English Techniques

Allegory

A story with a deeper symbolic meaning. Example: Animal Farm represents the Russian Revolution.

Allusion

An indirect reference to something well

Alliteration

Repetition of starting consonant sounds. Example: “Peter Piper picked peppers.”

Ambiguity

Something with more than one possible meaning. Example: “I saw her duck.”

Analogy

A comparison used to explain something. Example: “The brain is like a computer.”

Anecdote

A short personal story. Example: “Last year, I got lost on a school trip.”

Anomaly

Something unusual or unexpected. Example: A snowstorm in summer.

Anthropomorphism

Giving human qualities to non

Apostrophe

Speaking directly to an absent person or object. Example: “O Moon, guide me home!”

Archetype

A recurring character, idea or symbol. Example: A brave hero who saves others.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds. Example: “The rain in Spain.”

Bricolage

A text made from existing materials or sources. Example: A story combining diary entries and news articles.

Cliché

An overused expression. Example: “Time heals all wounds.”

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within words. Example: “The black rock.”

Contrast

Showing differences between things. Example: Comparing a rich character with a poor character.

Dialect

Language specific to a region or group. Example: “G’day, mate!”

Dialogue

Conversation between characters. Example: “Where are you going?” she asked.

Diction

An author's choice of words. Example: Using “furious” instead of “angry.”

Didactic

Intended to teach a lesson or moral. Example: A fable teaching honesty.

Deixis

Words that depend on context for meaning. Example: “I will meet you here tomorrow.”

Disjunct

An adverb commenting on a whole sentence. Example: “Honestly, I disagree.”

Disjunction

A connecting word that introduces contrast. Example: “I was tired, but I continued.”

Ellipsis

Three dots showing a pause or omitted words. Example: “I thought you were…”

Emotive language

Words that create strong emotions. Example: “The helpless child was abandoned.”

Enjambment

A sentence continues onto the next poetic line. Example: “The sun was shining / across the sea.”

Euphemism

A mild expression replacing a harsh one. Example: “Passed away” instead of “died.”

Exclamation

A sentence expressing strong emotion. Example: “What a terrible day!”

Figurative language and sound devices

Language or sounds used creatively for effect. Example: “The wind whispered.”

Form

The structure or type of a text. Example: A poem divided into stanzas.

Foreshadowing

Hints about what will happen later. Example: Dark clouds hinting at coming danger.

Flashback

A scene showing an earlier event. Example: A character remembering childhood.

Fragmented/truncated sentences

Incomplete or shortened sentences. Example: “Too late. No escape.”

Gaps and silences

Information or voices left out of a text. Example: A character refuses to explain their past.

Humour

Something intended to amuse. Example: A character slipping on a banana peel.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration. Example: “I've told you a million times!”

Icons

Images or objects representing larger ideas. Example: A heart representing love.

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to the senses. Example: “The warm, sweet smell of fresh bread.”

Imperative voice or mood

Language used to give commands. Example: “Close the door!”

Incantation

Repetitive words creating a magical effect. Example: “Double, double, toil and trouble.”

Intertextuality

Connections between different texts. Example: A novel referencing Shakespeare's Hamlet.

In medias res

Beginning a story in the middle of the action. Example: A story opens during a car chase.

Irony

A difference between expectation and reality, or words and meaning. Example: Saying “Lovely weather!” during a storm.

Juxtaposition

Placing things together to highlight differences. Example: Showing a beautiful garden beside a ruined building.

Level of language (register)

The formality of language. Example: “Hey!” versus “Good morning, sir.”

Linear narrative

Events told in chronological order. Example: A story beginning with childhood and ending in adulthood.

Non

linear narrative

Metaphor

Describing one thing as another. Example: “Time is a thief.”

Metonymy

Using a related word to represent something. Example: “The Crown” meaning the monarchy.

Modality

Language showing certainty or possibility. Example: “It must happen” shows high modality, while “It might happen” shows low modality.

Motif

A recurring image or idea linked to a theme. Example: Repeated storms representing conflict.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds. Example: “Buzz,” “bang” or “splash.”

Paradox

A contradictory statement containing a deeper truth. Example: “Less is more.”

Parody

Imitating something to mock it. Example: A comedy copying a serious superhero film.

Pathetic fallacy

Nature reflecting human emotions. Example: Rain falling during a sad scene.

Person

The narrative perspective used: first, second or third person. Example: “I walked home” is first person.

Periphrasis

Using a longer phrase instead of a simple word. Example: “The bright orb in the sky” for the sun.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non

Perspective

A particular point of view. Example: A war described by a soldier.

Plosive consonants

Sharp sounds made by briefly stopping airflow. Example: Repeated “b,” “p” and “t” sounds.

Pun

Wordplay using multiple meanings or similar sounds. Example: “A bicycle can't stand alone because it's two

Reference

A direct mention of something else. Example: Mentioning Shakespeare in an essay.

Register

The formality of language. Example: Using formal language in a job interview.

Rejet

The pause between poetic lines despite a sentence continuing. Example: A sentence continues onto the next line, but the reader pauses at the line break.

Repetition

Reusing words or phrases for effect. Example: “Never give up, never give in.”

Representation

How a text presents people, ideas or events. Example: A villain portrayed as selfish and cruel.

Rhyme

Words with matching or similar ending sounds. Example: “Light” and “night.”

Satire

Using humour or ridicule to criticise society. Example: A show mocking corrupt politicians.

Setting

The time and place of a story. Example: A school in Sydney during the 1990s.

Sibilance

Repetition of soft “s” or “sh” sounds. Example: “The snake slid silently.”

Simile

Comparing things using “like” or “as.” Example: “She was as brave as a lion.”

Symbolism

Using something to represent a deeper idea. Example: A dove representing peace.

Syntax (sentence structure)

The way words are arranged in a sentence. Example: “The dog chased the cat” versus “The cat chased the dog.”

Tense

Shows when an action happens. Example: “I walked” is past tense, while “I walk” is present tense.

Textual integrity

How all parts of a text work together to create meaning. Example: Characters, setting and themes combine to communicate a message.

Theme

A central idea explored in a text. Example: Friendship, power or justice.

Tone

The attitude or feeling conveyed by the writer. Example: An angry tone created through harsh words.

Word choice or diction

The specific words an author selects. Example: “Stomped” instead of “walked” suggests anger.

Zoomorphism

Giving animal qualities to non