End of Year Language Review #2

Imperative sentence

these sentences give orders, instructions, advice and directions

Juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

Mixed metaphor

a combination of two or more metaphors that together produce a ridiculous effect

Paradox

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth

Parallel structure

the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures

Simile

a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')

Understatement

the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended

Alliteration

use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse

Chiasmus

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")

Connotation

suggested or implied meaning of word; V. connote

Cumulative sentence

An independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional detail.

Denotation

the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression

Figurative language

Writing or speech that is used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things, [examples are metaphor, simile, and personification.

Irony

incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs

Litotes

understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

Metonymy

substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in The suits on Wall Street walked off with most of our savings.)

Oxymoron

conjoining contradictory terms (as in 'deafening silence')

Protagonist

the principal character in a work of fiction

Rhetorical structure

how a passage is constructed; organization and how author combines images, details or arguments to serve his or her purpose

Simple sentence

A sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause