English Language - Metalanguage

These are terms that are found in the VCE English Language study design for 2025.

Vowel Reduction

Sub-system: Phonetics and Phonology

Metalanguage category: Connected speech processes

A phonological process where the quality of a vowel sound changes in unstressed syllables, often becoming a more neutral or centralised sound like the schwa (ə). E.g. “Family” may become “Famli”

Assimilation

Sub-system: Phonetics and Phonology

Metalanguage category: Connected speech processes

Assimilation is also a common phonological process by which one sound becomes more like a nearby sound. This can occur either within a word or between words. E.g. “Good boy” may become “Goob Boy”

Elision

Sub-system: Phonetics and Phonology

Metalanguage category: Connected speech processes

The omission or suppression of one or more sounds or syllables in a word. E.g. “Fish and chips” may become “Fish ‘n’ chips”

Insertion

Sub-system: Phonetics and Phonology

Metalanguage Category: Connected speech process

The inclusion or addition of sounds or syllables in a word. E.g “Athlete” may become “Athelete”

Prosodic Features

SPITV - Stress, Pitch, Intonation, Tempo, Volume

Phonological patterning

Alliteration (when a writer uses a series of words that begin with the same letter or sound), rhyme (similarity of sounds at the end of words), Onomatopoeia and assonance (repetition of vowel sounds). Phonological patterning refers to the systematic use of sound patterns in language to create meaning and enhance the aesthetic quality of poetic and prose texts.

Noun Phrase

A group of words that functions as a noun within a sentence. E.g. "The tall girl with the red backpack"

Verb Phrase

A group of words that includes a verb and any related words that modify or complete its meaning. E.g. "has been running"

Adjective Phrase

A group of words that functions as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun. E.g. "very proud of her achievements"

Adverb Phrase

A group of words that functions like an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even entire clauses. E.g. “because she was tired”

Prepositional Phrase

A group of words consisting of a preposition, its object (which can be a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause), and any words that modify the object. E.g. “under the table”

Subject of a sentence

The noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb. E.g. "The dog barked loudly."

Object of a sentence

The noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that receives the action of the verb. E.g. "She kicked the ball."

Predicate of a sentence

Describes either what the subject is doing or the state of the subject. E.g. “The cat is sleeping on the couch."

Adverbial of a sentence

A word, phrase, or clause that functions like an adverb, modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb, or even an entire clause. E.g. "She sang beautifully at the concert."

Sentence Fragment

A group of words that looks like a sentence (it begins with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark) but is grammatically incomplete. E.g. “Because I was late."

Simple Sentence

A sentence consisting of a single independent clause. E.g. "The dog barked."

Complex Sentence

A sentence containing one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. E.g. "She stayed home because she was feeling sick."

Compound Sentence

Combines two or more independent clauses (complete sentences) using coordinating conjunctions (e.g., "and," "but," "or"), semicolons, or conjunctive adverbs. E.g. "I wanted to go to the beach, but it started raining."

Compound-Complex Sentence

Combines elements of both compound and complex sentences, containing at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. E.g. “Although it was raining, I went for a walk, and I listened to music.”

Declarative Sentence

Sentences that are statements, e.g. 'The sun was shining'.

Interrogative Sentence

A sentence that asks a question. It always ends with a question mark (?) and usually begins with an auxiliary verb or a question word. Examples: Do you like coffee? What time is it?

Imperative Sentence

A type of sentence that gives a command, makes a request, or offers instructions. E.g. “Wash the dishes”

Exclamative Sentence

A sentence which expresses an emotion; often ending with a '!’. E.g. “That was awesome!”

Syntactic Patterning

The use of recurring structures in language to create meaning and effect. Antithesis (Using parallelism to contrast opposing ideas. For example, "To be or not to be, that is the question,"), Parallelism (Repeating similar grammatical structures (phrases, clauses, or sentences) to create balance and rhythm. For example, "I came, I saw, I conquered" uses parallel verb structures.), and Listing (Enumerating items or ideas, often separated by commas or other punctuation, to emphasize or organize information. For example, "The recipe requires flour, sugar, eggs, and butter,")

Semantic Patterning

The use of words and phrases in a text to create specific meanings and effects, often going beyond the literal meaning. Figurative language (Non-literal language used to create imagery or express ideas creatively."Time is a thief."), Irony (When the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning, often for humour or critique. "What a beautiful day!" (said during a storm)”, Metaphor (A direct comparison between two unrelated things, saying one is the other. "The classroom was a zoo."), Oxymoron (A phrase combining two contradictory words. "Deafening silence."), Simile (A comparison using "like" or "as". "She’s as busy as a bee."), Hyperbole (Intentional exaggeration for effect. "I’ve told you a million times!"), Personification (Giving human traits to non-human things. "The wind whispered through the trees."), Animation (A subtype of personification that gives movement or life to inanimate things or abstract concepts. "The computer froze in panic."), Puns (A play on words exploiting multiple meanings or similar sounds. "Being a carpenter is just plane fun."), Lexical Ambiguity (When a word or phrase has more than one possible meaning in context. “The chicken is ready to eat.")