ALL LANGUAGE - OCR English Language GCSE Terminology

pronoun

replaces a noun to refer to a particular person/people/thing

preposition

indicates the relationship between a noun

verb

indicates an action or state of being

caesurae

a break in the 'flow' of a poem

enjambment

when a line of poetry runs on without punctuation

stanza

a section of a poem

rhyme

when two or more words end with the same sound

rhythm

the beat of the poem

alliteration

where more than one word begins with the same sound

anaphora

repetition of words at the beginning of clauses and sentences

assonance

repetition of a vowel sound

connotations

the associations we have with a word

consonance

repetition of striking or hard sounding consonants

euphemism

the use of an alternative word/phrase to make a negative idea appear positive or neutral

formal register

when proper, Standard English is used (for example when you are writing or speaking to someone with authority)

hyperbole

exaggeration for specific effect

idioms

colloquial phrases that would be understood by a native speaker

imagery

a clear picture created in the reader's mind

informal register/colloquial language

chatty, casual language

lexical set

words relating to the same idea

adjective

describes a noun

adverb

describes a verb

connective

links words and phrases together

noun

an object, a person, a place, a concept/idea

possessive pronoun

a pronoun that indicates belonging

list

number of connected items in a sentence, one behind the other

litotes

understatement for impact

metaphors

imaginative comparison between two things

onomatopoeia

words that sound like what they describe

pathetic fallacy

the use of the weather to set the scene

pathos

the use of emotions to create sympathy

personification

describing something non-human as though it has human characteristics

repetition

when words or phrases or ideas are repeated

rehtorical question

a question designed to promote thought

semantic field

words with similar connotations

sibilance

repeated 's' sound

similies

imaginative comparison between two things indicated by words 'like' or 'as'

tone

the attitude and emotion displayed by the narrator

tricolon

list of three things (can be in a sentence or separate sentences)

voice

the distinctive style of the writer

zoomorphism

describing something non-animal as though it has animal characteristics