Preresquisite Knowledge Flashcards
Academic diction
The use of scholarly words or terms
Colloquial diction
Words or phrases (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing which is usually inappropriate in formal writing
Adjective
A word that modifies a noun
Adverb
A word that modifies a verb
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another
Analogy
A comparison between two unlike things in which the more complex is explained in terms of the simpler thing to add a point of reference
Antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
Ex: “While giving treats to friends offer them whatever they like.” The ___ is the friends and the pronoun is they.
Argumentation
Writing that attempts to prove the validity of a proposition or idea by giving reasoned arguments ; persuasive writing is a form of this
Balanced sentence structure
A sentence that has parallel phrases or clauses used to stress similar ideas
Dependent clause
A group of words that contains a subject and a verb, but cannot be a grammatical sentence. It is dependent upon an independent clause for meaning and context
Independent clause
A clause which can stand by itself as a grammatical correct sentence
Clause
A sentence like construction that is contained within a sentence or a simple sentence, usually containing a subject and a verb or verbal
Coherence
Quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle
Colon
Punctuation mark used to:
- introduce lists or long quotations
- to separate an explanation, rule, or example from a preceding independent clause
- introduce an explanation or definition
- etc
Comma
Punctuation mark used to separate the structural elements of sentences into segments.
- to separate independent clauses when they are joined by a coordinating conjunction
- after introductory clauses, some introductory phrases or words
- to set off clauses, phrases, and words that come in the middle of the sentence and are not essential to the meaning of the sentence
- to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series
Comparison
Showing how two or more texts, objects, or ideas are similar
Complex sentences
A sentence containing containing one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
Compound sentences
Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
Conjunction
Words that link units of equal status or subordinate clauses
Contrast
Showing how two or more texts, ideas, or objects are different
Convoluted sentences
Long, complicated sentences that are often hard to follow because they are wordy and too many ideas are rolled together into one sentence
Coordinating conjunctions
Words that can, with a comma, link two independent clauses
FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Dash
A punctuation mark used to denote an abrupt break, pause in a sentence, or hesitation in an utterance
Declarative sentences
A type of sentence structure used chiefly for making statements. The sentence structure is usually subject/verb/object.
Description
The picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse
Examples
An individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern. Arguing by example is considered reliable if examples are demonstrably true or factual as well as relevant
Exclamatory sentences
A type of sentence structure used chiefly to express strong feeling. Exclamatives begin with what or how. What is used with a noun phrase and how elsewhere.
Figurative language
How authors use literal meaning to suggest non-literal meaning, including metaphors, extended metaphors, similes, symbols, personification, allusion, idiom, pun, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and alliteration
Figures of speech
Expressions, such as similes, metaphors, and personifications, that makes imaginative rather than literal, comparisons or associates
Foreshadowing
The use of a hint or clue to suggest a larger event that occurs later in the work
Genre
A type of literary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also subgenres, such as science fiction within larger genres
Gerund
A verbal that ends in -in and functions as a noun (subject, complement, direct object, or object of a preposition)
Ex: Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences.
My cat’s favorite activity is sleeping.
The police arrested him for speeding.
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis
Idioms
An expression in usage of a language that has meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined literal meanings of its elements. It takes on meaning beyond itself that is known to members of the culture which uses them.
Imperative sentences
A type of sentence structure used chiefly for issuing a directive or command. The imperative verb has the base form and the subject is generally absent (the missing subject is understood to be you)
Ex: Take off your hat.
Make yourself at home.
Let no one move.
Interrogative sentences
A type of sentence used for asking questions. The operator ( first auxiliary verb) comes before the subject, or the sentence begins with an __ word (who, how, why) or an __ expression (on which day, for how long)
Ex: did you hear that noise?
Why is Pat so annoyed?
At which point should I stop?
Logic
The process of reasoning or using reasoned arguments
Moderate
To make less extreme of intense
Noun
A part of speech that indicates a person, place, or idea.
Parenthesis
Used by the author to whisper a witty aside to the reader or to embed additional information in a sentence.
Parts of speech
Adjective, adverb, conjunction, determiner, noun, preposition, pronoun, and verb
Personification
The attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or inanimate object. It is a metaphorical representation.
Phrase
A unit below the clauses; it may consist of one word, or a word with many modifiers.
Ex: noun: an old quarrel
Verb- may laugh
Adj- extremely happy
Adverb- frankly enough
Preposition- I took several courses in history
Point of view
The perspective from which a story is presented
Predicate
The verb and any of its objects or complements in a clause
Ex:I ‘learned all of this later.’
The chef ‘is a young man with a broad experience of the word.’
Preposition
A part of speech that introduces a ___ phrase. The preposition links the complement in the phrase to some other expression.
Pronoun
Parts of speech that are special types of nouns that take the place of another noun or noun phrase and refer back to it. Classes of them include personal ( I, me, you, us, he, she, it, they, them, etc), possessive (my, mine, our, your, his, her, their, etc,), reflexive (myself, herself, themselves,etc), demonstrative (this, that, these, those), reciprocal (each other, one another), interrogative (who, whom, whose, which, what), relative (who, whom, whose, which, whatever, that, etc), and indefinite (many, the somebody, something, anyone, etc)
Punctuation
Standardized marks or signs to clarify the meaning and separate structural units
Period, comma, dash, colon, semicolon, and parentheses
Quotations
Use of another author’s words to add support or validity to one’s writing.
Repetition
A word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity. Religion allows an author allows an author to hammer him an idea, image, or relationship, to force the reader or listener to pay attention. Used to reinforce a theme, create parallel structure, highlight the author’s tone, provide transitions, etc
Rhetorical question
A question asked for rhetorical effect to emphasize a point, no answer being expected. Sometimes used by the author on themselves to drive the point home more
Semicolon
A punctuation used to:
- to join independent clauses in compound sentences that do not have coordinating conjunctions and commas as connectors
- to separate long or complicated items in series which already includes commas
- to separate two longs or complex independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction if confusion would result from using a comma
Statistics
A quantity (as the mean of a sample) that is computed from a sample.
Stereotype
A character who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group and who lacks individuality
Subordinating conjunction
A conjunction which introduces a subordinate clause. After, although, as, as long as, because, before, except that, if, since, unless, when, where, while, etc
Subject
The main idea or topic of the text, also, the element of a sentence that usually comes before the verb in a declarative sentence and after the operator in an interrogative sentence.
Theme
The central idea or message of a literary work. Must be stated in a complete sentence
Verb
A part of speech that indicates action or state of being
