Use these when you annotate or write: name the feature, then explain its effect. Check your exam board's specification for the terms it expects.
A
- Active voice
- A sentence pattern where the subject performs the action. Example: Maya kicked the ball. See also: Passive voice
- Adjective
- A word that describes a noun. Example: a crooked, silver key See also: Adverb, Noun
- Adverb
- A word that adds detail about a verb, an adjective or another adverb, often how, when or where. Example: She spoke quietly. See also: Adjective, Fronted adverbial
- Alliteration
- Repeated consonant sounds at the start of nearby words. Example: Dark, damp doorways drip. See also: Assonance, Sibilance
- Anaphora
- Starting several sentences or clauses with the same words. Example: We will listen. We will learn. We will change. See also: Repetition, Tricolon
- Antithesis
- Placing opposite ideas side by side in a balanced phrase. Example: Small steps, giant leaps. See also: Juxtaposition, Oxymoron
- Apostrophe (punctuation)
- A mark showing missing letters or belonging. Example: It's Ravi's coat. See also: Contraction
- Assonance
- Repeated vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: Moonlight rose slowly over the pool. See also: Alliteration
C
- Clause
- A group of words built around a verb. Example: because the bus was late See also: Main clause, Subordinate clause
- Colon
- A punctuation mark that introduces a list, an explanation or a quotation. Example: She packed three things: a torch, a map and a flask. See also: Semicolon
- Comma splice
- An error where a comma alone joins two sentences that could stand separately. Example: Wrong: Our bus was late, we walked home. See also: Compound sentence, Semicolon
- Complex sentence
- A sentence with a main clause and at least one subordinate clause. Example: Although it rained, we played on. See also: Compound sentence, Subordinate clause
- Compound sentence
- Two or more main clauses joined by a conjunction or a semicolon. Example: Doors creaked and the lights flickered. See also: Complex sentence, Main clause
- Connotation
- Feeling or idea a word suggests beyond its basic meaning. Example: "Cottage" suggests cosiness, "shack" suggests neglect. See also: Emotive language, Semantic field
- Contraction
- Two words shortened into one, with an apostrophe marking the gap. Example: they're, can't, we'll See also: Apostrophe (punctuation)
- Cyclical structure
- A text that ends where it began, often with a changed meaning. Example: A story opens and closes on the same empty platform. See also: Structure, Flashback
D
- Direct address
- A writer speaking straight to the reader. Example: You may think this is easy. See also: Rhetorical question, Tone
E
- Ellipsis
- Three dots showing a pause, a trailing off or something left out. Example: He opened the box and then... See also: Minor sentence
- Emotive language
- Words chosen to stir a feeling in the reader. Example: a heartbreaking, needless loss See also: Connotation, Tone
- Euphemism
- A gentler word or phrase used in place of a blunt one. Example: passed away See also: Connotation
F
- Flashback
- A moment in a narrative that returns to an earlier time. Example: Years before, she had stood on this same bridge. See also: Foreshadowing, Structure
- Foreshadowing
- A hint early in a text about something that will happen later. Example: A crack ran quietly through the mirror. See also: Flashback, Symbolism
- Fronted adverbial
- A word or phrase at the start of a sentence that tells you when, where or how, usually followed by a comma. Example: Later that night, the wind dropped. See also: Adverb
H
- Hyperbole
- Deliberate exaggeration for effect. Example: I've told you a million times. See also: Emotive language, Tone
I
- Imagery
- Language that creates a picture or sensory impression in the mind. Example: a sky bruised purple and grey See also: Metaphor, Sensory language, Simile
- Irony
- When the meaning intended differs from, or is opposite to, the words used or the outcome expected. Example: A fire station burns down. See also: Tone
J
- Juxtaposition
- Placing two contrasting things next to each other to highlight the difference. Example: Glittering towers beside crumbling flats. See also: Antithesis, Oxymoron
M
- Main clause
- A clause that makes sense on its own. Example: Rain stopped. See also: Clause, Subordinate clause
- Metaphor
- Describing one thing as if it were another, without using like or as. Example: Our classroom was a beehive. See also: Imagery, Simile
- Minor sentence
- A sentence without a main verb, used for emphasis. Example: Silence. See also: Ellipsis, Syntax
- Modal verb
- A verb that shows possibility, certainty or obligation, such as can, might or must. Example: We must act soon. See also: Tone
N
- Narrative perspective
- Point of view a story is told from, such as first or third person. Example: I watched the door close behind her. See also: Voice
- Noun
- A word naming a person, place, thing or idea. Example: harbour, courage, Priya See also: Adjective, Pronoun
O
- Onomatopoeia
- A word that imitates the sound it names. Example: Crash, bang, clatter went the bins. See also: Sensory language, Alliteration
- Oxymoron
- Two contradictory words placed together. Example: a deafening silence See also: Antithesis, Juxtaposition
P
- Passive voice
- A sentence pattern where the action is done to the subject. Example: A ball was kicked by Maya. See also: Active voice
- Pathetic fallacy
- Giving weather or surroundings a mood that mirrors a character's feelings. Example: Rain hammered the glass as Mara read the letter. See also: Personification, Symbolism
- Personification
- Giving human qualities to something that is not human. Example: Wind sulked in the chimney. See also: Metaphor, Pathetic fallacy
- Pronoun
- A word that stands in for a noun. Example: she, they, ours See also: Noun
R
- Register
- Level of formality in language, chosen to suit audience and purpose. Example: Dear Sir or Madam, versus Hi everyone See also: Tone
- Repetition
- Using the same word or phrase more than once for emphasis. Example: Never, never, never again. See also: Anaphora, Tricolon
- Rhetorical question
- A question asked for effect, not to get an answer. Example: Who wants to see another park paved over? See also: Direct address, Tone
S
- Semantic field
- A group of words linked by one topic or idea. Example: fire, blaze, ember, scorch See also: Connotation, Imagery
- Semicolon
- A punctuation mark joining two closely linked main clauses. Example: I was tired; I had been up since five. See also: Colon, Comma splice
- Sensory language
- Words that appeal to sight, sound, smell, taste or touch. Example: the sharp tang of vinegar See also: Imagery, Onomatopoeia
- Sibilance
- Repeated soft s or sh sounds. Example: Shadows slid softly across the sand. See also: Alliteration
- Simile
- A comparison using like or as. Example: Her smile was as bright as a new coin. See also: Metaphor, Imagery
- Structure
- Way a text is organised, including openings, shifts, ordering and endings. Example: A story that moves from a wide view to one small object. See also: Cyclical structure, Syntax
- Subordinate clause
- A clause that adds detail but cannot stand alone. Example: who lived next door See also: Clause, Main clause, Complex sentence
- Symbolism
- Using an object, colour or image to stand for a bigger idea. Example: A locked gate standing for being shut out. See also: Foreshadowing, Pathetic fallacy
- Syntax
- Order and arrangement of words in a sentence. Example: Gone. All of it, gone. See also: Minor sentence, Structure
T
- Tone
- Attitude or mood a writer conveys. Example: wry, sombre, urgent See also: Register, Emotive language
- Tricolon
- A list of three used for rhythm and impact. Example: quick, quiet and careful See also: Anaphora, Repetition
V
- Verb
- A word for an action, event or state. Example: sprint, become, was See also: Modal verb, Active voice
- Voice
- Distinct personality of the speaker or narrator in a text. Example: a chatty narrator who addresses you as a friend See also: Narrative perspective, Tone
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