer 26

A person, place, action, or thing that represents something else

Question 27

Syntax

Answer 27

The arrangement of words in a sentence

Question 28

Tone

Answer 28

A writer’s attitude toward the subject and audience

Question 29

Understatement

Answer 29

A figure of speech in which a writer intentionally makes a situation seem less important

Question 30

Unreliable narrator

Answer 30

a narrator who misjudges or distorts reality

Question 31

Unusual narrator-

Answer 31

a narrator who is not necessarily the main character (e.g. a servant who watches events and works out what is happening, or a child who has to make sense of what a parent is doing)

Question 32

Colloquial

Answer 32

(of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary

Question 33

Conjunction

Answer 33

a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause (e.g. and, but, if ).

Question 34

Connotation

Answer 34

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

Question 35

Counter-argument

Answer 35

a point which directly deals with an assertion and provides the opposite view

Question 36

Denotation

Answer 36

the literal or primary meaning of a word

Question 37

Dialect

Answer 37

a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group

Question 38

Dialectical structure

Answer 38

a three-part form of argument, moving from thesis (an initial argument) to antithesis (a counter-argument) and finally to a synthesis that combines the two

Question 39

Diatribe

Answer 39

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

Question 40

Irony

Answer 40

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation where the meaning is directly contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea

Question 41

Interjection

Answer 41

an abrupt remark, made especially as an aside or interruption

Question 42

Jargon

Answer 42

the specialized language of a professional, occupational, or other group, often meaningless to outsiders

Question 43

Juxtaposition

Answer 43

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

Question 44

Limited narrator

Answer 44

a narrator who does not know the full story and only reveals what they can see at the time

Question 45

List of three

Answer 45

a device with a rhythmic impact, often used in persuasive texts

Question 46

Metaphor

Answer 46

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

Question 47

Mood

Answer 47

appeals to the audience’s emotions

Question 48

Pronoun

Answer 48

a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you ) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it, this)

Question 49

Pun

Answer 49

A word used in two senses, typically for comedic effect

Question 50

Refutation

Answer 50

the part of the argument in which the writer or speaker counters the opposing views

Question 51

Register

Answer 51

the particular language and grammar usage appropriate to a group of people, role or situation. This might be determined by the level of formality or informality required, or the shared experience of the speaker/writer and reader

Question 52

Repetition

Answer 52

An instance of using a word of phrase more than once in a short passage

Question 53

Rhetorical Question-

Answer 53

A question asked for effect with no expected answer

Question 54

Sarcasm

Answer 54

a mocking, often ironic or satirical remark

Question 55

Satire

Answer 55

a text that uses irony, derision, or wit to attack human vice or stupidity

Question 56

Verb

Answer 56

a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.