Sentence Types / Literary Devices

clause

has a subject and a verb

independent clause

stands alone; ex: John went to the store

dependent clause

doesn’t stand alone; ex: When I was a little boy…

simple sentence

an independent clause; ex: John went to the store

compound sentence

two independent clauses joined by a conjunction or a semicolon; ex: John went to the store and he bought cheese

complex sentence

an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses; ex: Since I lost my baby, John went to the store

compound-complex sentence

two independent clauses joined by a conjunction or a semicolon and one or more dependent clauses; ex: John went to the store and he bought cheese, since I lost my baby

diction

word choice

alliteration

beginning several consecutive or neighboring words with the same sound; ex: The twisting trout twinkled below

allusion

reference to a mythological, literary, or historical person, place, or thing; ex: He met his Waterloo

enjambment

continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza

foreshadowing

hints in a narrative to suggest future action

hyperbole

intentional exaggeration for effect; ex: The shot heard ‘round the world

verbal irony

says one thing while meaning the opposite; ex: It is easy to stop smoking. I’ve done it many times

situational irony

when a situation turns out differently from what one would normally expect — though often the twist is oddly appropriate; ex: a deep sea diver drowning in a bathtub

dramatic irony

says something that has different meanings from what he thinks, though the audience knows what’s up; ex: Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is himself the murderer

metaphor

comparison of two unlike things not using “like“ or “as“; ex: Time is money

simile

comparison of two unlike things using “like“ or “as“; ex: The warrior fought like a lion

personification

gives inanimate objects human characteristics; ex: The wind cried in the dark