English Techniques to look for Flashcards
What is assonance?
The repetition of vowel sounds - which creates a musical quality and emphasises certain words or themes.
Language
What is alliteration?
Language
The repetition of consonant sounds
What is Irony?
Language
Discrepancies between what is said, and what is meant/what is meant to happen and what actually happens. Irony adds humour, critique, or depth.
What is sensual imagery?
Language
- Language which evokes ideas in all 5 senses
- It engages the reader’s mind on multiple levels.
What is diction?
the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing
What is register?
Language
This refers to the level of formality in the language used. A shift in register can signify changes in character dynamics, situations or thematic developments.
What is foreshadowing?
structure
- A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story.
- It creates anticipation or suspense
What is an anaphora?
Language
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses/sentences.
It emphasises a point or theme.
What is an Epistrophe?
Language
The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
It can create a powerful rhythm and reinforce a message or feeling.
What is a Polysyndeton and Asyndeton
Language
Polysyndeton involves the use of multiple conjunctions in close succession for emphasis, while asyndeton omits conjunctions to speed up the pace of the writing.
What is an unreliable narrator?
Strucuture
A narrator whose credibility is seriously compromised. This creates suspense as it challenges the reader’s assumptions about the truth of the narrative
What is a hyperbole?
Language
Exxageration used to emphasise a point, add humour or dramatic effect
What is a litote?
Language
A form of understatement.
What is a Synecdoche and Metonymy
Language
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or vice versa, while metonymy uses an attribute or adjunct to represent the whole (e.g., “The White House declared” rather than “The President declared”).
What is a chiasmus?
Language
A rhetorical device where two or more clauses are balanced against each other by reversal of their structures to achieve an artistic effect (e.g., “Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You”).
