Unit 3-4 Vocab Terms

A collection of vocabulary terms and their definitions to aid in studying for English 10.

Simile

A comparison between two ideas using linking words.

Metaphor

A comparison of unlike things where one is structured as if it is the other.

Euphemism

A device that attempts to soften a word or phrase to make it less offensive.

Personification

A device where something nonhuman is given human characteristics.

Allusion

A device where the author includes a reference to something or someone famous to make connections.

Motif

A device where the author includes the same image or idea multiple times in a text to help develop a theme.

Oxymoron

A device where the author includes two contradictory words together.

Paradox

A device where the author uses a contradictory meaning in a sentence that may actually be true.

Anaphora

A device where the author uses the same word or phrase at the beginning of nearby sentences.

Epistrophe

A device where the author uses the same word or phrase at the end of nearby sentences.

Inference

A logical deduction based on textual evidence.

Pathos

A persuasive appeal to emotion and feelings.

Logos

A persuasive appeal to logic and reasoning.

Ethos

A persuasive appeal to trustworthiness and experience.

Hyperbole

A technique where an author uses extreme exaggeration for emphasis.

Concession

A technique where the author mentions the opinion of the opposition to acknowledge their position.

Juxtaposition

A technique where the author places two things side-by-side for contrasting effect.

Parallelism

A technique where the author used similar grammatical structure multiple times in a row for impact.

Rhetorical Question

A technique where the speaker inquires about a topic but does not expect a response from the audience.

Author's Purpose

An author's reason for writing a text.

Fallacious

Describing a mistaken belief.

Valid

Describing something that has a sound basis in logic or fact.

Relevant

Describing something appropriate to the timeframe and circumstance.

Sufficient

Describing something that is enough or adequate for the situation.

Delineate

The act of describing, listing, or portraying precisely.

Denotation

The actual definition of a word.

Connotation

The aspect of a word encompassing its emotional, implied meaning.

Tone

The author's attitude towards a particular idea.

Effectiveness

The measure of how well an author used a technique or persuaded.

Rhetoric

The overall term for the art of persuasion and persuasive techniques.

Argument

The primary point an author is attempting to prove in a text.

Assessing

The process of evaluating or estimating the nature of quality of something.

Repetition

This occurs when something is being used multiple times in a row.

Stage Directions

This term is an acting instruction in italics or parentheses.

Soliloquy

This term is a speech given by one person alone on stage.

Hubris

This term is the tragic flaw of excessive pride.

Catharsis

This term is the removal of the audience's tension, pity, or fear at the end.

Monologue

This term is a speech given by one person to other characters.

Dialogue

This term is when there is a conversation between two or more characters.

Iambic Pentameter

This term is a line of poetry with 5 pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables.

Subplot

This term is a story line that develops separately from the main plot but still supports it.

Aside

This term is a brief statement to the audience that others don't hear.

Theme

This term is the overall meaning or message that the author is presenting through characters, symbols, and conflict.

Couplet

This occurs when two lines end in a rhyme.

Complexity

Describing the difficulty or intricate nature of a component of a story that makes it difficult to understand or be able to describe it in words.