language terms Flashcards
(37 cards)
1
Q
anecdotal
A
- Describes something based on personal stories or experiences, rather than hard facts or research.
Example:
✅ Last year, I struggled with anxiety before exams — so I know how stressful this time can be.
- This personal story helps make the speaker more relatable and their message more convincing.
2
Q
pathos
A
- Pathos is a persuasive technique that appeals to the audience’s emotions — such as sympathy, anger, fear, or happiness. It’s used to make the audience feel something strongly, often to persuade or influence their response.
Example:
✅ Imagine a child going to bed hungry every night, with no warm blanket or hope for tomorrow.
- This evokes pity and sadness, encouraging the reader to care and possibly take action.
3
Q
Foregrounding
A
- Foregrounding is when a writer deliberately emphasizes certain words, phrases, ideas, or techniques to draw the reader’s attention to them. This can be done through repetition, unusual word order, vivid imagery, or contrast. It helps to highlight key themes, emotions, or messages.
Example:
✅ Silence. Total silence. Not a breath, not a sound—just the pounding of her heart.
- Here, the repetition and short sentence place silence in the foreground, making the tension stand out to the reader.
4
Q
anecdote
A
- A short, personal story about a real incident or experience.
Example:
She told a funny anecdote about getting locked out of her house in her pajamas.
- This refers to the actual story itself.
5
Q
inclusive pronoun
A
- Inclusive pronouns like “we,” “us,” and “our” are used to make the audience feel involved or united with the speaker or writer. They create a sense of togetherness or shared experience.
Example:
✅ We must all take responsibility for protecting the environment before it’s too late.
- Using “we” includes the audience and encourages them to feel personally responsible.
6
Q
ethos
A
- Ethos is a persuasive technique that appeals to credibility or character. It’s used when a speaker or writer tries to gain the audience’s trust by showing they are trustworthy, knowledgeable, or morally right.
Example:
✅ As a doctor with 20 years of experience, I can confidently say this treatment is safe and effective.
- By mentioning their experience and profession, the speaker builds credibility, which makes the audience more likely to believe them.
7
Q
juxtaposition
A
- Juxtaposition is when two contrasting ideas, images, or characters are placed close together to highlight their differences. It’s often used to create tension, surprise, or deeper meaning.
Example:
✅ The wealthy guests dined on gold-plated dishes, while the homeless man shivered outside in the cold.
- The contrast between luxury and poverty is clear and powerful, helping the reader see the inequality.
8
Q
time expresions
A
- Time expressions are words or phrases that show when something happens. They help to organise events, create a timeline, or build narrative structure. They can show order (first, next, finally), duration (for hours, since yesterday), or frequency (often, always, never).
Example:
✅ First, she packed her suitcase. Then, she called a taxi. Finally, she headed to the airport.
- These time expressions clearly show the sequence of events, making the writing easy to follow.
9
Q
logos
A
- Logos is a persuasive technique that appeals to logic and reason. It uses facts, statistics, evidence, or logical arguments to convince the audience that something is true or makes sense.
Example:
✅ Studies show that students who sleep 8 hours a night score 20% higher on exams than those who don’t.
- By using data, the speaker appeals to the audience’s logical thinking to persuade them.
10
Q
antitheses
A
- Antithesis is when two opposite ideas are placed close together in a sentence to create a strong contrast. It’s used to highlight differences, create emphasis, or make an idea more memorable.
Example:
✅ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. — Charles Dickens
- This shows a clear contrast between two extremes, making the message more powerful and thought-provoking.
11
Q
repetition
A
- Repetition is when a word, phrase, or idea is repeated multiple times in a text. It’s used to emphasize a point, make it more memorable, or create a rhythm.
Example:
✅ “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” the crowd chanted, refusing to be silenced.
- Repeating “Freedom” highlights the crowd’s strong desire and determination.
12
Q
apathetic tone
A
- An apathetic tone is when the writer or speaker sounds indifferent, uninterested, or unconcerned about the subject. It can show boredom, lack of emotion, or detachment.
Example:
✅ “I guess it doesn’t really matter if we win or lose,” she said, shrugging without much care.
- The tone shows a lack of enthusiasm or concern.
13
Q
allusion
A
- An allusion is a brief, indirect reference to a well-known person, event, place, work of art, or literature. It relies on the reader’s familiarity with that reference to add deeper meaning or context.
Example:
✅ He was a real Romeo with the ladies, charming and romantic.
- This alludes to Romeo from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, instantly suggesting the person is a romantic figure.
14
Q
dismissive tone
A
- A dismissive tone is when the speaker or writer shows little respect, interest, or regard for someone or something, often brushing off ideas or concerns as unimportant or irrelevant.
Example:
✅ “Oh, that’s just a silly idea. Nobody takes it seriously,” she said with a scoff.
- The tone makes it clear she doesn’t value the idea and is rejecting it outright.
15
Q
tricolon
A
- A tricolon is a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses used in a row to create a powerful, memorable effect. The number three is often seen as rhythmically satisfying and persuasive.
Example:
✅ “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
- This three-part list makes the statement strong and easy to remember.
16
Q
short sentence
A
- A short sentence is a brief, simple sentence that often contains just a few words. Writers use short sentences to create impact, speed up the pace, or emphasize an idea.
Example:
✅ He ran. He fell. He stood.
- These short sentences make the action feel quick and urgent.
17
Q
Hyperbole
A
- Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that’s not meant to be taken literally. It’s used to create strong feelings, emphasize a point, or add humor.
Example:
✅ I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!
- This exaggeration shows just how hungry someone feels, even though they obviously wouldn’t eat a whole horse.
18
Q
oxymoron
A
- An oxymoron is when two contradictory or opposite words are placed together to create a unique or thought-provoking effect.
Example:
✅ “Bittersweet” — something that is both happy and sad at the same time.
- It highlights a complex or mixed feeling by combining opposites.
19
Q
colloquial tone
A
- A colloquial tone uses informal, everyday language or slang, making the writing or speech sound casual and conversational. It often reflects how people actually speak in daily life.
Example:
✅ “Hey, what’s up? Wanna grab some pizza later?”
- This tone makes the speaker sound friendly and relaxed, like talking to a friend.
20
Q
parallel structure
A
- Parallel structure (also called parallelism) is when parts of a sentence are grammatically the same or similar in construction, sound, meaning, or rhythm. It makes writing clearer, balanced, and more persuasive.
Example:
✅ She likes reading, writing, and jogging.
- Each verb follows the same form, creating a smooth and balanced sentence.
21
Q
factual statement
A
- A factual statement is a sentence that presents information that is true, objective, and can be verified. It’s used to inform or support an argument with evidence.
Example:
✅ Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.
- This is a fact that can be checked and is universally true under normal conditions.
22
Q
Juvenile lexis
A
- Juvenile lexis refers to the use of words or phrases that are simple, informal, or associated with children and young people. It often includes slang, childish expressions, or basic vocabulary to create a youthful or innocent tone.
Example:
✅ “That game was totally awesome! I had so much fun!”
- The words “totally awesome” and the simple structure reflect youthful, casual language.
23
Q
idiom
A
- An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning is different from the literal meanings of the individual words. It’s a common saying that often has a cultural or figurative meaning.
Example:
✅ “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
- This means it’s raining very heavily, not that animals are literally falling from the sky.
24
Q
foreshadowing
A
- Foreshadowing is when the writer gives hints or clues about what will happen later in the story. It builds suspense and prepares the reader for future events.
Example:
✅ The dark clouds gathering on the horizon hinted at the storm that was soon to come.
- This suggests something bad or dramatic is about to happen.
25
Dependent clause
* A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it doesn’t express a complete thought. It depends on an independent clause to make sense.
Example:
✅ Because she was tired, she went to bed early.
* “Because she was tired” is the dependent clause—it needs the rest of the sentence to make sense.
26
Active voice
* In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. It makes sentences clearer and more direct.
Example:
✅ The chef cooked a delicious meal.
* Here, “the chef” (subject) is doing the action (cooked).
27
Passive voice
* In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than doing it. The doer of the action may be omitted or added after the verb.
Example:
✅ The delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
* Here, “the delicious meal” (subject) is receiving the action (was cooked).
28
Apocryphal story
* An apocryphal story is a tale or anecdote that is widely told but of doubtful authenticity or truth. It may be interesting or entertaining but is not proven to be factual.
Example:
✅ There’s an apocryphal story that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree as a child, though historians doubt it really happened.
29
imperative
* An imperative is a type of sentence that gives a command, instruction, or request. It often starts with a verb and tells someone what to do.
Example:
✅ “Close the door.”
* This sentence commands someone to take action.
30
neologism
* A neologism is a newly invented word or phrase that may be recently created or introduced into a language. Writers use neologisms to describe new ideas, technology, or trends.
Example:
✅ “Selfie” — a new word that means taking a photo of yourself, usually with a smartphone.
31
Onomatopoeia
* Onomatopoeia is when a word imitates the natural sound of what it describes. These words help create a more vivid, sensory experience for the reader.
Example:
✅ The bees buzzed, and the leaves rustled in the wind.
* Words like “buzzed” and “rustled” sound like the noises they describe.
32
Paradoxical
* A paradoxical statement is one that seems self-contradictory or absurd, but actually reveals a deeper or hidden truth. Writers use paradoxes to make readers think more deeply or to highlight complex ideas.
Example:
✅ “Less is more.”
* At first, this sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but it suggests that simplicity can be more powerful or effective than excess.
33
Irony
Irony is when the opposite of what is expected happens, or when there's a contrast between what is said and what is meant. It’s often used to create humor, tension, or highlight contradictions.
34
Personification
* Personification is when human qualities are given to non-human things, like objects, animals, or ideas. It helps make descriptions more vivid and relatable.
Example:
✅ The wind whispered through the trees.
* Here, the wind is described as if it can whisper — a human action — to create atmosphere and emotion.
35
monosyllables
* Monosyllables are words with only one syllable. When used in writing, they can create a sense of simplicity, tension, bluntness, or urgency — depending on the context.
Example:
✅ He ran. She screamed. Then, all went still.
* The use of short, one-syllable words makes the scene feel fast and intense.
36
capitalisation
* Capitalisation is when capital letters are used intentionally for effect — not just at the beginning of sentences or for proper nouns. In literature or persuasive writing, it can be used to emphasise a word or idea, show importance, or reflect shouting or emotion.
Example:
✅ You NEVER Listen to Me!
* The capitalisation of “NEVER” shows strong emotion — in this case, frustration or anger.
37
abstract noun
* An abstract noun is a word that names an idea, quality, or state, rather than something you can see or touch. These nouns refer to intangible things — emotions, concepts, or conditions.
Example:
✅ Freedom is essential to happiness.
* Words like “freedom” and “happiness” are abstract nouns because they name ideas or feelings, not physical objects.
