Language Features

Alliteration

Often can sound like a tune or song, this grasps the readers attention, therefore making the line more memorable and appealing. Often used in children’s stories.

Allusion

If a character in a story uses one referring to another story, this can give a deeper meaning to what they are saying and show you the kind of person they are.

Anecdote

They give a human face to facts and figures, bringing credibility to an argument by showing the events or experiences that led a writer to form their opinion. In persuasive writing, these short, personal stories can also encourage audiences to see an issue from a unique or different perspective.

Assonance

Create a sense of rhythm. It helps dictate which syllables should be stressed within a line of text. This rhythm-making has a flow-on effect, making a phrase sound more memorable as a result

Cliche

Established phrases that have been used to death, they no longer add meaning to your sentences. Readers switch off when they read them.

Colloquialism

Creating a bond between reader and writer that makes it easier for the reader to agree with the writers point of view, can make the character seem more lifelike.

Connotation

Create emotional associations that can be either positive, negative, or neutral.

Contrast

Writers make their arguments stronger, which makes them more memorable for readers due to emphasis placed on them. Can also entertain. It can shock the audience, heighten drama, and produce balanced structures in a story.

Convincing

Placing the reader in a position of agreement with the wrier/speaker.

Direct address

It enhances the interest of the reader as it directly talks with them, it makes the reader care about the subject matter, and it establishes a relationship between the reader and the writer.

Euphemism

Generally used to make the listener, reader, or audience feel more at ease.

Extended metaphor

They help readers make complex connections within your story. They also give readers a thought-provoking way to think about something instead of just telling them the boring facts.

Facts/statistics

Used to convince a reader and to add factual weight to an argument.

Hyperbole

Often used in poems and stories because it helps to emphasise part of the story and evoke a response from the reader. Can help the writer to get their point across so that you understand the emotion, seriousness or humor of the situation.

Imagery

Enable the reader to imagine the world of the piece of literature. In other words, it engages the senses to deepen the reader's comprehension of what is happening and how to feel about it.

Imperative/command

Instruct the reader or listener on how they should go about doing something. That something is usually a command of some sort. You'll find them in plenty of contexts. They can be used for warnings, advice, providing directions, or making a request.

Jargon

While it fosters precision and facilitates communication within specific communities, its overuse or misuse can alienate readers and hinder comprehension.

Juxtaposition

Encourages the reader to make comparisons otherwise ignored or unapparent. It can serve to highlight certain characteristics of subjects, to make different subjects more alike, or to challenge the typical perspective on a subject.

Listing

It can create a snowball effect or it can excite or dishearten us as readers. If it's descriptive, it can overwhelm us or calm us, if it's persuasive it can persuade us or challenge us.

Metaphor

Helps with ‘show not tell’. Allows writers to convey vivid imagery that transcends literal meanings, creates images that are easier to understand and respond to than literal language.

Onomatopoeia

Add excitement, action, and interest by allowing the reader to hear and remember your writing. You may also include onomatopoeia to add humor to a poem or story and make your reader laugh.

Parallel construction/structure

This structure makes the information easier to read and remember, enhancing the readability of your writing.

Personification

Object or concept can help readers understand it better, as well as making them feel more connected to the subject.

Pun

Often used for humor, but can also make you think differently about a subject if it changes the original meaning of the text

Quotation

Provide important pieces of evidence and lend fresh voices and perspectives to your narrative.

Repetition

Creates emphasis by highlighting the importance of the word or phrase. Therefore, the reader is more likely to consider the meaning of the word or phrase in a deeper way.

Rhetorical question

It allows the reader a moment to pause and think about the question. For that reason, they are effective in hooking a reader's interest and making them think about their own response to the question in hand.

Rhyme

Creates a particular atmosphere and mood, and it can shape the way we respond to the themes in the poem. Can create a fun atmosphere, a chant-like feel, sense of rigidity or even have sarcastic undertones.

Short sentences

Show sudden events, summarize main ideas, or grab the attention of the reader to the detail.

Sibilance

Encourages readers to pay more attention to language, sibilance can have the effect of slowing down the reading process, and strengthening reading-comprehension. Could be used to indicate a sinister event or feeling.

Simile

Helps the thing being described be understood more clearly, while it can help to engage the reader.

Symbol

Acts as a visual aid for readers to better understand complex ideas of concepts.

Tone

Can affect how the reader perceives the writer's intentions.

Alliteration

It can create a pleasing rhythm and make phrases more memorable.

Allusion

It adds depth and layers of meaning to a text by referencing something familiar to the audience.

Enjambment

It can create a sense of continuity or urgency in a poem or narrative.

Irony

It can provoke thought, humor, or reveal hidden truths by highlighting contradictions or unexpected outcomes.

Metaphor

It provides a vivid and imaginative way to describe something by drawing comparisons, often helping readers see things from a new perspective.

Repetition

It reinforces a point or idea, adds emphasis, and makes a passage more memorable.

Rhetorical Question

It engages the reader or listener, prompts them to think, and can be used for dramatic effect.

Rhyme

It adds musicality and rhythm to poetry and can connect ideas or create a sense of closure.

Simile

Like metaphors, they can enhance descriptions but in a more explicit and relatable way.

Hyperbole

It exaggerates for emphasis, humor, or to make a point more dramatically.

Litote

It can soften criticism or create a sense of modesty or irony.

Personification

It makes non-human things more relatable and can create a deeper emotional connection with the reader.

Synecdoche

It can simplify complex ideas or emphasise a particular aspect of something.

Symbolism

It adds layers of meaning to a text and allows for deeper exploration of themes.

Emotive Language

It evokes strong feelings or empathy in the reader, making them more emotionally invested in the text.

Connotations

It shapes the tone and mood of a text by associating words with specific emotions or ideas.

Anaphora

It adds rhythm, emphasis, and can make a passage more persuasive.

Onomatopoeia

It immerses the reader in the sensory experience being described.

Imagery

It paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind and can enhance the reader's understanding of the text.

Pathetic Fallacy

It connects nature with human emotions, setting a mood or atmosphere that mirrors the characters' feelings.

Juxtaposition

It highlights contrasts, allowing for comparisons and commentary on the differences between elements.

Extended Metaphor

It allows for a deeper exploration of a theme or concept over an extended passage.

Colloquialism

It creates authenticity and can help establish the setting or character's background.

Pun

It adds humor or clever wordplay, often involving double meanings.

Neologism

It can introduce new concepts or ideas or create a sense of novelty.

Imperative

It gives a direct command or instruction.

Oxymoron

It creates tension or irony by juxtaposing contradictory words.

Euphemism

It softens or masks harsh or sensitive topics, making them more palatable.

Cliche

It can convey a common idea quickly but may lack originality.

Listing

It emphasises details or creates a sense of accumulation.

Antithesis

It highlights contrasting ideas, often for the sake of emphasis or persuasion.

Jargon

It establishes expertise and can be exclusionary or inclusive depending on the context.

Assonance

It creates a musical quality and can link words or ideas within a sentence.

Sibilance

It adds a soothing or hissing quality to the language.

Internal Rhyme

It adds musicality and rhythm within a single line of poetry.

Rhyme

Makes the text memorable and can make poems amusing. Lightens the mood if subject matter is serious or sad in nature. Can tie together the middle and end of verses.

Alliteration

Makes small sections of the text hang together and flow better. Draws our attention to this phrase. Creates a harder or softer mood in line with the meaning

Assonance

Makes small sections of the text hang together and flow better. Draws our attention to this phrase. Repetition of vowels generally gives a soft, quiet, calm mood unless the sounds are the short vowels, eg in cat, pet, pin, off, cup.

Onomatopoeia

This helps us hear the actual sound being named and therefore we understand it properly or it transports us to the place of the sound.

Repetition

This is used to emphasize whatever is being said or written, or to mimic repetition in nature.

Metaphor

To heighten the image of an object

through comparison. It therefore enlivens descriptions by helping us to see these people/animals/things in a new light - in a way we may

Simile

To draw attention to a characteristic

(the two things have in common) to

make it easy to visualise.

Personification

personification makes inanimate objects seem lively and lifelike while it also contributes to our sense of oneness with these inanimate objects.

Choice of words

More unusual words provide more specific meaning than common ones. Specialized or technical words make it seem like the writer/speaker really knows the topic.

Use of slang

Grounds the text in informality as well as a certain social group and period of time.

Use of incorrect grammar

Creates an image of the character - helps to define personality and place him/her in a particular educational or social class. Provides authenticity in your writing.

Pun

Provokes amusement and therefore a tendency for the reader to feel good about the company / product and possibly to buy the product.

If used by a character, shows that that character is rather clever and witty.

Hyperbole

Used for emphasis to get a point across. Also illustrates something of the mood of the speaker/writer.

Simple sentences

Used to establish one idea. Often used as topic sentences, making clear what the paragraph is about or marking a change of place/topic/etc

Rhetorical question

To make the reader stop and think

or to self-reflect. To draw attention to what follows - the point.

First and second pronoun

First person: Gives immediacy to the text - the author or character makes a direct connection with the reader / audience. The emotional qualities of the text / character are more available also - the internal life of the author or character. "We" in a speech involves the audience with the speaker ("We all know that violence is wrong").

Second person: In speeches and adverts, this direct address to the listeners/viewers involves them and may challenge them to respond, even if only mentally. In narrative, the use shows interaction between characters. It can also seem accusatory.

Symbolism

These are a form of shorthand to emotions - an author can use a symbol so that the reader / audience understands the emotions invested in the object without describing those emotions every time the object is used. Provides the reader with a visual (actual or mental) aide-memoire - something that conjures up certain memories and/or emotions or qualities when s/he sees the symbol.

Euphemism

Amusement in the reader, or revealing of the character of the person using it (kindhearted or sarcastic or squeamish, for example)

Listing

Shows the extent of or emphasizes the topic/object/event being discussed/described; shows the author's wide knowledge of the topic

Sarcasm

The attitude and emotions of the author are transferred or made clear to the reader

Irony

The attitude and emotions of the author are transferred or made clear to the reader

Contrast

Strengthens each aspect of the contrast by showing up the differences

To emphasize a change or difference or idea

Use of numbers/ statistics

A specific number or statistic gives the impression that the speaker/writer is authoritative and knowledgeable

Jargon

to express knowledge and expertise.

Cliche

they can be used for comedic effect

Facts

To add credibility to statements or

opinions via evidence.

Imperative

To encourage the reader to act.

To address the reader directly.

Exclamatory sentence

into a strong command or reflect an emotional outburst.

Active verbs

To give an impression of the present

or a continuous action. To indicate an

action-packed event or high energy.

Short sentence

To show speed, anger or time passing(lots of short sentences).

To show shock or surprise

(one short sentence).

To be dramatic. To create tension.

To show a contrast.

Adjective

To modify the noun or subject.

Adverb

create for more descriptive actions, which would give the writing a more active feeling.