Terms Flashcards
Jargon
Specialized language; Nonsense.
Archaic
An old, out of date language.
Metaphor
Implied comparison, figure of speech without using like or as.
Allusion
A reference to scripture, literature or well-known event.
Spoonerism
A spoonerism is a linguistic error where the initial sounds of two words are swapped, such as saying “tons of soil” instead of “sons of toil.”
Concrete
Tangible, able to be sensed.
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony intended to mock or convey contempt, often through saying the opposite of what is meant, such as saying “Oh, great job!” when someone makes a mistake.
Denotative
Literal dictionary meaning.
Colloquial
Colloquial language refers to informal, everyday language used in casual conversation, like saying “gonna” instead of “going to” or “wanna” instead of “want to.”
Personification
Giving human qualities to something non-human.
Symbol
Something that stands for something else.
Verbal Irony
Verbal irony is when someone says something that contrasts with or contradicts their true meaning, often for humorous or sarcastic effect, like saying “What a beautiful day!” when it’s raining heavily.
Caricature
A caricature is a simplified or exaggerated representation of a person or thing, often used for comic effect or satire, such as a drawing of a politician with an oversized head and tiny body.
Satire
To ridicule for a purpose.
Connotative
Connotative refers to the additional meanings or associations that words carry beyond their literal definitions. The word “snake” connotes deceitfulness or treachery in addition to its literal meaning of a reptile, often used metaphorically to describe a dishonest person.
Polysyllabic
Having more than one syllable.
Paradox
A paradox is a statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but may actually reveal a deeper truth, like the famous paradox: “Less is more.”
Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated word, such as referring to the monarchy as “the crown” or the press as “the media.”
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is the act of placing two or more things side by side to highlight their differences or create contrast.
Example: The bright, bustling cityscape stood in stark juxtaposition to the serene, quiet countryside.
Innuendo
A hint, allusion or insinuation; meant but not stated.
Emotive
“Emotive” refers to something that evokes or expresses intense feelings.
Example sentence: Her emotive speech brought the entire audience to tears.
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words “like” or “as.”
Example: She was as brave as a lion.
Periodic Scentence
A periodic sentence is a sentence that has its main clause or predicate at the end, often used to create suspense or add emphasis.
Example: Despite the blinding snow, the freezing temperatures, and the steep incline, the hikers continued their trek to the summit.
Prosaic
A prosaic definition describes something that is commonplace, unromantic, or lacking in poetic beauty.
Example: The prosaic details of his daily routine included commuting to work, answering emails, and attending meetings.
Opostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate either possession (e.g., “Sarah’s book”) or the omission of letters or numbers (e.g., “can’t” for “cannot” or “class of ‘99”).
Pun
A play on words.
Cliche
Trite or over-used saying.
Tone
The authors attitude.
Loose Sentence Type
A loose sentence is a type of sentence structure in which the main clause is followed by one or more subordinate clauses or phrases that add additional information. This structure allows the sentence to develop gradually, with the main idea presented first and the details or modifications trailing after.
Example - The sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, as birds chirped in the trees and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
Periodic Sentence Type
A periodic sentence is a sentence that is structured to place the main clause or the predicate at the end, often after a series of dependent clauses or phrases that build up to the main point. This structure can create suspense or add emphasis to the final idea.
Example:
Despite the heavy rain, the slippery roads, and the late hour, they arrived at the destination safely.
Balanced Sentence Type
A balanced sentence is a sentence that employs parallel structures of approximately the same length and importance. These structures are often set off against each other to create a sense of rhythm and equality within the sentence.
Definition: A balanced sentence consists of two or more clauses that are parallel in structure and similar in length, creating a sense of balance and rhythm.
Example: “She likes reading in the morning, and he prefers jogging at night.”
In this example, the two clauses are similar in length and structure, providing a balanced feel to the sentence.
Parallel Structure Sentence Type
Parallel structure, also known as parallelism, is a grammatical construction in which two or more parts of a sentence are similar in length and grammatical form. This enhances readability and adds symmetry to the sentence.
Example: “She likes reading, writing, and jogging.”
In this sentence, the parallel structure is maintained by using three gerunds (“reading,” “writing,” and “jogging”) in a series.
Fragment Sentence Type
A fragment sentence, or sentence fragment, is an incomplete sentence that lacks either a subject, a verb, or a complete thought, making it unable to stand alone as a complete sentence.
Example: “Because I was late.”
In this sentence, the fragment “Because I was late” lacks a complete thought and cannot stand alone without additional information.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves an exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or rhetorical effect.
Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device where consecutive words in a sentence or phrase begin with the same consonant sound, creating a rhythmic and sometimes thematic connection between them.
Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
In this sentence, the repeated ‘p’ sound at the beginning of most words is an example of alliteration.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.
Example: “The bees buzzed loudly as they flew from flower to flower.”
In this sentence, “buzzed” is an example of onomatopoeia because the word imitates the actual sound made by bees.
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or vice versa.
Example: “All hands on deck.”
In this sentence, “hands” (a part of the sailors) is used to represent the whole (the sailors themselves).
Apostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate either possession (e.g., “John’s book”) or the omission of letters or numbers (e.g., “can’t” for “cannot” or “class of ‘99” for “class of 1999”).
Example: “It’s important to check if you’ve packed everything for your trip.”
Consonance
Consonance is a literary device characterized by the repetition of the same consonant sounds in close proximity within a sentence or phrase, typically at the end or in the middle of words.
Example: “The lumpy, bumpy road stretched ahead.”
In this sentence, the repetition of the “m” and “p” sounds in “lumpy” and “bumpy” demonstrates consonance.
Axiom
An axiom is a statement or proposition that is regarded as self-evidently true and requires no proof, often serving as a starting point for further reasoning or arguments.
Example: “In geometry, one common axiom is that through any two points, there is exactly one straight line.”
Antithesis
Antithesis is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect.
Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
In this sentence, the contrasting ideas of “the best of times” and “the worst of times” are placed side by side to highlight the extremes.
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two seemingly contradictory or opposite terms are combined to create a rhetorical effect by highlighting a paradox or emphasizing contrast.
Example: “The silence was deafening.”
