Terminology For Analysing Any Text Flashcards
1
Q
Common noun
A
A naming word for a thing that is tangible, e.g chair, penguin, man, ghost
2
Q
Abstract noun
A
a naming word for an idea, concept, state of being or belief, e.g. Sadnesss, love, politics, Marxism
3
Q
Proper noun
A
a naming word for a specific example of a common noun, e.g. Bob, Eiffel Tower, London Bridge
4
Q
Verb
A
a word that represents an action or process
5
Q
Active verb
A
a word that represents a physical action, e.g. Jump, run, sleep.
6
Q
Stative verb
A
a word that represents a process that is often only mental, e.g. Think, believe, hope.
7
Q
Auxiliary verb
A
a verb that has to be used with another verb in order to create present participles or the future tense, e.g. “DID you go?”, “I AM going”, “you WILL go”.
8
Q
Modal verb
A
an auxiliary verb that express a degree of either possibility or necessity, e.g. Might, could, must, should, may.
9
Q
Adjective
A
a describing word that modifies a noun
10
Q
Adverb
A
a describing word that modifies all types of word, excluding nouns.
11
Q
Superlative
A
an adjective that displays the most extreme value of its quality, e.g. most, biggest, smallest, worst, furthest.
12
Q
Comparative
A
an adjective that relates one thing in some way to another e.g. Bigger, smaller, further, quieter.
13
Q
Definite article
A
The.
14
Q
Indefinite article
A
a or an
15
Q
Pronoun
A
a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence, e.g. Him, her, it, he.
16
Q
First person pronoun
A
I, and the first person plural: we, our, us.
17
Q
Second person pronoun
A
You
18
Q
Third person pronoun
A
Him, her, she, it, and the third person plural: them, those.
19
Q
Possessive pronoun
A
My, mine, our, your, his, hers, theirs.
20
Q
Demonstrative pronoun
A
This, that, those.
21
Q
Monosyllabic lexis
A
Words of one syllable.
22
Q
Polysyllabic lexis
A
Words of two or more syllable.
23
Q
Imperative sentence mood
A
When a sentence is issuing a command.
24
Q
Declarative sentence mood
A
When a sentence is making a statement.
25
Interrogative sentence mood
When a sentence is asking a question.
26
Exclamatory sentence mood
When a sentence conveys a strong sense of emotion, sense of alarm or overly strong emphasis.
27
Register
The level of formality of a text
28
Tenor
The tone, or the relationship between author and reader and how it's created
29
Attitudes
The opinions expressed in the text
30
Content
What the text is about
31
Context
Things outside the text which may shape its meaning
32
Form
The structure and shape of a text
33
Themes
The recurring ideas and images in a text
34
Colloquialism
Informal language usage, e.g. Bloke, fella, lass
35
Exclamation
A one word sentence with an exclamation mark at the end
36
Ellipsis
When parts of a written sentence are missing. In texts, sometimes they are indicated by three full stops in a row... like this.
37
Syntax
The way words from sentences (the ordering of them to create meaning)
38
Parenthesis
An aside within a text created by section off extra Infromation between brackets, dashes or between commas
39
Rhetorical question
A question not to be answered, perhaps to pique interest or make a point
40
Hypophora
When a rehtorical question is immediately followed by an answer in a text, e.g. "Is this the best film ever? You bet is is!"
41
Hyberbole
Deliberate over-exaggeration of things for effect
42
Litotes
Deliberate downplaying of things for effect
43
Parallelism
The creation of patterns in a text, through repetition of words or phrases, or by balancing meanings for deliberate effect
44
Repetition
The repetition of words or phrases
45
Tricolon
Grouping in threes, either through repetition or through structures
46
Imagery
A descriptive or metaphorical use of language to create a vivid picture
47
Pre-modification
A descriptive technique where the descriptive words come before the thing they are describing
48
Post-modification
A descriptive technique where the descriptive words come after the thing they are describing
49
Metaphor
A comparison that states that something is actually something else "take a leaf out of her book"
50
Simile
A comparison that states that something is 'like' or 'as' something else. "I was carm like water"
51
Synecdoche
A metaphor that states that something is only a small constituent part of itself "a new set of wheels (car"
52
Analogy
Explaining something in terms of something else
53
Allusion
To refer to something indirectly
54
Pathetic fallacy
When the environment or weather mirrors emotions
55
Personification
A device in which the non-human is give personal and human qualities, e.g. "The trees danced in the wind"
56
Extended metaphor
When a metaphor continues throughout a text with recurring references to the compared item
57
Symbolism
Using figurative and metaphoric language, items or incident in a way that means that certain things represent other things e.g "Green light in Gatsby shows envoy"
58
Lexis
Another word for the word 'word'
59
Field specific lexis
The language of a certain area, e.g. Field specific lexis for computing would include mouse, monitor, RAM
60
Lexical set
The selection of relative lexems from a text
61
Lexical bundle
A recurrent sequence of words or a collection of words that through repetition of use, just naturally go together, e.g. "I don't think..."
62
Semantics
The meanings of words
63
Acronym
Words created by the initials of other grouped words, e.g. UN, NATO
64
Synonym
An alternative word choice that has the same or similar meaning, e.g. A synonym of horror is fright
65
Homophone
Different words that sound exactly the same when said out loud, e.g. They're, their, knew, new
66
Homonym
When one word has multiple meanings, e.g. Great can mean both size and positivity
67
Archaism
A word that over time has fallen out of common usage
68
Juxtaposition
The placing together of elements, whether that be complimentary or contrasting to create effect
69
Antithesis
When ideas contrast or oppose one another
70
Oxymoron
The use of apparently contradictory words in a phrase, e.g. "Peaceful war"
71
Collocations
Words that, through usage just naturally go together, e.g. "Fish and chips", "Salt and vinegar"
72
Asyndetic listing
The listing of elements that excludes any form of co-operation cojunction
73
Phonological features
Any devices used that relate to sound
74
Onomatopoeia
When a word is spelled exactly as that same as the sound it describes, e.g. "Drip", "Pop"
75
Consonance
The repetition of double consonants in the middle of words
76
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds
77
Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds in a text
78
Exposition
The parts of a story (usually early on) where the writer gets across all the information about the situation of a character
79
Narrator
The 'Voice' that tells a fictional story
80
Protagonist
The character the reader is meant to identify with the most and follow through the story
81
Anti-hero
A protagonist who isn't always morally virtuous but has enough qualities to endear themselves to a reader
82
Antagonist
The character who opposes the goals of the protagonist
83
Dialogue
The presentation of a character's speech
84
Monologue
A type of poem or a prolonged piece of drama where one character delivers a speech that reveals their innermost feelings
85
Dramatic irony
When the audience is aware of more then one of the characters in either a play or a piece of fiction to create a dramatic effect
86
Ambiguity
When there can be more than one possible meanings or outcomes in a story, creating a sense of intrigue
87
Anthropomorphism
When an animal takes on the characteristics of a human being, e.g. Talking, wearing cloths
88
Genre
Category of fiction or type of text, e.g. Romance, horror, magazine
89
Audience
Who the text is aimed at
90
Purpose
The reason the text has been produced
91
Foreshadowing
The hinting at things to come through early elements of a story
92
Mimesis
Mimicry. A story, for example, may mimic the gasping breath of a pursued protagonist by using short, sharp, sentences and lots of aspirant alliteration
93
Pastiche
A piece of art or writing that imitates a from or genre to generate humour
94
Satire
A piece of writing or art the pokes fun at the societal establishment
95
Neologism
A newly invented word
96
Portmanteau
A newly invented word, created by merging two words together, for example chillax (from "chill out" and "relax")
97
Compound word
A word created by utilising two existing words separated by a hyphen, e.g. Global-village
98
Clipping
Colloquial omission of parts of words to create a more casual alternative, e.g. 'cause
99
Rehtoric
An example of persuasive language
100
Stereotype
A label for a social group, utilising certain characteristics of group members and applying it to everyone within the grouping
101
Taboo language
Words that are considered socially unacceptable to say in polite, civilised society, e.g. Swear words
102
Connotation
The associations that can be gleaned from words
103
Denotation
The literal meaning of the words
104
Irony
Language that conveys a meaning other than that literally expressed by words, usually for humorous effect
105
Sarcasm
The use of language in an ironic way with the express purpose of offending the recipient in some way, e.g. "Great map reading skills"
106
Euphemism
The polite way to say something not normally considered socially appropriate
107
Dysphemism
An unnecessarily extreme way of saying something, not normally social appropriate
108
Tagline
Beneath the headline, there may be a slightly smaller sentence, designed to clarify the gist of the story
109
Subheading
Usually a one or two word, emboldened phrase that breaks up the main article
110
Caption
Part of a multi-modal text, these will be juxtaposed with an image
111
Pun
A play on words
112
Journalese
The sensationalised language that is particular to tabloid newspapers
113
Multiple modifiers
Doubling and trebling up of adjectives is used frequently in tabloid newspapers and also other genres of text
114
Cliché
When language is used over and over until it becomes so well known that it loses its original potency, e.g. "I'm over the moon"
115
Idiom
A saying, often a cliché where the words that make up the saying do not have the same meaning as the overall semantic effect, e.g. "You're taking the Mickey"
116
Malapropism
When a speaker accidentally uses the wrong word that sounds the same, e.g. "The world's my lobster"
117
Text speak
The phonetic spelling of text too long to type out in full on a mobile, e.g. "OMG"
