Structural Terms / Features Flashcards
Explain what a Dialogue is
A conversation between two or more characters
Explain what a flashback is
A section in a text that is set before the events of the main story
Explain what future tense is
A verb that describes something that will happen in the future
E.g. ‘they will laugh’
Explain what a narrator is
The person who tells the story
Explain what past tense is
A verb that describes something that happened in the past
E.g. they laughed’
Explain what a point of view is
The way a character regards events or people
Explain what present tense is
A verb that describes something that is happening now
E.g. ‘they are laughing’
Explain what a sequence is.
The order in which things happen
Explain what a setting is
Where the events take place
Explain what structure is
The organisation of a text
Explain what a narrative is
A written story or account
Explain what a perspective is
A particular view of / on something
Explain what a narrative voice is
A person telling the story from their point of view
Explain what a structural feature is?
A feature that helps structure a text
What is meant by a chronological order
In date or time order
Define prioritised
The most important facts first
Define what is meant by empathise
To understand and share someone else’s feelings
Define what a plot is
The events in a story
Define what narrow focus is?
The writer focusing on a specific (often small details) section of the text.
Define what a wider focus/perspective is
Often deals with bigger details-setting or character.
Define what a switch focus is
When the writer changes their focus from one character to another, or one setting to another, what a character is thinking to what a character is doing, big details to small detail.
Define what cyclical/circular structure is
Is where a story ends in a similar way to how it begins this could be through the setting, the action the characters, language choice, atmosphere etc.
Define what climax is
The most exiting part of the story
Define what anticlimax is
The disappointing part of the story that isn’t that exiting as you hopped.
Define what rising action is
Its where the tension/excitement/action of the story is building towards the climax
Define what Falling action is
This is where the rising action of the story starts to fall away this often comes up after a climax of a anticlimax
Define what contrast is
The clear difference between things
Define what empathising is.
To understand and share someone else’s feelings
First person perspective
The point of view of a character involved in action of a story, using ‘I’
Define what pace is
The speed at which something happens
Define what symbolism is
The use of symbols to represent something else
Define what third person perspective is
The point of view of someone not involved in action of a story, using ‘he’ or ‘they’
What is Narrative perspective
The point of view in which a story is told. (E.g. first person)
Define a genre
Its a category of literature
Opening:
Whats the effect of dialogue
The reader is thrown straight in, without orientation or warning
Opening:
Whats the effect of description
Establishes mood and atmosphere, and creates a visual picture for the reader.
Opening:
Whats the effect of starting with introducing a character
Gives the reader someone to empathise with or imagine straight away.
Opening:
Whats the effect of having mystery or an intriguing event or question at the beginning
Pulls the reader in by making them want to know what happens next
Opening:
Whats the effect of having a thematic statement that indicates what ideas of themes are significant
Lets the reader know that the detail to follow fits into a wider context.
Opening:
Whats the effect of having an action or something that has a physical description of something happening.
Can create a sense of immediate danger and throw the reader into the middle of an event.
