English lit terms

Tone

Narrators or speakers attitude toward the subject of the passage

Exclamatory sentences

expresses a wish, a desire, a command and is often but not always indicated with an exclamation point

interrogative devices

asks a question

declarative devices

most common form of sentence, makes a factual statement

syntax

sentence structure, how sentence parts are arranged to convey meaning and affect a readers response

Diction

word choice, an element of style that gives each persons writing a quality that is uniquley his or her own

Connotation

The feelings we attach to ideas, events, and objects

Deductive

organization pattern, general to specific, thesis to evidence (dolphins = mammal, mammal = has hair, dolphin = has hair)

Inductive

organization pattern, specific to general, evidence to thesis (4th block scores higher on tests, better time of day for test taking)

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by stating one is the other

Simile

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike subjects using the words like or as

Personification

A literary device that attributes human characteristics or qualities to non-human entities or abstract concepts.

Irony

A literary technique where the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning, often highlighting a contrast between expectation and reality.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, often used for emphasis or effect.

Imagery

A word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses, including: taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound

Allusion

An implied or direct reference to something in history or culture

Analogy

A comparison of two objects or situations that have several common characteristics

Metonymy

An object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it

Synecdoche

A part is substituted for a whole, or vice versa (ex. all hands on deck)

Juxtaposition

Involves placing two or more things side by side to create a contrast or comparison (ex. movie scene cut from poor to wealthy)

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words or phrases (ex. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers").

Rhetorical question

A question that is not used to elicit an answer. To make a point or dramatic effect.