AICE English Language AS (9093) Command Words & Vocab

Analyse

Examine in detail to show meaning, identify elements and the relationship between them.

Compare

Identify/comment on similarities and/or differences.

Discuss

Write about issue(s) or topic(s) in depth in a structured way.

Audience

The person/people reading the work or the person/people to whom a speech is intended toward.

Tone

A writer's attitude toward the subject and audience. It is primarily conveyed through diction, point of view, syntax, and level of formality.

Deductive Reasoning

The reasoning process by which a progression of ideas applies a larger principle to a set of individual events or examples. Includes if-then (conditional) statements with premises and an inference.

Diction

The choice and use of words in speech or writing; a way of speaking, usually assessed in terms of prevailing standards of pronunciation and elocution.

Denotation

The direct or dictionary meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.

Connotation

The emotional implications and associations that a word may carry.

Formal

Language that sounds serious, proper, or doesn’t show personal emotions. It is professional and polite and also avoids slang, contractions, or overly causal words.

The opposite of informal.

Informal

The opposite of formal diction; word choice that’s casual, conversational, and relaxed. It uses slang, contractions (like can’t instead of cannot), everyday phrases, jokes, and wordplay.

The opposite of formal.

Concrete

Refers to something specific and real — things you can see, touch, hear, smell or taste; represents tangible, sensory, or specific ideas rather than abstract ones. You’re using clear, specific words that describe physical things or real experiences.

The opposite of abstract.

Abstract

Refers to words or phrases that describe intangible concepts, ideas, feelings, or qualities rather than concrete objects or sensory experiences, observable or specific things, people, or phrases.

It isn’t real in a physical way and it can’t be touched or seen.

The opposite of concrete.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning that moves from specific observations that finds patterns and then develops a hypothesis, to broader generalizations, guesses, rules, or theories (bottom-up approach).

From specific things to a bigger idea.

Detail

A small piece of information the author includes that contributes to its overall meaning and understanding, helping to set the mood, create a bigger picture, or show something important about a character.

Mood

The emotion evoked by a text.

Imagery

Vivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses.

Setting

The time and place in which a story is told, and sometimes the weather and mood as well. It’s made of details that help paint a picture of what the story looks like/feels like.

Alliteration

The repetition of an initial consonant sound in adjacent words.

Figurative Language

Language that’s not meant to be taken literally and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid. It often uses figures of speech.

Allusion

A brief, usually indirect reference to something that’s assumed to be commonly known, such as a person, place, book, work of art, or an event -- which can be real or fictional.

It’s a type of figurative language because it doesn’t mean exactly what it says, instead, it helps create a deeper meaning by comparing or hinting at something else.

Simile

A figure of speech in which two different things are explicitly compared, usually in a phrase introduced by "like" or "as".

It’s a type of figurative language because it doesn’t mean exactly what it says, but uses creative comparisons to help the reader understand something in a more interesting way.

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which an implied comparison (that doesn’t use like or as) is made between two different things that actually have something important in common.

It’s a type of figurative language because it’s not meant to be taken literally, but rather helps you imagine and feel something in a creative way.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is given human qualities or abilities.

It’s a type of figurative language, since it’s not meant to be taken seriously, that makes writing more interesting by giving human traits to non-human things.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech and type of figurative language when you exaggerate something for emphasis or rhetorical effect; an extravagant statement.

The opposite of understatement.

Understatement

A figure of speech and type of figurative language in which a writer deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is to be funny, sarcastic, or to make a point in a subtle way.

The opposite of exaggeration/hyperbole.

Paradox

A statement that appears to contradict itself but may have some truth or underlying meaning in it.

It’s a type of figurative language used to make you think differently or to show that something isn’t as simple as it seems.

Verbal irony

When a speaker/narrator says something but clearly means something different/the opposite from what they actually meant/intended.

It’s a form of figurative language that’s used to be funny, sarcastic, or make a point. The tone and context help the reader understand what’s really meant.

Analogy

A type of figurative language that makes an extended comparison between two things (often something complex/new to something familiar) that seem different but share some similarity, to help explain an idea or make it easier to understand.

One argues that the relationship between the first pair of things is the same as the relationship between the second pair of things.

Anecdote

A storytelling technique in figurative language in which someone tells a short story to make a point, explain something, or just be entertaining or funny.

Metonymy

A figure of speech and a type of figurative language in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated with.
(e.g. crown for royalty)

Synecdoche

A figure of speech and a type of figurative language in which a part is used to represent the whole, the whole for a part, the specific for the general, the general for the specific, or even the material for the thing made from it.

Rhetorical Modes/Modes of Discourse

The way in which information is presented in a text; the different ways we use writing or speaking to communicate ideas.

Cause/effect

A way to explain why something happened (the cause) and what happened because of it (the effect). It’s one of the rhetorical modes, or styles of writing, that shows relationships between events or ideas, used when you want to explain how one thing leads to another.

Description

A rhetorical mode that creates a picture in words (vivid, specific detials) to help the reader visualize something a writer has seen, heard, or done.

Narration

A rhetorical mode that tells a story, explaining what happened, in what order, and often includes characters, a setting, and a plot (beginning, middle, and end) often to show a theme or significance.

Comparison/contrast

A rhetorical mode that shows how two or more things are similar (comparison), different (contrast), or both. It helps writers analyze relationships between ideas, people, places, or things.

Argumentation

A rhetorical mode where you take a stance and try to convince or persuade your reader to accept your opinion, take an action, or do both about your topic. You give reasons, evidence, and examples to support your opinion.

Genre/form

A way to describe the style of writing you’re using that helps readers know what to expect.

It’s the overall type or format of writing, whereas rhetorical modes are the tools or styles used within that writing.

Analysis

A rhetorical mode in which you break your topic down into groups of categories to understand it better and explain how and why its parts work together, why they matter, or has an effect.

Point of View (POV)

The perspective from which a speaker/writer tells a story or presents information.

First person

A type of POV where the story is told from the narrator, who’s the one narrating the events that they’re experiencing, giving a direct view into the narrator’s thoughts, feelings, as if you’re inside their head.

Uses I, we, us, our, or other first person pronouns.

Second person

A type of POV where the narrator talks directly to the reader using the word you or any other 2nd person pronouns (your, yours, & etc) that makes readers feel like they’re part of the story or being given instructions.

Third person

A type of POV where a story is told from the perspective of an outside figure, who’s not part of the story nor do they participate directly in the plot, but is instead telling the story about others.

Uses words such as he, she, they, him, her, it, and other 3rd person pronouns.

Subjective

A type of POV that’s based on personal feelings, thoughts, and opinions instead of facts, often seen in 1st person writing.

Objective

A type of POV that’s based on facts and supports information with evidence, not just personal feelings or opinions. It uses impersonal, unemotional, and unbiased language to tell what actually happened.
Often used in 3rd person writing.

Syntax

The grammatical structure of sentences and how it influences the way a reader views a piece of writing; the arrangement of words in a sentence.

Repetition

An instance of using a word, phrase, or clause more than once in a piece of writing or a speech -- dwelling on a point

It plays with the syntax to draw attention to create a certain effect, shaping how a message feels and sticking with the reader.

Anaphora

The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.

It affects syntax and creates a pattern that makes the writing more dramatic, rhythmic, or persuasive.

Antithesis

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in a parallel structure; A type of syntax used to make a point clear or dramatic and memorable.

Asyndeton

A choice in syntax that omits (removes) conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses, creating a quick, sharp, and powerful effect.

Polysyndeton

A writing technique where a conjunction is repeated many times in a sentence or series of coordinate words, phrases, or clauses making something feel longer, more intense, more dramatic, or adding an authoritative tone.

It affects syntax by changing the rhythm and pacing of a sentence, shaping its style and tone.

Periodic sentence

A type of syntax and sentence where the main idea isn’t completed until the end. The writer starts with extra details or descriptions, and only reveals the main idea last, often creating suspense or emphasis.

Cumulative/loose sentence

A type of sentence that starts with the main idea/independent clause, and then adds extra details/subordinate phrases or clauses after.

It uses a type of syntax that changes the flow of information, making one’s writing feel clear, descriptive, and natural.

Rhetorical question

A question that’s asked, to make a point or for effect; it’s not actually meant to be answered. The writer/speaker already knows the answer—or thinks the answer is obvious— and uses the question to make the reader think or emphasize an idea.

It changes the syntax by asking something instead of stating something, even though no reply is expected. It challenges the reader.

Inverted syntax/inversion

When a sentence is written in a reversed or unusual word order, instead of the typical subject —> verb —> object order (the way we normally speak or write).

It changes the normal order of syntax on purpose to match a specific tone, emphasize a word or idea, create a certain rhythm, or make something sound more formal or poetic.