Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

English > Reading Comp. Final > Flashcards

Reading Comp. Final Flashcards

1
Q

Simile

A

Comparison of 2 things using the words like or as

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Metaphor

A

Comparison of things with out using the words like or as

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Oxymoron

A

Words not commonly used together that are contradicting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Placement of two opposite ideas, things, or people near each other for contrasting effect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Paradox

A

a statement that contradicts itself yet it might be true

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Personification

A

giving inanimate objects human characteristics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Hyperbole

A

an over exaggeration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Understatement

A

Opposite of hyperbole, irony which deliberately represents something as much less then it actually is

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Litotes

A

a type of understatement where negatives are made to make something positive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Allusion

A

the author refers to a subject matter as a passing reference

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Alliteration

A

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a word

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Assonance

A

repetition of vowel sounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Consonance

A

repetition of consonant sounds within words

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Dissonance/Cacophony

A

a harsh disagreeable combination of sounds used for effect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Onomatopoeia

A

words that imitate sound

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Apostrophe

A

addressing a non existent person or abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Synecdoche

A

a part of something is used to signify the whole or vice versa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Metonymy

A

use of an object closely related to the subject to represent the subject itself

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Imagery

A

concrete, specific descriptions within a literary work that have a sensory appeal for the reader

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Symbol

A

a word or phrase used to evoke a concrete reality which suggests a range of meaning beyond itself

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Abstract

A

something that cannot be perceived by the senses, for example, the word truth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Allegory

A

a story that has a second meaning beneath the obvious one

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Analogy

A

a comparison of two things where the familiar is used to explain the unfamiliar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Analysis

A

a close examination of a literary work

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Anecdote
a short, often amusing narrative
26
Antagonist
the force that opposes the main character
27
Antecedent
that which precedes or comes before. In a story, it's the actions of the characters which helps explain their present situation.
28
Anti-climax
Follows the climax and is of lesser excitement.
29
Antithesis
a contrast of ideas. Example: sink or swim
30
Archaic Language
outdated language that is no longer used
31
Archetype
a model that has typical qualities
32
Aside
a comment made by an actor to the audience and unheard by the other actors on stage
33
Atmosphere
the emotional feeling created
34
Autobiography
a person's story told by themselves
35
Ballad
a simple narrative poem originally meant to be sung
36
Caricature
distortion by exaggerating certain qualities
37
Character
a person in a story
38
Chronology
a sequence of events arranged according to a simple time line
39
Cliché
an overused expression
40
Colloquial
informal speech accepted in ordinary communication
41
Comedy
a story or play that has a happy ending and which usually contains humor
42
Comic Relief
a humorous scene in a tragedy or non-comedy
43
Concrete
that which can be perceived by the senses
44
Conflict
a clash of actions, desires, or wills
45
Connotation
emotional associations created by words
46
Context
the part of text in which a word or passage occurs that gives it meaning
47
Couplet
two lines of poetry that rhyme
48
Denotation
what a word means according to the dictionary
49
Denouement
the part of the play or novel where the plot gets sorted out
50
Didactic
writing whose purpose is to teach or preach
51
Dilemma
a choice between two undesirable alternatives
52
Dramatic Irony
irony that occurs when a character knows less about his or her own situation than the audience does
53
Dynamic
alive, moving, changing
54
Empathy
shared feelings
55
Epilogue
the closing speech at the end of a play
56
Euphemism
mild words that are used in place of harsh ones
57
Excerpt
a passage or quotation selected from a larger piece of literature
58
Exposition
an opening scene that explains conflict, setting, and character
59
Falling Action
the part of a play in which the hero's fortunes decline, from the crisis to catastrophe
60
Fantasy
a story that goes beyond the bounds of known reality
61
Figurative
language that uses comparisons in an imaginative way
62
Flashback
an incident inserted in a narrative to show events that happened in the past
63
Foil
a character who contrasts strongly within another
64
Foreshadowing
specific hints as to what will happen
65
Genre
type or kind of literature
66
Hypothetical
not necessarily true, but assumed, because it seems likely that it could be correct
67
Illusion
when what is perceived is not real or the way it really is
68
Imitative harmony
a word or words used to suggest the sound described
69
Implication
something that is suggested and assumed to be understood
70
Inference
an arrival at a conclusion through evidence
71
Irony
a contradiction in meaning
72
Jargon
language particular to a specific group
73
Literal Meaning
language that is used in an obvious matter of fact sense
74
Literary Device
a technique used to create a particular effect like a metaphor
75
Lyric Metaphor
a brief musical poem expressing strong feelings
76
Monologue
a speech given by a single performer or character
77
Mood
the total feeling created by a work
78
Motivation
that which causes a character to behave in a certain way
79
narrator
the one who tells the story
80
nemesis
a just reward or punishment, sometimes called poetic justice
81
octet
an eight line stanza
82
overstatement
an exaggeration used to emphasize a point
83
parable
a short narrative used to teach a lesson
84
parallelism
the expression of ideas in a similar order and structure
85
parenthesis
explanatory remarks enclosed within a longer sentence ( )
86
parody
humor by imitation of a well known piece of writing
87
pastoral
simple or naturally beautiful
88
pathos
sadness or pity brought out by a story
89
plot
the sequence of events in a literary work
90
point of view
the perspective in which the story is told
91
omniscient
3rd person, you can see in everyone's minds and what they're thinking
92
limited omniscient
3rd person and you can see into one persons mind and what they're thinking
93
objective
the narrator is like a camera, you see what's going on but you don't know what anyone is thinking or feeling
94
first person
narrator is telling the story about themselves
95
prologue
the opening or introduction of a play, speech, or poem
96
protagonist
the main character in a literary work
97
proverb
a profound saying that contains truth
98
pun
a play on words that are either identical or similar in sound
99
quatrain
a four line stanza
100
realism
depicting characters and situations in a life like way
101
repetition
stating something over and over for effect
102
rhetoric
the science of argument, the use of language to persuade an audience
103
rhetorical question
a question that does not require an answer because it is obvious
104
rhyme
a repetition of vowel sounds at the ends of words
105
rhythm
a recurrence of strong and weak syllables creating a pattern of sounds
106
sarcasm
saying the opposite of what is really meant, similar to irony but more bitter and hurtful
107
satire
making fun of a serious subject
108
sestet (sextet)
a stanza of six lines
109
situational irony
a contrast between what is actually expected and what actually happens
110
slang
nonstandard language made up of certain terms
111
soliloquy
a speech made to the audience when an actor is alone on stage
112
sonnet
a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines
113
stage direction
italicised instructions by a playwright for the actor's or director's use
114
stanza
a grouping of verse lines in a poem set off by a space
115
static character
a character who does not change or grow during the course of a story
116
stock character
an easily recognizable character type who reoccurs in literature
117
style
the overall choice and arrangement of sources, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs in a piece of writing
118
subjective
showing the personal thoughts and feelings of the author
119
synonyms
words having the same or nearly the same meaning
120
theme
the subject or topic of a written work that provides an insight to life
121
thesis
a position taken and supported by a writer or speaker
122
tone
the attitude of the writer or speaker towards his or her subject and audience
123
tragedy
a play where the hero comes to an unhappy ending
124
trite
an expression such as a cliché which is worn out by too much use
125
verbal irony
a contrast between what the character means and what they say
126
wit
a clever verbal expression used to shock or create humor

English (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions