English figurative language and sentence structures

Syntax

the way words are arranged

diction

choice of words

metaphor

compares 2 things without like/as

simile

compares explicitly with like/as

personification

adding lifelike qualities to inanimate objects

hyperbole

deliberate exaggeration for emphasis

parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, clauses

juxtaposition

2 things placed close together to emphasize similarities or differences

antithesis

opposition/contrast of ideas or words in a parallel structure

compound sentence

sentence includes at least 2 independent clauses

complex

1 independent and 1 dependent clause

periodic

main clause withheld until the end of the sentence

cumulative

completes main idea at beginning and then builds/adds on

imperative

sentence used to command or enjoin

"I came, I saw, I conquered'“

Parallelism example

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”

antithesis example

"The dark house, with its overgrown garden and boarded windows, was a blight on the rest of the neighborhood, dotted with picturesque houses boasting verdant lawns and clean windows"

juxtaposition example

The pirate captain lost her treasure map, but she still found the buried treasure

compound sentence example

When she arrived at the airport, the plane had already taken off

complex sentence example

After a long day of hiking and navigating the treacherous terrain, the exhausted explorers finally reached the summit

periodic sentence example

“The teacher read a story to the class, her voice rising and falling, her eyes scanning the room, and her hands turning each page slowly." 

cumulative sentence example

Let us go forth from this time and place to a new generation of Americans

imperative sentence example