NCEA Level 3 English Unfamiliar Texts

Adjective

A word that describes or qualifies a noun or describes a pronoun

Adverb

A word that adds information about a verb, adjective or other adverb by indicating how, where, when, how much. It can express negation

Alliteration

A poetic or literary effect achieved by using several words that begin with the same or similar consonants.

Assonance

The similarity of two or more vowel sounds or the repetition of two or more consonant sounds, especially in words that are close together in a poem.

Balanced Sentence

A sentence made up of two parts that are roughly equal in length, importance, and grammatical structure: a paired construction.Used often and are memorable because of the similar structure used to contrast ideas

Conjunction

A word that is used to link sentences, clauses, phrases or words.

Connotation

The associations or secondary meaning of a word in addition to its primary meaning. The opposite of denotation.

Denotation

The most specific or literal meaning of a word, as opposed to its figurative senses or connotations. The dictionary meaning of a word.

Diction

Choice of words to fit their context, such as in a speech or a piece of writing.

Hyperbole

Deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect. A way of emphasizing what you are saying by describing it as far more extreme as it really is.

Irony

Sometimes said or written that uses humour based on words suggesting the opposite of their literal meaning.

Metaphor

The use to describe somebody or something of a word or phrase that is not meant literally but by means of a vivid comparison expresses something about him, her or it. All language that involves figures of speech or symbolism and does not literally represent real things.

Extended Metaphor

When an author uses a metaphor throughout a long passage or even an entire poem. An author would use this to create a clearer comparison between the two items.

Noun

A word or group of words used as the name of a class of people, places or things or of a specific person, place or thing.

Onomatopoeia

The formation or use of words that imitate the sound associated with some. e.g. "hiss" and/or "buzz"

Parallel Construction

Is repetition of the pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.

Personification

A representation of an abstract quality or notion as a human being, especially in art or literature

Pronoun

A word that substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase, e.g. "I", "you", "which", and "anybody."

Repetition

The act or process of saying or writing something again.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect that neither expects nor requires an answer.

Simple Sentence

Has a subject and one finite verb and may have an object.

Compound Sentence

Made up of two or more simple sentences joined with a conjunction such as 'or', 'and' and 'but'.

Complex Sentence

Has one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses (clauses that are reliant on the main clause for their meaning in that particular context.) That clauses are joined by conjunctions such as "if", 'when', 'because', 'until' and 'since'

Compound-complex sentence

Combines the compound and the complex sentence. The 'compound' part means that it has two or more complete sentences. The 'complex' part means that it has at least one incomplete sentence.

Sibilance

When the sound 's' is repeated. It can make the words sound menacing or have positive connotations.

Simile

A figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word "like" or "as," e.g. "as white as a sheet".

Style

The literary element that describes the ways that the author uses words - the authors's word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement all work together to establish mood, images and meaning in the text.

Symbol

Is the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. An action, person, place, word or object can all have symbolic meaning. When an author wants to suggest a certain mood or emotion, he can also use symbolism to hint at it, rather than just blatantly saying it.

Syntax

A set of rules in a language. It dictates how words from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a complete thought.

Tone

In Written composition, is an attitude of a writer towards a subject or an audience. Is generally conveyed through the choice of words or the theme, tone and diction.

Triple Construction

Is a type of parallel construction. Parallel constructions is when similar words are repeated in a similar order. This structure is often used to reinforce or build up an argument or to persuade. The triple constructions are particularly effective, with the build-up of three ideas creating a rhythm or emphasizing particular ideas.

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 or happen.

Analogy

Used in poems, Relevant comparison to show similarities.

Consonance

Recurrence of same or similar sounds made by repeated consonants in words, used in poetry.

Enjambment

A 'run-on' line of poetry. The logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next, linking the two lines. This feature affects the way in which the poem is read.

Figurative Language

Language in which figures of speech occur. Writers create meaning beyond the 'real' meaning of words through imagery, and sound.

Imagery

Using figurative language to create images for the reader. Often comparing something to something else, in order to communicate ideas, emotions and atmosphere.

Internal Rhyme

Where two words rhyme in the same line within a poem.

Motif

An image, type of incident, device or formula recurring frequently in a text.

Partial Rhyme

Imperfect or half rhyme is close but not exact or perfect rhyme within a poem.

Rhyme

When two words have the same ending sound. They are not necessarily spelled the same; it is the sound that matches. The ends of words are usually matched at the ends of lines.

Stanza

A verse or section of a poem consisting of a recurring group of lines that may or may not rhyme. The sections may be or irregular lengths or with an identical, very regular format.

Sonnet

A poem of an expressive thought or idea made up of 14 lines, each being 10 syllables long. An English one follows the pattern 'abab cdcd efef gg', dividing the poem into three quatrains and a closing couplet.

Verse

The literary device verse denotes a single line of poetry. The term can also be used to refer to a stanza or other parts of poetry.

Free Verse

Poetry written with some controlled rhythm, usually unrhymed verse that has no set metre or line length.

Catalyst

Someone or something that encourages progress or change. An inciting incident which that sets the successive conflict into motion.

Euphemism

A mild way of saying something unpleasant.

Iambic pentameter

A pattern of ten syllables to a line. The beat is short-long, repeated five times. Shakespeare used iambic pentameter extensively, both in rhymed verse and in blank verse. It is the most commonly-used rhythm (or metre) in poetry in English. Used in Poetry.

Imperative

Command words to tell or ask people what to do, make suggestions, give advice or instruction, encourage and offer.

Setting

Where and when the text takes place. There could be one major setting or several important settings within your text(s).

Theme

The central idea/ideas explored in a literary work. The theme can be seen as the prism of attitudes and values through which judgements on the characters, setting and actions can be made.

Dénouement

The final resolution of a plot in a literary text, where all the questions are answered and it all becomes clear.

Couplet

A pair of rhymed lines. They may stand alone or be part of another stanza but they are connected by their rhyme and by meaning.

Contraction

Shortening of words by combining and then leaving out letters. Often used in informal language.

Allusion

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

Anaphora

the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines of poetry or sentences in prose