English Terms & Definitions

oxymoron

a phrase that has two contradictory words side by side eg. deafening silence

juxtaposition

placing two contrasting things near or next to each other to highlight their differences

cyclical structure

a narrative or literary piece where the story ends in a way that links back to the beginning

asyndetic listing

the use of commas instead of conjunctions in a sentence

metonymy

a word that is associated with something, used to refer to the thing itself

antithesis

something that is the direct opposite of something else

imperative sentence

a sentence that commands or demands something of someone

hypophora

when the speaker asks a question but answers it themselves

pathos

emotive language used to evoke pity or sadness

didactic

intended to teach or instruct

allegory

a type of writing that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (typically moral or political)

allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, thing or a part of another text

euphemism

an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or inappropriate

anecdote

a short story about a real incident or person

semantic field

a collection of words that are connected by a mutual theme

double entendre

a word or phrase that is open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent.

figurative language

the use of non-literal phrases or words to create further meaning or emphasis in writing or speech