Some key English words & phrases to use when analysing a PROSE text Flashcards
Accumulation
Lists of ideas or words which have the effect of piling up imagery.
Alliteration
The same letter at the beginning of words which are close together, eg “bright blue balloon”
Anecdote
A short personal story which illustrates the point or idea being discussed.
Antagonist
The main ‘villain’ in a story. Eg Darth Vader
Antithesis
Using opposite ideas and with parallel grammatical structures, eg “To be, or not to be.”
Bathos
A fall from the sublime to the ridiculous in a narrative
Clause
A phrase which is one ‘thought’, usually with a subject and verb eg “The tiger growled.”
Climax/climactic moment
The point of highest action or tension in a text.
Colloquial language
Words which are commonly used in speech (ie slang or ‘chatty’ style) eg “That lesson was so chill.”
Compare
When you are examining an aspect of two texts, looking for similarities and differences.
Complex sentence
A sentence where at least one clause is dependent on the main clause. Eg “The tiger, which was a particularly fierce one, growled when it saw the keeper approach.
Compound sentence
A sentence with two independent clauses eg “The tiger growled but it was not looking for its prey.” and a connective joining them.
Contrast
When two things are very different
Dialogue
Characters speaking in a text. Speech marks are used to demarcate (separate) the speech from the rest of the text. Eg
“I think I can succeed,” said the student.
“You certainly can!” replied the teacher
Emotive language
Words which provoke a reaction in the reader eg “slashed”
Extract
A section from a longer text.
Formal language
Words which are suited to a serious or more professional setting (not chatty) “The lesson had a relaxed atmosphere, which allowed students to take the opportunity to work at their own pace. ”
Imperative verb
Verbs which give orders, eg “Sit! Stand!”
Informal language
Words which are suited to a less professional or serious audience eg “The lesson was pretty relaxed so the kids could chat a bit.”
Juxtaposition
When two ideas next to or very near each other are sharply contrasted in a text.
Metaphor
When something is said to be another thing, for effect eg “Her eyes were blue sapphires.”
Narrator - first person
Writing told from the writer’s point of view. Eg “I woke up and I thought about breakfast..”
Narrator - omniscient
Writing where the writer reveals the thoughts and feelings of every character: “He/she/they….”
Narrator - third person limited
Writing where the writer uses the third person but only reveals the thoughts and feelings of one, usually the main, character. eg “She just could not wait: her mind was full of plans…”
Paragraphing
The way paragraphs are organised.
Protagonist(s)
The main character(s) in a story. Eg Hercules, Juliet & Romeo
Pun
A word joke, which can have two meanings. eg “The horse is a very stable animal.”
Register
The formality or informality of a piece of writing. Eg a letter may have an informal register if to a friend, vs a formal register if to a company.
Repetition
When a phrase or word is used several times. eg “The dark night gave way to a dark day.”
Rhetorical question
When a question is posed, without the expectation of an answer. eg “Do I need to continue?”
Simple sentence
A sentence which has a subject, verb and object. Eg “The dog ate a bone.”
Stream of consciousness
A writing technique where punctuation is minimised and the writer expresses a flow of thoughts as if s/he is experiencing the event as it happens.
Style
Similar to the idea of ‘style’ in clothing, this means the conventions used in a piece of writing to create the ‘type’ of writing that it is, eg comedy, action, romance.
Theme
An idea or group of related images which run throughout a text.
Tone
The overall feeling of the ‘voice’ in the text.
Viewpoint
The perspective or point of view from which a writer is writing. ie 1st, 2nd or 3rd person
