Language Key terms

• Adjective

  A word that describes the noun (thing)
• Adverb

  A word that describes the verb (doing word)
• Alliteration

  The repetition of the same consonant sounds at any place, but often at the beginning of words
• Anthropomorphism

  Where an animal is given human qualities
• Apostrophe

  A figure a speech in which someone absent or dead or something inhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply
• Assonance

  The repetition or a pattern of (the same) vowel sounds, as in the tongue twister - ‘Moses supposes his toeses are roses’
• Asyndeton

  Where connectives are left out of a sentence or a line of poetry, often creating a list-like style
• Connotation

  What a words suggest beyond its basic definition. The words childlike and childish both mean ‘characteristics of a child,’ but childlike suggests meekness and innocence
• Ellipsis

  … makes the ending of something tense and keeps the reader holding on until the next part because they want to know what has happened.
• Euphemism

  The use of a soft indirect expression instead of one that is harsh or unpleasantly direct. E.g - ‘pass away’ as opposed to ‘die’
• Hyperbole

  A figure of speech in which deliberate exaggeration is used for emphasis. E.g - tons of money, waiting for ages, a flood of tears
• Imagery

  The use of picture, inures if speech an description to evoke ideas feelings, objects action, states of mind
• Irony

  Expressing something by using words that mean the opposite
• Juxtaposition

  A stark contrast between 2 ideas, words or phrases which don’t seem to fit together. E.g - Iron teacups
• Litotes

  An understatement (Opposite to hyperbole)
• Metaphor

  Where 2 things are compared without using ‘as’ or ‘like.’ They are compared by saying that one IS the other.

  E.g - the world’s a stage, drowning in debt
• Metonymy

  Using the name if an object to represent a bigger idea which its related to, such as “crown” for “monarchy” or “count heads” for “count people”
• Noun

  • Abstract = a thing that we cannot touch or feel, usually emotions. E.g - Love, hate, fear
  • Concrete = a thing/place that we can see. E.g - river, Paris, Simon
• Onomatopoeia

  A figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. E.g - buzz, pop, bang
• Oxymoron

  Two complete opposites put together (iced fire) to create a contrast
• Personification

  A figure of speech in which nonhuman things or abstract ideas are given human attributes. E.g - the sky is crying, dead leaves danced in the wind
• Polysyndeton

  An over use of the same connective (using ‘and’ in between every item in a long list) opposite of asyndeton
• Reification

  To give something alive qualities of a inanimate object
• Rhetorical Question

  A question where the write doesn’t want you to answer. This is used so that you think about what is being said
• Simile

  A figure of speech in which 2 things are compared using the word “like” or “as”
• Symbolism

  When a word, phrase or image “stands for” an idea or theme
• Theriomorphism


  Where a human is given animal qualities
• Verb

  • A doing word. E.g - sings, runs, dances
  • Imperative: A command/bossy verb (sit there, run faster)
  • Modal: An alive or suggestion verb (might, may, could)