English Literary Devices & Sentence Structures: Definitions and Examples

What is a noun?

A person, place, thing, or idea.

What is a modal verb?

A verb that expresses necessity or possibility.

What is an imperative?

A sentence that gives an order or command.

What is a superlative?

An adjective showing the highest quality or degree.

What is alliteration?

The use of the same letter or sound at the start of adjacent words.

What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile?

A metaphor is a direct comparison without 'like' or 'as', while a simile uses 'like' or 'as'.

What is personification?

The giving of human characteristics to a non-human object.

What is a semantic field?

A group of words that all link to the same topic.

What is hyperbole?

Exaggeration that should not be taken literally.

What are the five types of imagery mentioned?

Auditory (sound), tactile (physical sensation), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), and kinesthetic (movement).

What defines a simple sentence?

One clause containing a subject and a verb.

What is a compound sentence?

Two related independent clauses joined by a conjunction.

What is a complex sentence?

A sentence containing one or more subordinate clauses.

What is an impact sentence or fragment?

A sentence containing three or less words.

What is a triple?

Three adjectives or phrases used to describe something.

What is juxtaposition?

Two things placed together to highlight the contrast between them.

What is anaphora?

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

What is the exposition in a narrative?

The introduction of background information on characters, events, or settings.

What is the climax of a narrative?

The most intense point in the development of the narrative.

What is foreshadowing?

An advance hint of what is to come later in the text.

euphamism

replacement of harsher phrases with softer, more palatable ones

Asyndetic listing

Listing without conjunctions, such as "and", speeds up the writing connoting excitement or urgency

syndetic listing

listing with conjunctions, slows the writing down, makes it flow better

plosives

p, b, t, d, k, g, harsh, aggressive tones

Polysyndetic listing

many conjunctions, slow the text down, or create a sense of urgency and panic or add emphasis

assonance

repetition of vowels in nearby words, changes pace