Literary and Linguistic Terms Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering general literary terms, parts of speech, and specific techniques for argumentative and narrative writing based on the provided lecture notes.

Active voice

where the subject of a verb is performing the action involved (e.g. She won the race)

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

Anadiplosis

a device in which the last word of one clause or sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next.

Analogy

a developed comparison between two separate ideas

Anaphora

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

Anecdote

a brief, concise account of a funny or interesting moment in someone’s life

Assonance

the repetition of a pattern of similar vowel sounds within a sentence

Chiasmus

a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form (e.g. ‘Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.’)

Colloquial

(of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation, not formal or literary

Connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

Consonance

repetition of similar consonant sounds in words in close proximity to each other in a sentence

Denotation

the literal or primary meaning of a word

Dialect

a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group

Diction

the word choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

Epistrophe

(also referred to as epiphora) the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several successive sentences or clauses

Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

Evaluative lexis

words used to express a personal appraisal or judgment

Extended metaphor

a metaphor that isn’t just used in one line but is extended over multiple lines or throughout the work

Figurative language

language that is intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved

Genre

a category of literary work

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Idiom

a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deductible from those of the original words

Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to any of the senses

Inserted phrase

words placed into part of the sentence, generally set off with commas

Interjection

an abrupt remark, made especially as an aside or interruption

Irony

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation where the meaning is directly contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea

Jargon

the specialized language of a professional, occupational, or other group, often meaningless to outsiders

Juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

Lexis

the complete vocabulary of a language

Lexical set

(also referred to as a lexical group) a group of words with the same topic, function, or form (e.g. cats, dogs, gerbil, goldfish are part of the lexical set of pets).

List of three

a device with a rhythmic impact, often used in persuasive texts

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

Mood

appeals to the audience’s emotions

Neologism

a newly invented word (e.g. meme)

Paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well-founded or true

Passive voice

where the subject receives the action of the verb (e.g. The ball was kicked)

Personification

a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities

Point of view

the perspective from which a speaker or writer tells a story or presents information

Pun

a word used in two senses, typically for comedic effect

Register

the particular language and grammar usage appropriate to a group of people, role, or situation. This might be determined by the level of formality or informality required, or the shared experience of the speaker/writer and reader

Repetition

an instance of using a word or phrase more than once in a short passage

Rhetorical question

a question asked for effect with no expected answer

Sarcasm

a mocking, often ironic or satirical remark

Simile

a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared using ‘like’ or ‘as’

Structure

the way in which the text is organized

Style

how a writer decides to express whatever he wants to say; the word choice, sentence structure, syntax, language, etc.

Symbol

a person, place, action, or thing that represents something else

Syntax

the arrangement of words in a sentence

Tone

a writer’s attitude towards the subject and audience

Transactional writing

non-fiction texts that communicate information between individuals or groups (e.g. letter, magazine article)

Understatement

a figure of speech in which a writer intentionally makes a situation seem less important

Adjective

a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it

Adverb

a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.

Comparative

words such as ‘better’, ‘greater’, ‘less’, ‘more’

Conjunction

(also referred as connective) a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause (e.g. and, but, if)

Intensifier

usually an adverb added to an adjective (e.g. totally unique)- can have an informal tone

Modal verbs

auxiliary verbs that indicate the possibility, obligation or certainty of an action or state (e.g. ought, might, should, can, etc.)

Modality

a category covering indications either of a kind of speech act (e.g. declarative, imperative, etc.) or of the degree of certainty of an action or state (e.g. he might go, he will go, he ought to go)

Noun

a word used to identify any class of people, places, or things

Noun phrase

a phrase that stands for, or can replace a noun, often containing additional information (e.g. the foul fumes; the delightful scented flowers in the vase)

Pronoun

a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g. I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g. she, it, this)

Preposition

a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in ‘the man on the platform’, ‘she arrived after dinner’, ‘what did you do it for?’.

Superlative

words such as ‘best’, ‘greatest’, ‘fewest’, ‘most’

Verb

a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen

Antithesis

relates to opposites. This could relate to a contrast between two things or ideas; the term is also used in writing to describe a counter-argument to a proposition or thesis.

Counter-argument

a point which directly deals with an assertion and provides the opposite view

Cyclical

coming full circle; in writing, creating a balanced, yet rhetorical effect- a text structure that begins and ends in the same place

Dialectical structure

a three-part- form of an argument, moving from thesis (an initial argument) to antithesis (a counter-argument) and finally to a synthesis that combines the two.

Diatribe

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

Evidentiary logic

presenting evidence in a logically structured manner in order to support a critical position.

Refutation

the part of the argument in which the writer or speaker counters the opposing views

Characterization

the techniques used by the writer to present their characters

Limited Narrator

a narrator who does not know the full story and only reveals what they can see at the time

Omniscient narrator

a narrator who is all-seeing and knows the full picture

Unreliable narrator

a narrator who misjudges or distorts reality

Unusual narrator

a narrator who is not necessarily the main character (e.g. a servant who watches events and works out what is happening, or a child who has to make sense of what a parent is doing)