Structrual Terms Flashcards
Dialogue
Conversation between two or more characters
Flashback
A section in a text that is set before the events of the main story
Future tense
A verb that describes something that will happen in the future eg he will laugh
Narrator
The person who tells the story
Past tense
A verb that describes something that happened in the past eg they laughed
Point of view
The way a character regards events or people
Present tense
A verb that describes something that is happening now eg they are laughing
Sequence
The order in which things happen
Setting
Where the events take place
Structure
The organisation of a text
Narrative
A written story or account
Perspective
A particular view of something
Narrative voice
The person telling the story from their point of view
Structural feature
A feature that helps structure a text
Empathize
To understand and share someone else’s feelings
Narrow focus
The narrator focusing on a specific (often small details) section of a text
Wider focus
Often deals with bigger details- settings etc
Switch of focus
When the writer changes their focus from one character to another, one setting to another. What a character is thinking to what a character is doing.
Cyclical structure (circular structure)
When a story ends in a similar way to how it begins, can be through setting, action, the characters, language choice etc…
Climax
The most exciting part of the story
Anti climax
A part of the story which is not as exciting as you thought
Rising action
Where the tension of the story is building towards a climax
Falling action
Where the action of the story starts to fall away, usually after an anti-climax
Contrast
A clear
First person perspective
The point of view of a character involved in the action of a story using “i”
Pace
The speed at which something happens
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent something else
Third person perspective
The point of view of someone not involved in the action of the story. Using he, she or they
Dialogue: opening
The reader is thrown straight in, without orientation or warning
Opening: description
Establishes mood and atmosphere, and creates a visual picture for the reader
Opening: character
Gives the reader someone to empathise with or imagine straight away
Opening: mystery
Pulls the reader in by making them want to know what happens next
Opening: thematic statement
Lets the reader know that the detail to follow fits into a wider context
Opening: action
Can create a sense of immediate danger and throw the reader into the middle of an event
Compound sentences
To describe multiple actions for example “I went into the kitchen and turned on the cooker”
Subordinate clause
That show how actions relate to each other, for example “when the ring was glowing red”
