End of Year Language Review #1

Allusion

a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Analogy

drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect

Antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

Antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance

Apostrophe

a technique by which a writer addresses an inanimate object, an idea, or a person who is either dead or absent

Balanced sentence

a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast

Colloquialism

spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

Complex sentence

a sentence composed of at least one main clause and one subordinate clause

Conceit

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

Ellipsis

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced for the context ("Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.")

Hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

Non sequitur

a statement that does not follow logically from evidence

Syllepsis

a construction in which one word is used in two different senses ("After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.")

Syntax

the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

Ambiguity

unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase as the beginning of successive clauses

Argument

a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true

Cacophony

a loud harsh or strident noise

Epithet

a defamatory or abusive word or phrase

Euphemism

an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive