Structural Devices

Question 1

Setting

Answer 1

The time and place in which events occur.

Question 2

Narrator

Answer 2

The person telling a story.

Question 3

First person

Answer 3

Narrator uses ‘I’ or ‘me’, so they are a character in their story.

Question 4

Third person

Answer 4

Narrator uses ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’, as if they were an observer of events.

Question 5

Omniscient narrator

Answer 5

Is all-seeing and all-knowing, able to get into the minds of characters.

Question 6

Point of view

Answer 6

The perspective taken on events.

Question 7

Plot

Answer 7

The sequence of events.

Question 8

Sub-plot

Answer 8

A strand of events that is of less significance to a text’s main themes, or characters but still of interest to readers.

Question 9

Genre

Answer 9

The style of category of literary text according to recognised codes and conventions.

Question 10

Foreshadowing

Answer 10

Hints of what’s to come.

Question 11

Repetition

Answer 11

Recurring sounds, words or ideas, used to emphasise or draw focus.

Question 12

Exposition

Answer 12

Detailed description or explanation, usually used to introduce a character or idea.

Question 13

Climax

Answer 13

When events reach a pinnacle, often making a turning point.

Question 14

Denouement

Answer 14

A conclusion in which issues are resolved.

Question 15

Flashback

Answer 15

A temporary interruption of the chronological sequence of events to reveal something that happened earlier.

Question 16

Flashforward

Answer 16

A temporary interruption of the chronological sequence of events to reveal something that will happen later.

Question 17

Conflict

Answer 17

Forces at odds with one another.

Question 18

Protagonist

Answer 18

The main character, often the ‘hero’, whom readers are made to root for or empathise with.

Question 19

Antagonist

Answer 19

Who the protagonist battles against.

Question 20

Foil

Answer 20

A character who contrasts with another (usually the protagonist) in order to draw attention to particular qualities or characteristics.

Question 21

Dialogue

Answer 21

Conversation between characters.

Question 22

Steam of consciousness

Answer 22

A person’s thoughts and feelings delivered as if they are pouring out of their head, unhindered by any other character or event.

Question 23

Themes

Answer 23

The morals, ideas and deeper meanings contained in a literary text.

Question 24

Mood

Answer 24

The disposition a literary text evokes in its readers.

Question 25

Tone

Answer 25

The attitude that a writer conveys through their language and stylistic choices

Question 26

Imagery

Answer 26

The use of figurative language to create pictures in the reader’s mind and appeal to their physical sense.

Question 27

Irony

Answer 27

A discrepancy between the expected state and how things really are.

Question 28

Verbal Irony

Answer 28

A person says or writes one thing but means another.

Question 29

Situational Irony

Answer 29

The outcome of a situation is different to what was expected.

Question 30

Dramatic Irony

Answer 30

The audience is given information or knowledge that is denied to a character.

Question 31

Wordplay

Answer 31

Words are deliberately used for an ambiguity in sound or meaning.

Question 32

Paragraphs

Answer 32

The chunking of text according to time, topic, person or place.

Question 33

Punctuation

Answer 33

Structures text at sentence level but can also contribute to meaning and whole text cohesion.