Name:______________________________________________________

Period:__________

ENGLISH TERMINOLOGY 11TH / AP ENGLISH

Literary Terms
Archetype Review: Original model from which something is developed or made, in literary
criticism, those images, figures, character types, setting, and story patterns that are universally
shared by the people across cultures and are often identifiable in a wide variety of literature.
Character/characterization terminology: (You are responsible for this terminology.)

Antagonist
Protagonist
Dynamic
Static
Epiphany
Foil
Flat
Round
Motivation
Stock
Direct characterization
Indirect characterization
Detail

Diction Terminology:
Dialect
Dialogue
Vocabulary
REVIEW
Diction: authors choice of words

Connotation: the feeling/emotion related with the word

Denotation: is the dictionary meaning

Euphemism: the use of a word or phrase that is less direct, but that is also less distasteful
or less offensive than another (He passed away.)

Idiom: a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar

Imagery:

Sight - Visual
Sound - Auditory
Touch - Tactile
Taste - Papillary
Smell - Olfactory

Mood Review: defined by some as synonymous with atmosphere and/or tone; it can be attitude
toward readers, subject matter, or even toward the author themselves or it can refer to the general
feeling created in the reader.

Plot Terminology: (You are responsible for knowing this.)

Plot
Plot Chart
Conflict
o External
o Internal
Flashback
Framed Narrative : happens in a real setting/historical (closed)
Foreshadowing
Spatial
Chronological
Transitional devices
Suspense

Point of View:
Person
Perspective
REVIEW
Shift: change in events or feelings
o Key words (but, yet, etc)
o

Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis, stanza divisions)

Irony (sometimes irony hides shifts)

o Changes in sound that may indicate changes in meaning

o

Changes in diction (ex. Slang to formal)

Types
o first person

o third person omniscient: all knowing from the perspective of two or more
characters
o third person limited is all knowing from one perspective
Rhetorical shift Review: a shift used to influence or persuade

Setting: time and place of piece

Style: devices the author uses to express his or her thoughts and convey the works subject
matter

Theme: a central message of a work / significance / meaning / point (AUTHORS PURPOSE)

Tone: writers or speakers attitude toward the subject and the audience

diction

imagery

Detail

Point of view

syntax

Tone shifts, multiple tones, vocabulary associated with tone

Sentence Terminology
Purpose:

Declarative (.)

exclamatory (!)

imperative (command)

interrogative (?)

Structure:

balanced: the phrases or clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness of
structure, meaning, or length

simple: one subject one verb

complex: independent clause and dependent clause

compound: two complete sentences connected with a conjunction (and, but, or) or ;

Compound-complex: at least two independent clauses and one subordinate clause

antithetical: direct contrast of structurally parallel word groupings generally for the
purpose of contrast; contrast is presented in a grammatically parallel way creating a
perfect rhetorical balance

Loose-cumulative: makes complete sense if brought to a close before the actual ending;
contains a number of independent clauses joined only by coordinating conjunctions such
as and or but; it can usually be divided into multiple sentences.

Periodic (unlike loose sentence) not grammatically complete until the very end

Simple: contains one subject and one verb

Syntax Techniques Review

Antithesis: a rhetorical device in which two ideas are directly opposed (ex. I long and
dread)

Juxtaposition: rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases

are placed next to one another (ex. The apparition of these faces in the crowd;/Petals on a
wet, black bough)

Omission:
1. asyndeton: the omission of conjunctions (and, but, or)
2. ellipsis: omission of a word or phrase for a complete syntactical construction, but
not for understanding (ex. He decided it was over)

Parallelism: refers to a similarity of grammar or structure between sentences or parts of a

sentence no seal of lips, no clasp of hands

Chiasmus: a rhetorical inversion of the second two parallel structure (ex. Each throat was
parched, and glazed each eye.)

Polysyndeton: the repetition of conjunctions (and, but, or) in the same sentence

Repetition: a device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once to
enhance rhythm and create emphasis
1. Anadiplosis: repetition of word as last and first word of phrases or clauses But it was
not I. Not for a world of bliss
2. Anaphora: the repetition of introductory phrases or clauses (Ex I have a dream)
(Thou has done it! Thou hast blasted me! Thou hast filled my veins with poison.)
3. Epanalepsis: the repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the
beginning of a clause; it tends to make the sentence or clause stand apart from its
surroundings (ex. Breakfast was over, and none had breakfasted.)
4. Epistrophe: the repetition of same word or groups of words at the end of successive
clauses; it sets up a pronounced rhythm and gains a special emphasis both by repeating

the word and by putting the word in the final position (Ex. Genius is said to be selfconscious: I cannot tell whether Miss Ingram was a genius, but she was self-conscious
remarkably self-conscious indeed.

Reversal

antimetabole: a sentence strategy in which the arrangement of ideas in a second clause is

a reversal of the first; it adds power (magic) through its inverse repetition. (ex. And if God
had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to
leave me, as it is now for me to leave you.)

Figures of Speech: (You are responsible for the following.)

A. For illusion or fantasy
Apostrophe
Personification
Symbolism
B. For comparison
Simile
Metaphor Review
1. extended: it is a longer comparison throughout the work
2. controlling: the entire work is based on the comparison

Synecdoche Review: a form of a metaphor where part of something is used to

signify the whole (Ex. All hands on deck) or the whole is part (Ex. Canada played
the United States in the Olympic hockey finals.)

Metonymy Review: changed label or substitute name or the name of one thing is
applied to another (Ex. The White House declared. Rather than saying The
president declared)

Allusion Review: a reference to a mythological, historical person, or biblical

place or thing.

C. For emphasis (literary techniques) Review:

Hyperbole:

Understatement (meiosis/litotes): an affirmative is expressed by negating its

opposite(litotes) ex. This is no small problem) opposite of hyperbole; a kind of
irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is
(meiosis: lessoning). Litotes is a form of meiosis.

D. Other types
Oxymoron: a form of paradox that combines a pair contrary terms (ex. Sweet sorrow;
fiend angelical)

Paradox Review: a statement that contradicts itself (ex. The more you know, the
more you know you dont know.)

Pun: a play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse
meanings (ex. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.)

Sound Devices:
Alliteration: the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words (ex. Live and
let live)

Assonance review: the repetition of a vowel sound within words (ex rise and shine)

Consonance review: the repetition of consonants especially at the end of stressed

syllables without the like correspondence of vowels

Meter:

Onomatopoeia: use of words to imitate sounds (creak)

Rhyme: repetition of sounds at the ends of words (September, November)

Rhythm: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a sentence or line

Other Literary Techniques:

A. Irony:

Dramatic: the audience knows or understands more than the actual characters
involved

Situational: when one thing is expected to happen but the opposite occurs

Verbal: the result of a statement saying one thing while meaning the opposite

Sarcasm: a type of irony in which a person appears to be praising something but

is actually insulting it

B. Motif: a unifying element in an artistic work, especially any recurrent image, symbol,
theme, character, type subject, or narrative detail

C. Satire: a work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions
for reform and ridicule

D. Allegory: the presentation of an abstract idea through more concrete means; typically a
narrative that has at least two levels of meaning. First story level, second and third
contain a deeper level of meaning associated with moral, political, philosophical, or
religious events, people, etc.

Other suggested terminology:

Antecedent: the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun

Aphorism: a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a

moral principle

colloquial/colloquialism: use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not

generally acceptable for formal writing, (conversational tone; associated with local or
regional dialects)

conceit: a fanciful expression usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising

analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. (displays intellectual cleverness)

didactic: primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or

ethical principles.

Homily: sermon but more informally; it can conclude a serious talk, speech, or lecture
involving moral or spiritual advice

Invective: an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive

language

Pedantic: an adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly
scholarly, academic, or bookish

predicate adjectives: subject complement that follows a linking verb (My boyfriend is
tall, dark, and handsome.)

predicate nominatives: a noun, group of nouns that renames the subject and follows a
linking verb (Abe Lincoln was a man of integrity.)

subject compliment: word or a clause that follows a linking verb and complements or
completes the subject of the sentence by either 1. Renaming it or 2 describing it.

Syllogism: deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises that inevitably
lead to a sound conclusion
Major premise: All men are mortal.
Minor premise: Socrates is a man.
Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

WRITING TERMINOLOGY:

Concrete Detail (CD): specific details that prove or support the point of your body
paragraph (facts, examples, evidence)

Commentary (CM): your opinion on a subject or point (opinion, insight, analysis)

Ratio for analysis:

Steps in the Writing Process:

CD: 2CM

1. Brainstorming

2. Pre-writing

3. Shaping the Essay (outlining)

4. Rough Draft

5. Peer Edit (response)

6. Revision
7. Final Copy (Draft)

Types of Pre-writing:
1. Bubble Cluster

2. Spider Diagrams

3. Outline:

4. Line Clusters

Ratio for narrative/research: : CM:2CD

More CDs

5. Columns

Pre-writing rules:
1. Carefully read the prompt.
2. Underline words in the prompt which give specific directions/important
instructions/topics to address
3. Pull out and bullet the words underlined
4. Brainstorm answers for the bullets without using words in the prompt.
5. Based on the prompt and what you bulleted, decide how many paragraphs to use
to address the prompt.
6. Write three or four concrete details under each topic sentence.
7. Write three to five word phrases when planning your topic sentence for each
paragraph and concrete details.
8. In a timed writing, take about 12 minutes to pre-write for the thesis and body
paragraphs.
9. Begin writing.

Formal Introductions contain:

1. Attention Getter
2. Introduction of subject
3. Summary of subject

4. thesis

Introductions for In-Class or Timed Writings contain:

1. Attention Getter
2. thesis

Types of Attention Getters

quote

definition

shocking statement

dialogue (does not work for the AP test)

anecdote (does not work for the AP test)

Attention Getters DO NOT

ask questions
make sweeping statements
make statements concerning literature
name the author(s)/work(s)

A ____________thesis_______________ is made up of a ____subject____________ and

_commentary___________________. This is where you name the author and the work.
Body Paragraphs contain:
1. topic sentence
2. concrete detail
3. commentary
4. concluding sentence
For analysis the ratio of concrete details to commentary is _____1CD_____:__2CM________.
When writing a research paper or narrative you will naturally have more _______concrete details

than _ commentary.

Conclusion:

1. Use all commentary

2. Keep it short
3. Leave the reader with last thought on the subject
4. Use a thematic statement
5. Give it a finished feeling