English language Key Terms

Noun

Noun

A person, place, thing, or idea.

collective noun

A group of nouns.

abstract noun

a noun denoting an idea, quality, or state rather than a concrete object.

Pronoun

A word that takes the place of a noun so we don't keep repeating it.

proper noun

a SPECIFIC person, place.

common noun

A general name for a person, place, or thing.

concrete noun

A thing that can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, or tasted.

Stative verb

A verb that does not physically move, you cannot see, hear, taste etc. eg. love

Dynamic verb

A verb that expresses an action rather than a state. e.g run, jump, hide, instead of hate, love, own

Imperative verb

used to command or tell someone to take action

A verb

A doing word.

subordinate clause

A clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and contains a subject and a verb.

compound sentence

Where you join two main clauses with a conjunction.

complex sentence

Where you join a main clause and a subordinate clause with a conjunction.

simple sentence

A sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause.

main clause

Contains a subject, verb and an object and can make sense on its own.

monosyllabic words

single syllable word.

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity.

Sibilance

A type of alliteration in which the "s" sound is repeated.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

Emotive language

words used deliberately to create a strong emotional impactl.

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Anthropomorphism

the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object. The object actually does human things.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

noun phrase

A group of words that contain a noun and words to describe it but does not contain a verb.

pun

a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

cliché

a worn-out idea or overused expression

Parenthetical remark

A parenthetical remark is one that explains or qualifies something.

adverbial phrase

An adverb phrase is simply two or more words that act as an adverb. It can modify a verb, adverb, or adjective and can tell "how", "where", "why", or "when".

atmosphere

The tone or feeling created in a piece of creative writing.

Pathos

a quality that evokes pity or sadness

pathetic fallacy

The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature; for example angry clouds; a cruel wind.

Connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Colloquialism

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

Ellipsis

three periods (...) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation

Anaphora

the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. For a dramatic or comedic effect.

Foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

Irony

The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning - saying the opposite of what is true/real.

Sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

Rule of Three

The use of three adjectives or phrases to emphasise your idea.

Plosive sounds

Harsh sounds that demand attention such as 'p' or 'b' or 'k' or 'd'. They are often used to highlight something for the reader and used in alliteration.

Fricative sounds

Fricative sounds (such as f/v/th) can either be quite soft and airy, or they can be aggressive (especially f/v, which you can only produce if you bare your teeth - an aggressive action).

Affricative sound

Affricative sounds (such as j) can be quite strange and jarring - they interrupt the softer flow of text and grab the reader's attention, especially when repeated.

Narrative voice

The narrative voice is the tone of the piece. The narrative voice might come from a character or from an omniscient narrator.

1st Person narrative voice

The first-person narrative voice offers the narrator's personal interpretation of events.

3rd Person narrative voice

The third-person narrative voice will either follow a key character or tell events from a neutral (omniscient) perspective.

What should you discuss about paragraphs in an exam?

The order of the ideas (paragraphs). The number of paragraphs in a piece. The length of the paragraphs. How the paragraphs are structured.

Semantic field

Group of words which are related in meaning