Structural Terms Flashcards
Dialogue
Conversations 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, e.g. ‘they will laugh’
Narrator
The person who tells the story
Past tense
A verb that describes something that happened in the past, e.g. ‘they laughed’
Point of view
The way that a character regards events or people
Present tense
A verb that describes something that is happening now, e.g. ‘they laugh’ or ‘they are laughing’
Sequence
The order in which things happen
Setting
Where events take place
Structure
The organisation of a text.
Shift in narrative voice
Shows us different characters’ thoughts and feelings
Switch to present tense
Gives readers a more dramatic sense of events happening right now.
Switch to focus on details
Little things make the story more realistic and believable.
Empathize
To understand and share someones feelings
Dialogue: Characters are speaking as the narrative begins.
The reader is thrown straight in, without orientation or warning.
Description:sets the scene or describes a character
Establishes mood and atmosphere, and creates a visual picture for the reader
Character:introduces characters thoughts
Gives the reader someone to empathise with or imagine straight away.
Mystery: an intriguing event or question is set up.
Pulls the reader in by making them want to know what happens next
Thematic statement: indicates what ideas or themes will be significant
Lets the reader know that the detail to follow fits into a wider context
Action: a physical description of something happening.
Can create a sense if immediate danger throw the reader into the middle of an event