English Honors 2 Spring Study Guide

Anaphora

repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of sentences

Anaphora example

"Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better"

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Alliteration example

Becky's beagle barked and bayed, becoming bothersome for Billy.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Allusion example

If he's not careful, his love life could end up like Romeo and Juliet's.

Allegory

A story in which each aspect of the story has a symbolic meaning outside the tale itself.

Allegory example

Animal Farm by George Orwell, Lord of the Flies

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

Apostrophe example

Macbeth addressing the dagger

Juxtaposition

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

Juxtaposition example

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness

Imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Imagery example

He could see the boy through streaked glass, flashing with sunlight, blurring his vision.

Metaphor

comparing two ideas, objects, etc.

Metaphor example

Our lives are grapes, bitter and sweet.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Simile example

your eyes twinkle like the stars

Dramatic Irony

Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.

Dramatic Irony example

In a scary movie, the character walks into a house and the audience knows the killer is in the house.

Verbal Irony

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

Verbal Irony example

Of course I don't mind that you lowered my pay.

Situational Irony

An outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected

Situational Irony example

A fire station burns down

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

Tone example

sardonic, apologetic, light-hearted, somber

Mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

Mood example

Mysterious: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary"

The way a writer describes a setting can make you feel as if "you are there".

Foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

Foreshadowing example

Piggy's glasses breaking foreshadowed his death

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Hyperbole example

I've told you a million times.

Motif

a recurring image or pattern to reinforce a theme

Motif example

the plant in Raisin in the Sun

Theme

Central idea of a work of literature; underlying message

Theme example

All Quiet: war is terrible and destroys people, both physically and mentally

Euphemism

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

Euphemism example

saying "he passed on" rather than "he died"

Unreliable narrator

misleading, untrustworthy, inaccurate, and deceptive narrator whose character suggests their account of events cannot be completely trusted

Unreliable narrator example

Merricat

Retrospective narration

a narrative structure where a character narrates a story from a point in the future, looking back at past events with the benefit of hindsight

Retrospective narration example

Purple Hibiscus, We Have Always Lived in the Castle

stream of consciousness

a literary technique where a writer portrays the continuous flow of thoughts, sensations, and associations within a character's mind, mimicking the natural, often chaotic and illogical, way people think

Stream of consciousness example

"She knew nothing; no language, no history; she scarcely read a book now, except memoirs in bed; and yet to her it was absolutely absorbing; all this; the cabs passing; and she would not say of Peter, she would not say of herself, I am this, I am that."

Colloquial language

the use of informal, everyday language, including slang, idioms, and regional expressions, in writing to create a more authentic and realistic voice for characters and narratives

Colloquial language example

contractions, informal words, slang, idioms, regional expressions

Independent clause

a complete sentence; can stand alone; Has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought

Dependent clause

not a complete sentence; Has a subject and verb but depends on an independent clause to make it a complete thought

Dependent + independent

use a comma: Because I was late, I missed the bus

Independent + dependent

no comma: I missed the bus because I was late

Independent + independent

comma then FANBOY or semicolon: I was late, so I missed the bus / I was late; I missed the bus

Participle

A verb form that can be used as an adjective; ends in -ing or -ed

If the participial phrase comes at the beginning

use a comma: Shivering in the cold, he pulled his coat tighter

If the participial phrase comes in the middle

surround it with commas: The children, running as fast as they could, hurried to catch up to the bus

If the participial phrase comes at the end and describes the subject

the comma is optional but often helpful: She sat quietly, lost in thought

Appositive

a noun or noun phrase that renames or further identifies another noun next to it

if it's nonessential (extra info)

Use commas around the appositive: Mr. Frederick, our chemistry teacher, is not here

if it's essential (necessary to know who/what you're talking about)

Don't use commas: My friend Sydney goes to class

MLA guidelines

Last name pg #). / At end of sentence / Italicize book titles, websites, films, etc. / Use quotation marks for short stories, poems, articles, etc.

FANBOYS

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (coordinating conjunctions)

When you join two independent clauses with a FANBOYS word

use a comma before the conjunction: I wanted to walk my dog, but it started to rain

When you're not joining two full sentences (just phrases or words)

no comma is needed: She likes pizza and pasta; He ran up the stairs and out the back door

Singular "Be" verbs

am, is, was, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being, been

Plural "Be" verbs

are, were, have been, had been, will be, will have been

Use when:

describing states of being, using passive voice intentionally, or writing dialogue or formal analysis