APLAC terms 1-30

Active Voice

Subject does the action. Example: The dog chased the ball.

Passive Voice

Subject receives the action. Example: The ball was chased by the dog.

Allusion

A brief reference to something well-known. Example: He’s a real Romeo.

Anecdote

A short story about a real event or person. Example: Telling a funny story about your first day of school.

Antecedent

The noun a pronoun refers to. Example: Sarah lost her book. Sarah = antecedent.

Diction

An author’s word choice. Example: slim vs. skinny.

Colloquial Language

Casual everyday language. Example: What’s up?

Connotation

The feeling or idea a word suggests. Example: Home suggests comfort.

Denotation

A word’s literal dictionary meaning. Example: Home means a place where someone lives.

Vernacular

Language commonly used by a particular group or place. Example: Y’all.

Didactic

Intended to teach a lesson. Example: A story teaching honesty.

Pedantic

Overly concerned with small details or rules. Example: Constantly correcting someone’s grammar.

Adage

A common saying that expresses wisdom. Example: Actions speak louder than words.

Allegory

A story where characters or events represent bigger ideas. Example: Animals representing political groups.

Aphorism

A short clever statement expressing a truth or wisdom. Example: Less is more.

Euphemism

A milder way to say something unpleasant. Example: Passed away instead of died.

Analogy

A comparison used to explain an idea. Example: The brain is like a computer.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration not meant literally. Example: I’ve told you a million times.

Idiom

A phrase whose meaning is not literal. Example: It’s raining cats and dogs.

Metaphor

A direct comparison without like or as. Example: The classroom was a zoo.

Metonymy

Replacing something with a related word. Example: The crown means the king or queen.

Synecdoche

Using a part to represent the whole or vice versa. Example: All hands on deck.

Simile

A comparison using like or as. Example: She is as brave as a lion.

Personification

Giving human traits to nonhuman things. Example: The wind whispered.

Foreshadowing

Hints about what will happen later. Example: A warning sign before danger.

Invective

Harsh or insulting language. Example: You selfish fool!

Mood

The feeling the reader gets from a text. Example: A dark setting creates a creepy mood.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but contains truth. Example: Less is more.

Anaphora

Repetition of words at the beginning of phrases or sentences. Example: We will fight. We will win.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Olfactory

Imagery related to smell. Example: The sweet smell of cookies.

Gustatory

Imagery related to taste. Example: The sour lemon.

Tactile

Imagery related to touch. Example: The rough blanket.

Visual

Imagery related to sight. Example: The bright red sunset.

Auditory

Imagery related to sound. Example: The thunder crashed.