A-Level English Literature & Language: Terminology

Front 1

Adjacency pair

Back 1

In conversation, a two-part exchange.

Front 2

Adverbial

Back 2

An element in a sentence that usually indicates when, where or how something happened.

Front 3

Alliteration

Back 3

When two or more words begin with the same sound.

Front 4

Ambiguity

Back 4

Having more than one possible meaning.

Front 5

Anaphoric reference

Back 5

A reference back to something mentioned earlier in a text.

Front 6

Antithesis

Back 6

When words, ideas etc. are directly opposite in meaning.

Front 7

Archaism

Back 7

A word or expression that has fallen out of use.

Front 8

Assonance

Back 8

The rhyming of vowel sounds within two or more words.

Front 9

Asyndetic listing

Back 9

A list that does not use conjunctions.

Front 10

Auxiliary verb

Back 10

A 'helping' verb placed in front of a main verb. (e.g. I *will* see you)

Front 11

Blank verse

Back 11

Unrhymed poetry based on the iambic pentameter.

Front 12

Cataphoric reference

Back 12

A reference forward to something mentioned later in a text.

Front 13

Cohesion

Back 13

The techniques used to link together different parts of a text.

Front 14

Comparative

Back 14

An adjective that makes a comparison, such as bigger, worse, better.

Front 15

Complex sentence

Back 15

A sentence with a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

Front 16

Compound sentence

Back 16

Two simple sentences combined to form a single sentence by use of a coordinating conjunction. (and, but or so)

Front 17

Connotations

Back 17

The associations that word has.

Front 18

Contraction

Back 18

A shorted word form such as can't, she's etc.

Front 19

Couplet

Back 19

A pair of rhymed lines.

Front 20

Declarative sentence

Back 20

A sentence that makes a statement it gives information.

Front 21

Deixis

Back 21

'Pointing' words (deictic expressions), often referring to place or time. (e.g. over there or yesterday)

Front 22

Denotation

Back 22

The straight forward, objective dictionary meaning of a word.

Front 23

Determiner

Back 23

A word placed in front of a noun to indicate quantity or identity of the noun in some way. (e.g. a, an and the)

Front 24

Dialect

Back 24

A form of language with distinctive features of vocabulary, grammar etc. Usually the term refers to regional dialect. (e.g. Geordie, Cockney)

Front 25

Discourse marker

Back 25

Words that indicate links or divisions between parts of, normally spoken, discourse. (e.g. well, anyway)

Front 26

Dramatic irony

Back 26

In drama, when something said by a character has an additional meaning or significance, apparent to the audience but not to the character.

Front 27

Elision

Back 27

The omission of a sound or syllable. (e.g. o'er instead of over.)

Front 28

Ellipsis

Back 28

When elements are missing from a clause or a sentence.

Front 29

Emotive language

Back 29

Language intended to produce an emotional response in the reader or listener.