ucas terminolgy Flashcards
Concrete nouns
things that physically exist (table, cat, chair, map)
Abstract nouns
do not physically exist, ideas and emotions (love, anger, honour, faith, dignity)
Proper nouns
names of people, places and organisations (Karl, Manchester, Google)
Collective nouns
refers to a group (this is the best CLASS ever/ a FLOCK of birds)
Evaluate adjectives
offer a judgement (the weather was dreadful)
Comparative adjectives
end in –er or have more in front of them (the weather was BETTER the next day)
Superlative adjective
expresses the highest degree of quality (the weather was the BEST on Saturday)
Attributive adjectives
come BEFORE the noun they modify (do you have any available tables for tonight?)
Predicative adjectives
come AFTER the noun with a VERB IN BETWEEN (do you know if this table is available?)
Post-positive adjectives
comes immediately AFTER the noun (is this table available?)
Dynamic verbs
physical actions (I ran/ skipped/ hopped away)
Stative verbs
states of feelings (I thought/ wanted/ wished for/ hated/ loved)
Auxiliary verb
helping verb (am/is/has)
Modal verb
type of auxiliary verb. Express certainty (will), compulsion (must), possibility (might), choice (could/can)
Deontic modal verb
express certainty or compulsion.
Epistemic modal verb
Epistemic express possibility and choice
Progressive verbs
an action in progress (she is running/ skipping/ hopping)
Perfective verbs-
an action that has been completed. Comes with an auxiliary verb (he HAD FINISHED the test/ he HAS DONE well)
Progressive-perfective verbs
express a completed action as though it was still in progress (look for- ing + has/ had= she HAS been CRYING all day long)
Adverbs of manner
describes how something is done (she ran QUICKLY)
Adverbs of time
when something happens or the frequency of something happening (I’ll call you TOMORROW/ I go to the cinema REGULARLY)
Adverbs of degree (or intensifiers)
I am ESPECIALLY pleased with…I am PARTICUALLY annoyed about…I am VERY happy about…I’m SO cross with…
Adverbs of place
where something happens (I left my phone BEHIND)
Coordinating conjunctions
connect words or clauses that have ‘equal’ status (I like ice cream BUT I don’t like chocolate)
Subordinating conjunctions
connect words or clauses that have ‘unequal’ status (IF you do that again, you’ll be in trouble)
Demonstrative determiner
that/this (look at THAT cat/ read THIS book)
Demonstrative pronoun
my/ your that comes before a noun (my cat/ your book)
Definite determiner
the
Indefinite determiner
a
Prepositions
how one thing relates to another (The cat is UNDER the table/We’ll watch the film AFTER dinner)
Pronouns
take the place of a noun
Personal pronoun
takes the place of a person (He went out last night)
First person
I
Second person
you
Third person
he/ she
Singular
one person
Plural
more than one
Plural- more than one
They are going out
Possessive pronoun
shows possession (mine/yours/ours/theirs/his/hers)
Reflexive pronoun
has ‘self’ added to the pronoun (Do it yourself/ I’ll do it myself)
Reciprocal pronouns
each other/ one another
Demonstrative pronouns
This/ that/these/those
Indefinite pronoun
somebody/ someone
Interrogative pronouns
found at the start of interrogatives (who/what/why/where/when/whatever)
Relative pronouns
follow the noun they refer to (That’s the dress I want to buy)
Standard English
language accepted widely as the correct form
Jargon
specialist terminology relating to a particular field (motherboard)
Latinate
words derived from Latin, more rarely used, considered higher status or specialised (caveat)
Polysyllabic
words that have two or more syllables
Euphemism
the substitution of a more offensive or disparaging word or phrase for one considered less offensive. Dysphemism is the opposite of euphemism
Low frequency lexis
words that appear often in everyday speech
Non standard English
he informal version of the language, which can change depending on where it is being spoken
Colloquial language
casual communication
Idioms
a form of common non-literal expression (e.g. “I was dead on my feet”)
Taboo/ vulgarisms
a word, phrase, or expression that is used widely but is regarded as nonstandard, unrefined, coarse, or obscene.
Dysphemism
the substitution of a more offensive or disparaging word or phrase for one considered less offensive. Dysphemism is the opposite of euphemism
Ellipsis
the omission or slurring [eliding] of one or more sounds or syllables - e.g. gonna = going to; wannabe = want to be; wassup = what is up
Contraction
words or phrases that have been shortened by removing one or more letters
Monosyllabic
words with only one syllable
High frequency words
words that appear often in everyday speech
Modifiers (pre or post)
a word (noun or adjective) that modifies a sentence/ adds to the sense of the head noun (large family home)
Neologisms
newly created words
Compound words
new words created by joining two existing words together (dustbin)
Semantic and lexical fields
field of words connected in meaning that is not the subject matter of the text/ words connected in meaning that are connected to the subject matter of the text
Collocations
words that go together (fish and chips/ salt and pepper)
Metaphors
figurative not literal
Pun
a play on words
Hyperbole
exaggeration
Meiosis
deliberate understatement (This diamond ring is a small token of my love for you)
Synecdoche
a part stands in for a whole or a whole stands for a part (I’m getting my new wheels today/ the government will make an announcement today)
Metonymy
one thing represents something else (Wall Street represents the US banking system)
Main clause
A main clause can form a complete sentences on its own. It MUST CONTAIN A VERB (“Today is Friday. You ate the last biscuit.”)
Coordinate clause
A coordinate clause is a main clause in a compound or compound-complex sentence (“I LIKE EATING KIRSPY KREMES and YOU ENJOY THEM TOO”)
Stranded co ordinate clause
This is a co ordinate clause on its own in a sentence without another main clause to accompany it (“And a dessert to finish.”)
Subordinate clause
A subordinate clause does not make sense on its own and needs to be paired with a MAIN CLAUSE to form a complete sentence. It must also contain a verb (“ALTHOUGH IT WAS LATE, Hannah still wasn’t ready to go”)
Concessive subordinate clause
These concede something:
EVEN THOUGH I COULDN’T AFFORD IT, I booked the holiday
ALOTHOUGH I DON’T AGREE WITH HER, I respect her views
Conditional subordinate clause
These provide a condition:
IF YOU DON’T complete your homework, you’ll get a detention
Don’t phone UNLESS IT’S AN EMERGENCY
Subordinate clause of reason
These provide a reason:
BECAUSE THE TRAIN WAS LATE, Sam missed the concert
SINCE YOU DIDN’T REPLY TO MY MESSAGE, I thought your weren’t coming
Temporal subordinate clause
These relate to time:
WHEN IT’S 12 O’CLOCK, we’ll take a break
AFTER THE BREAK, we’ll work on the presentation
Relative subordinate clause
These add additional information and start with a relative pronoun
This is the woman WHO WON THE BIG CASH PRIZE
Kate, WHO HAD BEEN OFF SICK FOR SOME TIME, was behind on the work
The exams, WHICH HAPPENED LAST WEEK, went really well
To- infinitive clauses
These begin with the word ‘to’
TO GET good marks you’ll have to revise hard
Book your tickets early TO GET A GOOD SEAT
Foregrounded clauses
These are subordinate clauses that START a sentence
WHEN YOU GET BACK, we’ll watch the film
TO GET THE BEST EPERIENCE, I suggest you go early
Embedded clauses
These are subordinate clauses in the middle of sentences
The girls, WHO HAD WORKED REALLY HARD, decided to go away for the weekend to celebrate
Tom, WHEN HE FINALLY ARRIVED HOME, was not in a good state
Simple sentence
Has only one clause and must contain a verb: (“Charlie ate the sandwich”)
Compound sentence:
Links two or more clauses using the conjunction ‘and’ or ‘but’: (“Charlie ate the sandwich and the apple”)
Complex sentence:
Contains two or more clauses, one of which is a subordinate clause, which are linked together with conjunctions such as ‘by’, ‘because’, ‘when’, ‘while’ and ‘although’ (called subordinating conjunctions): (“Charlie ate the sandwich, when he had finished the apple.”)
Complex-compound sentence
Has at least one subordinate clause and a number of coordinate clauses (clauses beginning with coordinating conjunctions ‘and’, ‘but’ ‘or’): (“I stopped the car because the man was just lying there on the road and asked of he was ok.”)
Minor sentence
A phrase or a subordinate clause being used as a complete sentence:
“Back home now.”
“Great cake, that.”
Declarative sentence
A statement that gives information: (“He shut the window”)
Interrogative
A question:
“Are you coming back train?”
“You’re coming by train?”
Imperative
A command:
“Give me the cake”
Tag question
A declarative or imperative with a short clause (tag) on the end to turn it into a question:
“You’re coming by train, aren’t you?”
“Lift that end, will you?”
Exclamatory
Contains an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence:
“Get in line!”
“You were brilliant!”
Left branching sentences
Lengthy information before the subject of the sentence:
“DISORIRENTATED, DAZED, DISCOMBOBULATED AND PEERING THROUGH THE NARROW GAP ANXIOUSLY, Charlie wondered if it was safe out there”
Periodic sentences:
A complex sentence where the sentence starts with the subordinate clause and the main clause is saved until the end:
“While sitting down for a rest, Charlie ate the sandwich”
Triad
A pattern of three words or phrases (I came, I saw, I conquered)
Syntactic parallelism
When a writer or speaker repeats a sentence structure:
“If we build it, they will come. If they come, we will succeed”
Active voice
subject of the sentence comes first and is the do-er of an action:
“Sarah broke the window”
Passive voice
either the subject is the done to rather than the do-er:
(“the window was broken by Sarah”) or is removed from the sentence:
(“the window was broken”)
Syndetic list
items in a list connected by a connective:
“I bought the food and the wine and the dessert!”
Asyndetic list
items in a list connected by a comma or semi colon:
“I bought the food, wine, dessert…”
Parenthesis
Asides in brackets or hyphens:
“Kate- a 20 year old from Worcester- won first prize”
“The dog (who was very naughty anyway) had eaten the Christmas dinner”
