connotation vs. denotation
An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing vs. Literal definition of a word.
pedantic vs. simple
Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules vs. pure, easy, plain, basic.
monosyllabic vs. polysyllabic
One syllable vs. more than one syllable.
euphonious vs. cacophonic
Pleasing or agreeable to the ear vs. discordant, unpleasant sounding, jarring.
literal vs. figurative
What you see vs. what you get from language, tone, symbol, etc.
active vs. passive
Subject of the sentence is performing or causing the action rather than a state of being vs. subject is the object of the action or the effect of the verb.
overstated vs. understated
Exaggerated vs. expressed with restraint, lack of emphasis.
colloquial vs. formal
Informal, conversational vs. formal, proper language.
non-standard language/jargon
less than standard language, usually associated with uneducated speakers/socially disfavored groups
alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds
onomatopeia
words that imitate sounds
syntax
the way in which linguistic elements are arranged to for grammatical structure
basic
Subject + verb + object
interrupted
A sentence that is interrupted by a parenthetical aside
inverted
To begin with a part of speech other than the subject
listing
a sentence with multiple phrases that create a list
cumulative/loose
begins with subject and a verb and adds modifying elements at the end.
periodic
opens with modifiers, withholds subject and verb until the end.
parallelism- antithesis
Establishing a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them together or juxtaposing them, often in parallel structure.
parallelism- Chiasmus
A crossing parallelism, where the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order.
parallelism- balanced
expressing parallel or like ideas-- often compound
declarative
makes a statement
imperative
commands, requests, instructs. subject is often you (unstated)
exclamatory
expresses strong emotion
interrogative
asks a question
simple
contains a least one subject and at least one predicate; it can stand alone because it expresses a complete thought.
compound
contains two or more independent clauses
complex
contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
compound-complex
contains two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
ellipsis
A rhetorical figure in which one or more words are omitted.
asyndeton
omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words (effect of unpremeditated multiplicity)
anadiplosis
repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause
anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
epistrophe
Repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses
polysyndeton
Deliberate use of many conjunctions (opposite of asyndeton)
parenthetical aside
consists of a word, phrase, or whole sentence inserted as an aside in the middle of another sentence
colon
a punctuation mark (:) used to precede a list of items, a quotation, or an expansion or explanation.
semi-colon
a punctuation mark (';') used to connect independent clauses
dashes
A punctuation mark (—) used to indicate a sudden break in thought, to set off parenthetical material
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
autobiography
An account of a person's life written by that person
biography
story of a person's life written by another person
chronicle
a record of events in order of time; a history
diary
A personal, daily account of an individual's experiences and feelings
essay
a short piece of writing on a particular subject. (analytic or interpretive)
fiction
A story that is not true or is made up
non-fiction
a true story
parody
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.
prose
Any writing that is not poetry
satire
A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.
sermon
An oration by a prophet or member of the clergy.
stream-of-consciousness
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind.
allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
ambiguity
uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language
anachronism
out of chronological order// out of the proper time era
aphorism
A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.
audience
the listener, viewer, or reader of a text
invective
abusive language
juxtaposition
Placing two things side by side, usually to show contrast.
malapropism
a word humorously misused
rhetorical question
A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer
sensory detail
An item used to appeal to the sense (sight, taste, touch, etc)
shift
slight alteration of a word's meaning to change the effect
tone
the writer's attitude toward his reader and his subject, his mood or moral view.
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
theme-thesis
The message conveyed by a literary work
voice
A writers distinctive use of language, conveys persona
analogy
A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way (practical)
apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.
cliche
a worn-out idea or overused expression
conceit
A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
epithet
an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
euphemism
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
hyperbole
exaggeration
imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
verbal irony
A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant
situational irony
the result of an action is the reverse of what the actor expected
extended metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
metonymy
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.
paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
pun
A play on words
simile
A comparison using "like" or "as
Synasthesia
causing the use of one sense to induce another sense (smell -> color)
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa
Understatement
the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.
argument
A way of reasoning where a subject is proved incorrect/correct
ethos
In rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator
pathos
emotional appeal
logos
an appeal based on logic or reason
claim
An assertion, usually supported by evidence
deductive reasoning
reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.)
inductive reasoning
A type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations.
evidence/data
Support from a claim/assertion
warrant
An assumption that there is a connection between evidence and claim
ad hominem argument
An attack on another person instead of their point of view
begging the question
The situation that results when a writer or speaker constructs an argument on an assumption that the audience does not accept.
doubtful authority
The authority is not an expert, their colleagues disagree, or the reference to the authority is out of context of the situation
either/or reasoning
An argument that something complex can be looked at in only two different ways
false analogy
Arguing on the basis of a comparison of unrelated things.
hasty generalization
A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence.
circular reasoning
a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence
slippery slope
A fallacy that assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented
non-sequitur
A statement that does not follow logically from evidence
oversimplification
Reducing an idea too much so it loses the point trying to be made
expository writing
presents facts, discusses ideas, or explains a process
classification
Identifies the subject as part of a larger group with shared features
cause and effect
Arguing from the presence/absence of the cause to the (non) existence of the result
comparison/contrast
The subject is shown more clearly by point out similarities or differences
definition
Places the subject in a group and then differentiates the subject from other sections of the group
analysis
The discussion of a subject based on content and style
description
Depicts images verbally in space and time arranges those images in a logical pattern
Narration
Organizes the events or actions in time or relates them in space. Tells what happened, when it happened, and where it happened.
persuasion/argument
Convinces an audience by proving or refuting a point of view using induction or deduction