Terms : Hide Images
| 14536735609 | Ad hominem argument | an argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue | 0 | |
| 14536735610 | Allusion | a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize. | 1 | |
| 14536735611 | Analogy | a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way. | 2 | |
| 14536735612 | Anaphora | repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses (Example from the great Richard D. Bury: "In books I find the dead as if they were alive; in books I foresee things to come; in books warlike affairs are set forth; from books come forth the laws of peace.") | 3 | |
| 14536735613 | Anecdote | a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event | 4 | |
| 14536735614 | Antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers | 5 | |
| 14536735615 | Antithesis | a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced | 6 | |
| 14536735616 | Aphorism | a concise, statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance | 7 | |
| 14536735617 | Asyndeton | a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions ("They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.") | 8 | |
| 14536735618 | Balanced sentence | a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast (George Orwell: "If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.") | 9 | |
| 14536735619 | Cliché | an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off ("the time of my life", "at the droop of a hat", etc.) | 10 | |
| 14536735620 | Climax | generally, the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of increasing importance, often in parallel structure ("The concerto was applauded at the house of Baron von Schnooty, it was praised highly at court, it was voted best concerto of the year by the Academy, it was considered by Mozart the highlight of his career, and it has become known today as the best concerto in the world.") | 11 | |
| 14536735621 | Colloquialism | informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing | 12 | |
| 14536735622 | Concrete details | details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events | 13 | |
| 14536735623 | Connotation | the implied or associative meaning of a word (slender vs. skinny; cheap vs. thrifty) | 14 | |
| 14536735624 | Cumulative sentence (loose sentence) | a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases (Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal: "I have been assured by a very knowing American friend of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.") | 15 | |
| 14536735625 | Declarative sentence | a sentence that makes a statement or declaration | 16 | |
| 14536735626 | Denotation | the literal meaning of a word. | 17 | |
| 14536735627 | Dialect | a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region ("Y'all" = Southern dialect) | 18 | |
| 14536735628 | Diction | the word choices made by a writer (diction can be described as formal, semi-formal, ornate, informal, technical, etc.) | 19 | |
| 14536735629 | Didactic | having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing | 20 | |
| 14536735630 | Ellipsis | the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context ("Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.") | 21 | |
| 14536735631 | Euphemism | an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant. | 22 | |
| 14536735632 | exclamatory sentence | a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark | 23 | |
| 14536735633 | Figurative language | language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.) | 24 | |
| 14536735634 | Hyperbole | intentional exaggeration to create an effect | 25 | |
| 14536735635 | Idiom | an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect ("fly on the wall", "cut to the chase", etc.) | 26 | |
| 14536735636 | Imagery | the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses | 27 | |
| 14536735637 | Imperative sentence | a sentence that gives a command | 28 | |
| 14536735638 | Interrogative sentence | a sentence that asks a question | 29 | |
| 14536735639 | Invective | an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack | 30 | |
| 14536735640 | Irony | the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs (situational, verbal, dramatic) | 31 | |
| 14536735641 | Jargon | the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession | 32 | |
| 14536735642 | Juxtaposition | placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast | 33 | |
| 14536735643 | Logos | appeal to reason or logic | 34 | |
| 14536735644 | Maxim | a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage | 35 | |
| 14536735645 | Metaphor | a direct comparison of two different things | 36 | |
| 14536735646 | Metonymy | substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it ("The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting].) | 37 | |
| 14536735647 | Mood | the emotional atmosphere of a work. | 38 | |
| 14536735648 | Motif | a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works | 39 | |
| 14536735649 | Non sequitur | an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, "does not follow") | 40 | |
| 14536735650 | Paradox | an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth ("Whoever loses his life, shall find it.") | 41 | |
| 14536735651 | Parallelism | the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms | 42 | |
| 14536735652 | Parenthetical | a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to quality or explain. | 43 | |
| 14536735653 | Pathos | the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity | 44 | |
| 14536735654 | Pedantic | characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship 62. | 45 | |
| 14536735655 | Personification | endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics | 46 | |
| 14536735656 | Polysyndeton | the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural (John Henry Newman: "And to set forth the right standard, and to train according to it, and to help forward all students towards it according to their various capacities, this I conceive to be the business of a University.") | 47 | |
| 14536735657 | Rhetorical question | a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer | 48 | |
| 14536735658 | Simile | a comparison of two things using "like," "as," or other specifically comparative words | 49 | |
| 14536735659 | Synecdoche | using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as "wheels") | 50 | |
| 14536735660 | Synesthesia | describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color," "a sweet sound") | 51 | |
| 14536735661 | Syntax | the manner in which words are arranged into sentences | 52 | |
| 14536735662 | Tone | the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience | 53 | |
| 14536735663 | Trope | an artful deviation from the ordinary or principal signification of a word (hyperbole, metaphor, and personification are some examples of tropes) | 54 | |
| 14536735664 | Vernacular | the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage | 55 |
