ELA exam Vocab

Question 1

Irony

Answer 1

3 Types
Verbal Irony- When a character says something but means something else
Dramatic Irony- When the reader knows something the character doesn’t ( typically said or preformed )
Situational Irony- Plot twist

Question 2

Couplet

Answer 2

A pair of rhyming lines ( any pattern )

Question 3

Apostrophe

Answer 3

People speaking to dead people or inanimate objects in a personified way

Question 4

Synecdoche

Answer 4

A symbol represent a whole ( The White House meaning the president )

Question 5

Symbol

Answer 5

A symbol standing for itself and something bigger than itself ( family crest )

Question 6

Ellipsis

Answer 6

The purposeful omission of words that are already implied by the context ( when a character is about to say something but doesn’t express it out loud )

Question 7

Anaphora

Answer 7

The repetition of the same word ( or group of words ) at the beginning or successive clause

Question 8

Connotation / Denotation

Answer 8

Connotation- The idea or feeling of a word (sun - warm, bright, cheerful )
Denotation - The literal meaning of a word (sun - the star around which the earth orbits. )

Question 9

Syntax

Answer 9

The way an author chooses to write a sentence

Question 10

Allusion

Answer 10

A reference to a mythological, literal, or historical person, place, or thing. (cupid or Abraham Lincoln )

Question 11

Conceit

Answer 11

A fancy / clever metaphor

Question 12

Comic Relief

Answer 12

A humorous moment to break the tension after a serious moment

Question 13

Character Foil

Answer 13

2 characters whose traits are the exact opposite of one another. ( Tybalt and Benvolio )

Question 14

Litotes

Answer 14

An understatement where an idea is expressed by negating its opposite ( a insane horrific scene described as “not a pretty picture” )

Question 15

Monologue

Answer 15

A long speech spoken by a character TO another character

Question 16

Soliloquy

Answer 16

A speech where a character speaks aloud about their feelings, thoughts but NOT to another character or the audience

Question 17

Paradox

Answer 17

An absurd, illogical, or impossible statement that reveals a hidden truth

Question 18

Prologue

Answer 18

A passage at the beginning explaining the background of the story

Question 19

Anecdote

Answer 19

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

Question 20

Hyperbole

Answer 20

A deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration.

Question 21

Juxtaposition

Answer 21

Unassociated words or ideas put together (sweet and sour sauce )

Question 22

Oxymoron

Answer 22

A form of paradox that combines a pair of opposite terms into a single unusual expression ( love + hate, sickness + health

Question 23

Metaphor / Simile

Answer 23

Metaphor - doesn’t use like or as
Simile- Uses like or as

Question 24

Aside

Answer 24

A short speech spoken by a character to the audience

Question 25

Assonance

Answer 25

The repetition of accented vowel sounds in a series of words.

Question 26

Catharsis

Answer 26

Release of emotion (pity and fear) from the audience’s perspective.

Question 27

Consonance

Answer 27

The repetition of a consonant sound within a series of words to produce a harmonious effect.

Question 28

Elegy

Answer 28

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme.

Question 29

Hamartia

Answer 29

The tragic flaw that leads to the tragic hero’s downfall.

Question 30

Prose

Answer 30

Poetry

Question 31

Hubris

Answer 31

Exaggerated pride or self-confidence, many times toward god(s).

Question 32

Tone / Mood

Answer 32

Tone: The writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject, character, or audience, and it is conveyed through the author’s choice of words and detail. ( the feeling the author wants to convey ) Mood: The atmosphere or predominant emotion in a literary work. ( what the reader feels )

Question 33

Point of View / Narration

Answer 33

-The perspective from which a narrative is told. (1st , 2nd, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient) 3rd limited- narrator knows the thoughts of one character 3rd omniscient- narrator knows the thoughts of all characters -the way that a story is told

Question 34

Setting

Answer 34

The time and place in which events in a short story, novel, or narrative poem takes place.

Question 35

Theme

Answer 35

The central message of a literary work. It is not the same as a motif or subject ( always a sentence " love is powerful " )

Question 36

Motif

Answer 36

A one word "theme" ( love, hate, peace )

Question 37

Conflict

Answer 37

The tension between opposing forces in a work of literature and an essential element of the plot. ( the main problem in the story ) Common conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society.

Question 38

Climax

Answer 38

the moment of highest tension in a story that leads to the resolution of the conflict

Question 39

Sarcasm

Answer 39

the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say, especially in order to insult someone, or to show irritation, or just to be funny

Question 40

Parallelism

Answer 40

a grammatical technique that involves repeating similar words, phrases, or grammatical elements to emphasize similar ideas in a sentence

Question 41

Dialogue

Answer 41

conversation between two or more characters

Question 42

Stage Direction

Answer 42

describe where and when a scene takes place, how an actor should deliver their lines, and how the actor should move on stage.

Question 43

Tragic hero

Answer 43

A character with traits that make the audience like them, but who eventually experience ruin or disaster due to their personality.

Question 44

Tragic flaw

Answer 44

The character trait that directly leads to the suffering or even destruction of the character