ENGLISH VOCAB

Adjective:

A word naming an attribute of a noun.

Adverb:

A word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or another adverb.

Alliteration:

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Allusion:

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly.

Analogy:

A comparison between one thing and another for explanation or clarification.

Anecdote:

A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Annotation:

A note added to a text or diagram for explanation or comment.

Argument:

A reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action, or theory.

Assonance:

Resemblance of sound between syllables of nearby words.

Attitude:

A settled way of thinking or feeling about something.

Bias:

Inclination or prejudice for or against something, especially in an unfair way.

Comparative:

Expressing a higher degree of a quality, but not the highest possible (e.g., braver).

Connotation:

An idea or feeling created in addition to a word's literal meaning.

Context:

Information that helps readers accurately interpret the meaning of a text.

Conventions:

A way in which something is usually done.

Declarative:

A simple statement used to provide information or state a fact.

Denotation:

The literal or primary meaning of a word, rather than the feelings or ideas it suggests.

Description:

A spoken or written account of a person, object, or event.

Ethos:

A speaker or writer's credibility.

Emotive Language:

Language that arouses or is able to arouse intense feelings.

Euphemism:

A mild or indirect expression substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt.

Exclamative:

A simple sentence that expresses sudden or strong emotions and feelings.

Fiction:

Prose literature that describes imaginary events and people.

Foot:

A group of syllables that forms a metrical unit.

Form:

The structure of a text; looks at the whole text to determine its text type.

Free Verse:

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular rhythm.

Imagery:

Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in literature.

Inference:

A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning.

Interrogative:

Having the force of a question.

Literacy:

The ability to read and write.

Logos:

A speaker or writer's appeal to logical or fact-based content.

Metre:

The rhythm of a poem, determined by the number and length of feet in a line.

Nonfiction:

Prose writing that is informative or factual rather than fictional.

Noun:

A word used to identify a person, place, or thing.

Pathos:

A speaker or writer's appeal to emotional content.

Persuasion:

The action of persuading someone to do or believe something.

Personification:

The attribution of human characteristics to something non-human.

Pronoun:

A word that can function as a noun phrase.

Purpose:

The reason for which something is done or created.

Quatrain:

A stanza of four lines, especially one with alternate rhymes.

Rhetoric:

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.

Rhyme:

Correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words.

Rhythm:

The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose.

Scanning:

Looking quickly but not very thoroughly through a document or text to find specific information

Sibilance:

a sound created from the repetition of the letter "s"

Skimming:

The action of reading something quickly to get the important points.

Simile:

The comparison of one thing with another using "like" or "as".

Stressed:

Pronounced with stress.

Subject:

The noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that the clause is about.

Superlative:

Expressing the highest or a very high degree of a quality (e.g. bravest).

Syllable:

A unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound.

Symbolism:

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Syntax:

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Tone:

The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, or situation.

Verb:

A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.