English Terms E - J

Fable

A short story, often involving animals, that teaches a moral or lesson.

Falling Action

The events after the climax that show the consequences of the main conflict and lead toward the resolution.

Fantasy

A genre containing imaginative or supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world.

Figurative Language

Language that goes beyond literal meaning to create comparisons, images, or deeper meanings.

First Person POV

A point of view in which the narrator is part of the story and uses pronouns such as “I,” “me,” and “we.”

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the present action to show an event that happened earlier.

Flat Character

A simple character with few developed traits who usually does not change significantly.

Foil

A character or object whose contrasting qualities emphasize or reveal traits of another character.

Foreshadow

A literary technique that gives hints or clues about events that will happen later.

Form

The overall structure or organization of a literary work, including how it is arranged and presented.

Formal Language

Polished, grammatically structured language that avoids slang, contractions, and casual expressions.

Free Verse

Poetry without a regular rhyme scheme, meter, or fixed structural pattern.

Genre

A category of literature defined by shared characteristics, style, form, or subject matter.

Graphic Text

A text that communicates meaning through a combination of written language and visual elements.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or effect and not meant to be taken literally.

Elegy

A poem that expresses sorrow (a sad poem).

Emotional Appeal

When a writer/ producer wants the reader/viewer to be emotional invested.

Enjambment

One line of poetry continues into the next without pause. Shows the running thoughts of a person.

Epic

A certain poem or story that has elements has to have a hero, a journey, and face many obstacles. Often involves magic.

Epiphany

A lightbulb moment, the character realizes something, and starts to act/ does things differently.

Epigraph

A quotation that begins the start of a story, suggesting the theme of the story/book.

Epithet

A descriptive phrase that accompanies or replaces the name of a character or thing.

Ethos

A persuasive appeal that convinces the audience to believe the speaker/writer because of their credibility, character, and/or morality.

Euphemism

A gentler, less offensive way of phrasing something.

Euphony

Pleasing or sweet sounds created by words that sound nice to the ear.

Expert Testimony

Bringing in the opinion of an educated individual.

Exposition

Background information is provided at the beginning of a plot, enhancing the reader’s understanding.

Extended Medaphor

A comparison that is carried throughout a longer poem or work.

External Conflict

Conflict between character and a force outside themselves.

Iambic Pentameter

An order of beats, each line of poetry will follow that set of 5 unstressed/stressed syllable pairs.

Idiom

A commonly used expression that has meanings other than its grammatical or logical ones.

Imagery

When an author uses description of the 5 sense so the reader feels they are there.

Indeterminate ending

Cliff hanger (ending thats not clear)

Indirect Presentation

When the narrator doesn’t tell us much about the character. we learn about them other ways for example dialogue.

Infromal language

like colloquial language used more conversationally.

In Media Res

Dropped into the action of the story, no plot build up, a good hook. later the author goes back and fills in backstory.

Interior Monologue

wen the author has a character says their thoughts out loud, seeing their stream of thoughts.

Internal Conflict

Conflict that happens inside someone, normally psychological.

Internal Rhyme

Rhyme that occurs within one line of poetry.

Irony

When the opposite of what expected occurs.

Jargon

Language used by a specific group of people, maybe the people are part of the same profession.

Juxtaposition

Putting two things side by side, with the intention of making the differences become more apparent.