ib english devices

Ad Hominem

A personal attack rather than arguing against the idea or issue.

Adjective

A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

Adverb

A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Allusion

A reference to a person, place, or event in history or another literary work.

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause.

Analogy

A comparison between two things for explanation or clarification.

Anaphora

Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

Anastrophe

The inversion of the usual order of words or clauses.

Anecdote

A personal story or example used within a larger work to make a point.

Anticlimactic

When an expectation is created, but something happens to diminish or frustrate that expectation.

Antithesis

Placing contrasting ideas side by side, often using parallel structure.

Antecedent

The noun a pronoun refers to.

Apostrophes

A punctuation mark (’) used to indicate possession or the omission of letters.

Appeal to Tradition

An argument that claims something should continue because it has always been done that way.

Asyndeton

The omission of conjunctions between a series of clauses.

Assonance

Repetition of similar vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of adjacent words.

Bandwagon

An argument that suggests that because everyone is doing something, you should too.

Chiasmus

The repetition of grammatical structures in reverse order in successive phrases or clauses.

Clause

The basic building block of a sentence, which can be independent or dependent.

Climatic

The arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in order of increasing importance.

Colon

A punctuation mark (:) used after a statement to introduce a quotation, explanation, or example.

Colloquialism

Phrases used in informal conversation, often associated with specific regions.

Comma

A punctuation mark (,) used to separate ideas or elements within the structure of a sentence.

Concede

To acknowledge or accept something as true or valid.

Conjunction

A word used to connect clauses or sentences, or to coordinate words within the same clause.

Connotation / Denotation

Connotation refers to the implied meaning of a word; denotation is its literal definition.

Dash

A punctuation mark (—) used to separate a word or phrase after an independent clause.

Epigraph

A short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, suggesting its theme.

Epistrophe

Repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses.

Euphemism

A milder expression used in place of one considered too harsh or blunt.

Ethos Appeal

Using the speaker’s credibility and trustworthiness to support an argument.

Hyperbole

The use of exaggerated language for emphasis or effect.

Imagery

Words that create pictures for the reader.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality; includes verbal, situational, or dramatic irony.

Isocolon

A series of similarly structured elements of the same length.

Jargon

Specialized language used by a particular profession or group.

Juxtaposition

Placement of two items next to each other.

Logos Appeal

Using logical evidence to support an argument.

Loose sentence

A sentence where the main idea comes first, followed by subordinate clauses.

Meiosis

The deliberate understatement of something.

Metaphor

Referring to one thing as another, implying a comparison.

Oxymoron

Placing two opposing terms directly next to each other.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that contains a measure of truth.

Parallelism

Similarity of structure in a series of related words, phrases, or clauses.

Parody

An exaggerated imitation of a particular writer or genre for comic effect.

Pathos Appeal

Using emotion to support an argument.

Periodic sentence

A sentence where subordinate clauses come first, with the main idea concluding.

Personification

Attributing human characteristics to something nonhuman.

Phrase

A group of words that express a single idea but do not form a complete sentence.

Point of View (POV)

Narrative perspective; can be first person, third person, etc.

Polyptoton

Repeating the same root word in different forms.

Polysyndeton

A superabundance of conjunctions.

Preposition

Shows relationships among words in a sentence.

llevarse bien/mal

to get along well/bad

tener celos

to be jealous

tener lios

tener lios

tener verguenza

to be ashamed

tener angel

to have charm

tomar a pecho

to take to heart

tomar en serio

to take seriously

echar chispas

to be furious

echar flores

to flatter

para empezar

to begin with

en realidad

actually

hoy en dia

nowadays