English Terminology

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A noun that refers to a concept, state, quality or emotion
Abstract noun
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The distinctive way an English speaker from a particular region pronounces words
Accent
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Class of words that can appear before (attributive) or after (predicative) a noun or noun phrase to describe it
Adjective
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A class of words that modify verbs according to time, place, manner, frequency or duration
Adverb
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When two or more words close to each other in a phrase begin with the same consonant sound
Alliteration
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An over used phrase or expression
Cliche
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A noun that refers to things you can physically touch
Concrete noun
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The distinctive lexis and grammar of a persons spoken English
Dialect
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A group of texts with a particular form and purpose
Genre
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The vocabulary of a language as opposed to other aspects such as the grammar of the text
Lexis
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A class of words that describe the action or state that a sentence refers to
Verb
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Comparison using the words like or as
Simile
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A noun that is the name of a specific person, place or brand
Proper noun
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A word that can take the place of a noun
Pronoun
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A word that defines the relationship between words in terms of time, space or direction
Preposition
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When an object or situation is given human qualities
Personification
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A word that sounds like the noise it’s describing
Onomatopoeia
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A word used as the name of a person, place, thing or concept
Noun
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Words or phrases that describe something as if it actually was something else
Metaphor
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Nouns that cannot be counted and do not have a plural
Mass noun
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A sentence containing a main clause and one or more clauses of lesser importance
Complex sentence
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Two or more simple sentences joined together by a coordinating conjunction
Compound sentence
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A sentence that makes statements
Declarative sentence
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A sentence that has an expressive function and ends with an exclamation mark
Exclamatory sentence
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A sentence that gives orders, advice or directions. It starts with a main verb and doesn't have a subject
Imperative sentence
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A sentence or utterance that asks a question
Interrogative sentence
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Complete and meaningful sentences that don't have a subject verb combination
Minor sentence
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A sentence that contains only one clause and expresses a complete thought. It must have a subject and a verb
Simple sentence
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A clause that gives extra information about the main clause, but cant stand alone and still makes sense
Subordinate clause
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A question added to the end of the statement to encourage a response
Tag question
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A word especially a adjective or noun that is placed before another and describes or restricts its meaning in some way
Premodifier
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Two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings or spellings
Homophone
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An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning
Connotation
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The speech habits peculiar to a particular person
Idiolect
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The omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are able to be understood from contextual clues
Ellipsis
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A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant
Euphemism
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A sound or word used to show the speaker has paused to think but has not yet finished speaking
Filler
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Repetition in threes
Triadic structure
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The contradiction or denial of something e.g. not, never, no
Negation
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Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Hyperbole
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Words and phrases that are generally considered inappropriate in certain contexts
Taboo
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A word or phrase that makes what you say less strong / direct
Hedging
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The act of creating a new word or phrase that other people begin to use
Coinage
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A blend word or a blend is a word formed from parts of two or more other words
Blending
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The primary auxiliary verbs in English are be, do, and have ; the modal auxiliaries are can,  could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would
Auxiliary
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An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word
Acronym
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The language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group
Jargon
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Giving an authoritative command
Imperative
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A word opposite in meaning to another
Antonym
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A word that refers to one late in the text and is needed to be understood
Cataphoric reference
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A word referring back to another in the text that is needed to be understood
Anaphoric reference
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An auxiliary verb that expresses a degree of either possibility or necessity e.g. Might, should, could, must, may
Modal verb
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Repetition of ‘S’ sounds at the beginning of close by words
Sibilance
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A list without connectives
Asyndetic list
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A list using connectives
Syndetic list
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Repetition of similar/same vowel sounds at the beginning of close by words
Assonance
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An aside within a text created by sectioning off extra information between brackets, dashes etc
Parenthesis
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When the environment or weather mirrors emotion
Pathetic fallacy
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When people are speaking/writing in an informal way/using an informal style
Colloquial tone
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A recurrent sequence or collection of words that, through repetition of use, just naturally go together e.g. ‘I don't think...’
Lexical bundle
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The influx of new words that we now take for granted from the 20th century due to mass media, e.g. cab, sushi
Globalised vocabulary
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When the ordering of words is rearranged to create an alternative weighting to a sentence
Inverted syntax
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The method of correct spelling and the ‘incorrect’ spelling of words in the past compared to how we spell them now
Orthography
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The specific type of language used by newspapers
Journalese
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When an animal takes on the characteristics of a human being
Anthropomorphism
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Language that seems out of place for the time period
Anachronistic language
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The ‘&’ symbol—arguably more prominent in the past
Ampersand
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When a speaker accidentally uses the wrong word that sounds similar or like it should belong (e.g. 'the world's my lobster')
Malapropism
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Any devices used that relate to sound e.g. alliteration, onomatopoeia
Phonological features
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Listing, with the final term making the climatic point
Incrementum
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Having many meanings
Polysemic
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A quotation from another text
Epigraph
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Alliteration of the ‘g’ and ‘k’ sounds
Guttural Alliteration
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Alliteration of the ‘h’ sounds
Aspirant alliteration
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Alliteration of the ‘f’’, ‘th’ and ‘v’ sounds
Fricative alliteration
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Alliteration of the ‘p’ or ‘b’ sounds
Plosive alliteration
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mimicry: e.g. length of sentences may mimic the breathing of the speaker?
Mimesis
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An imitation of form or genre, for humorous purposes
Pastiche
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When ideas contrast or oppose one another
Antithesis
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When a simile continues throughout a text with recurring references to the compared item
Homeric simile
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When a metaphor continues throughout a text with recurring references to the compared item
Extended metaphor
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To refer to something indirectly or metaphorically
Allusion
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A metaphor that states that something is only a small constituent part of itself, even though we commonly understand otherwise
Synecdoche
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Deliberate downplaying of things for effect
Litotes
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This, that, those
Demonstrative pronoun
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The negative semantic change of words to mean different things over time, to become more negative
Pejoration
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The positive semantic change of words to mean different things over time, to become more positive
Amelioration
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Words used from an earlier time and less used now
Archaic lexis
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

The distinctive way an English speaker from a particular region pronounces words

Back

Accent

Card 3

Front

Class of words that can appear before (attributive) or after (predicative) a noun or noun phrase to describe it

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

A class of words that modify verbs according to time, place, manner, frequency or duration

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

When two or more words close to each other in a phrase begin with the same consonant sound

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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