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English 12 key terms
BC English 12 key terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| active voice | a sentence is written so that the subject is an actor of the verb –for example, ‘The cat ate the mouse.’ The cat is the subject and the cat is doing the action |
| allegory | a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. |
| alliteration | the repetition of identical consonant sounds at the beginning of closely associated words. ex. Peter Piper picked… |
| allusion | a brief direct or indirect reference to a person, event, place (real or fictitious) |
| analogy | comparison of two things made to explain something unfamiliar through its similarities to something familiar; similes & metaphors are types of analogies |
| antagonist | a character or force in conflict with the main character (AKA the protagonist). Can be a character or something in the protagonist’s setting (ex. animal, weather, other people’s beliefs, prejudice) which causes turmoil |
| anti-climax | a sudden shift from relatively serious mood to more comic or trivial. |
| antithesis | a contrast, usually expressed with parallel sentence construction. For example, “to err is human; to forgive, divine.” |
| apostrophe | a statement, question, or request addressed to an inanimate object or concept or to a nonexistent or absent person; ex. = a poet asking the muses for inspiration; “Oh, Canada, our home and native land”; or “Death, be not proud.” |
| argumentative essay | takes a particular position of a topic and defends it |
| anecdotal evidence | informal account of evidence from anecdote or hearsay |
| archaic language | words or phrases that are no longer commonly used. For example, using ‘thou’ instead of ‘you’. |
| aside | comment made by a stage performer that is intended to be heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters |
| assonance | the repetition of identical vowel sounds in different, closely associated words. For example, “in Xanadu did Kubla Khan…” |
| atmosphere | mood or feeling created by a literary work, often through description; ex. suspense, fear, joy. |
| audience | the person or persons for whom a text is written or a play is performed. It is important to know the audience for whom you are writing and to write with the tone, diction and style appropriate for that group. |
| autobiography | narrative in which an individual tells his or her story |
| ballad | a story/poem told in song, usually by an impersonal narrator and in a condensed form. Ballads are commonly written using a ballad stanza. |
| ballad stanza | a quatrain of alternating four and three stress lines, usually rhyming ABCB. For example, “All in a hot and copper sky The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the Moon.” |
| bias | a preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment |
| biography | narrative that tells a person’s life story |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter |
| cacophony | harsh, discordant sounds placed together for effect. Opposite of euphony. For example, “The clatter of crashing vied for my attention.” |
| caricature | a portrait that exaggerates or distorts basic features of a person for effect. Used often in editorial cartoons for humour or to create a quick characterization |
| case study | method of qualitative research where one examines a small, select instance or event in-depth |
| catastrophe | in drama, particularly tragedy, the concluding action following the climax that contains the resolution of the plot. |
| cause and effect | the reason something happened is the ‘cause’; the something that happened is the ‘effect’; for example, the motorcycle sped through the intersection and hit a car; therefore, cause = speeding motorcycle, effect = hit car |
| character | a person in a novel, play, or movie. |
| characterization | methods a writer uses to develop and reveal the personality of the character. |
| character foil | a character who contrasts with another character —usually the protagonist— in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot. |
| chorus | in ancient Greek drama, a group of actors who commented on and interpreted the unfolding action of the stage; in poetry, a repeated refrain |
| chronological order | organizing events by time, often earliest to latest. There are no flashbacks or jumping around in time |
| cliché | a metaphor or expression that is overused. Ex: “he is as strong as a bull.” |
| climactic order | organizing ideas by order of importance, often from least important to most important |
| climax | the moment in a play, novel, short story, or poem where the conflict reaches its point of greatest intensity and is hereafter resolved. also peak of emotional response from a reader/spectator. also turning point of action and of protagonist’s fortunes. |
| colloquialism | a word or phrase that is acceptable in casual conversation but not in formal, written communication; more acceptable than slang. |
| colloquial language | informal or conversational style |
| comedy | depicts humorous plots whereby the protagonist is faced with a lighthearted challenge and in the end overcomes it and the story or play ends happily |
| comic relief | the use of humour to lighten the mood of a serious or tragic story, especially in plays. Example: the gravediggers in Hamlet |
| compare and contrast | analyze a topic by looking at how they are alike (a comparison) and how they are different (a contrast) |
| comparison | the act or instance of comparing. |
| conflict | the struggle between opposing characters or forces. Man vs. Self. ... Man vs. Man. ... Man vs. Society. ... Man vs. Nature. ... Man vs. Machine. ... Man vs. Fate/Supernatural. |
| connotation | emotional associations and overtones related to a word. Ex. a person who is underweight might be described as slight or scrawny. Slight has a fairly positive emotional connotation, while scrawny has a negative connotation |
| consonance* | 1) the repetition of consonant sounds before and after differing vowels, such as “flip-flop,” “feel-fill.” OR 2) the repetition of consonant sounds at the ends of words only, as in “east-west,” or “hid-bed.” |
| contrast | refers to the difference, especially a striking one, between two things being compared. It may involve situations, characters, settings, moods, or points of view. Used to clarify meaning, purpose, or character, or to heighten certain moods |
| couplet | two successive lines of verse that rhyme and are usually of equal length. For example, “I think it is time/ you learned to rhyme.” |
| denotation | the literal meaning of a word as seen in dictionary definitions |
| dénouement (pronounced day-new-mahn) | final part of a play, movie, narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved. (AKA resolution or falling action) |
| descriptive essay | portrays people, places, things, moments and theories with enough vivid detail to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written about; it captures a moment in time rather than telling a story |
| dialect | a manner of speaking or variation on a language particular to an individual, a people, a social class, a geographic region or a country. |
| dialogue | conversation between characters in a drama or story |
| diary | a personal written record of daily events and thoughts. |
| diction | vocabulary chosen by the writer. Can reflect the level of education of the speaker, the attitude of the speaker, & can influence mood with connotation. |
| didactic | intended to teach a lesson, especially a moral one |
| dilemma | a choice between two equally unfavourable options. Posing a dilemma is one way an author generates conflict and suspense in a story |
| direct presentation | the speaker is telling us about the character. For example, “Jody is a shy girl.” |
| dissonance | combination of harsh or jarring sounds, especially in poetry |
| drama | broad genre that includes a variety of forms from tragedy to comedy; a work that treats serious subjects and themes but doesn’t aim at the splendour of tragedy |
| dramatic irony (aka structural irony) | a dramatic situation in which the audience knows something the character does not. ex. The audience knows that Juliet has taken a drug to fake death but Romeo assumes she’s dead and kills himself to join her. |
| dramatic monologue | A type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener. As readers, we overhear the speaker in a dramatic monologue. |
| dramatic form | A method for the expression of dramatic meaning (e.g., improvisation, tableau, role, dance drama, Readers Theatre, mask, mime, puppetry, script work, audiovisual) |
| dynamic character | Basically, a round character. The term is used to contrast against static characters who do not change. |
| editorial | statement/article that expresses an opinion rather than just reporting facts |
| elegy | a solemn poem that mourns the death of a person or the passing of an era. |
| emotional appeal | writing that persuades the audience by arousing emotions |
| epic | derived from the Ancient Greek adjective, “epikos”, which means a poetic story. An epic is a long narrative poem, which is usually related to heroic deeds of a person of an unusual courage and unparalleled bravery |
| epilogue | a short speech (often in verse) addressed directly to the audience by an actor at the end of a play |
| epiphany | an instant of significant revelation or insight in which a character suddenly recognizes a previously unknown truth. |
| epigram | a saying that makes the speaker’s point quickly and concisely |
| epitaph | inscription on a monument or tombstone about the person buried there. |
| euphemism | mild expression used to describe an otherwise offensive word or topic. For example, dying can be euphemistically described as “passing away”, “going to a better place”, or “leaving us.” |
| euphony | musical/pleasant sounds placed together for effect. Opposite cacophony |
| expert testimony | providing evidence from an expert, who by virtue of education, profession, or experience, is believed to have a special knowledge |
| exposition | in essays, systematic explanation of a specific topic; in fiction, the beginning of the story where the characters and conflict are introduced |
| expository essay | is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. |
| extended metaphor | a metaphor that develops through a poem and that involves several points of comparison |
| external conflict | struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as nature or another character, which drives the dramatic action of the plot: external conflict between Macbeth and Macduff. |
| fable | narrative intended to convey a moral; animals or inanimate objects with human characteristics often serve as characters |
| falling action | AKA denouement or resolution the part of a plot that falls after the climax, in which the complications of the rising action are untangled. |
| fantasy | highly exaggerated or improbable story; has fantastic events, characters, and/or settings not found in real life. For example, wizards, castles, dragons, fairies, unicorns. Used often to reveal truths about the human experience |
| farce | a type of comedy characterized by broad humour, outlandish incidents, and often vulgar subject matter |
| figurative language | use of figures of speech in writing to attain a special effect. Usually used in poetry but can be sparingly found in prose. |
| first person point of view | story generally told by one of the characters who is referred to as “I”; reader generally sees everything through that character’s eyes; can be used as an omniscient narrator. |
| flashback | shift in the story to events that took place earlier, needed to fill in background details, illustrate an important point or aid in characterization. |
| flat character | – usually a minor character with only one apparent quality; does not change or develop through narrative; used for specific purpose (ex. to develop the protagonist’s character.) |
| foil | a character who contrasts with another character —usually the protagonist— in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot. |
| foreshadowing | hints or warns of events to happen later in the story; prepares reader for the climax, the denouement, and any changes in character |
| form | general term referring to way in which a story is put together (i.e. its shape or structure); sometimes called “how” of story & includes both technique & style. |
| formal essay | essay that follows a prescribed path of introduction, body paragraphs (at least 3), and a conclusion |
| formal language | writing that does not include idioms, slang, colloquialisms, etc. and that restricts the use of contractions |
| frame story | The result of inserting one or more small stories within the body of a larger story that encompasses the smaller ones |
| free verse | poetry with neither rhyme nor rhythm and meter |
| genre | “type” or “kind” as in ‘what kind of novel do you like?’. A category |
| graphic text | use of pictures to help tell a story; for example, cartoons or manga |
| hero | protagonist who possesses heroic qualities such as courage, or virtues (ex. honesty.) Hero is not interchangeable with protagonist |
| historical reference | allusion to a historical event for explanation or effect |
| hyperbole | deliberate overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis. For example,” I’ve told you a million times to close that door!” |
| iambic pentameter | a line composed of five iambic feet (i.e. five pairs of stressed and unstressed syllables. Ex. “In fair Verona, where we lay our scene” |
| idiom | an expression that makes sense as a whole phrase but loses its meaning when each word is defined; example = ‘a piece of cake’ means something easily done in the phrase, but loses meaning when looked at word by word |
| image | concrete details which use the five senses and figures of speech that help the reader form vivid impressions of the subject of the writing |
| imagery | the pattern of images in a single piece of writing; often the images allude |
| indeterminate ending | story ending with no clear outcome/resolved conflict |
| indirect presentation | the speaker is showing the character’s actions, or words, through dialogue or another character’s dialogue. |
| informal essay | written mainly for enjoyment, not information or persuasion; a relaxed expression of opinion, observation, humour with a strong structure |
| informal language | conversational style which uses idioms, colloquialisms, slang, etc. and freely uses contractions |
| interior monologue | narrative technique in which characters’ thoughts are revealed in a way that appears to be uncontrolled by the author; portrays emotional experiences as they occur at both conscious & unconscious level |
| internal conflict | psychological struggle within the mind of a literary or dramatic character, the resolution of which creates the plot's suspense |
| internal rhyme | rhyming of words within a line of poetry. For example, “the sails at noon left off their tune” |
| irony | words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality. |
| jargon | specialized language found in a particular subject. Ex. sports, reporters, military or doctors have their own particular lingo for aspects of their professions |
| juxtaposition | technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. |
| legend | narrative of human actions that are perceived to take place within human history and within the realm of ‘possibility’ (including events like miracles). Ex, Atlantis. Legends that have been transformed beyond the realm of possibility become fables. |
| limited omniscient point of view | he third person (pronouns = he, she) narrator who reveals the thoughts and feelings of only one character |
| literal language | without exaggeration, embellishment, or figurative language |
| lyric | relatively short non-narrative poem in which the first-person speaker expresses thoughts and feelings, not necessarily those of the poet |
| melodrama | the typical plot is a conflict between characters who personify extreme good and evil; usually end happily and emphasize sensationalism; often using stereotypical characters in simplistic conflicts |
| metaphor | direct comparison between objects. For example, ‘his words were a knife that cut me deeply’ or ‘ anger is a caged beast.’ |
| metre | unit of rhythm in poetry, the pattern of the beats. It is also called a foot. Each foot has a certain number of syllables in it, usually two or three syllables. The difference in types of meter is which syllables are accented and which are not. |
| monologue | a speech spoken entirely by one person |
| mood | In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. |
| mystery | genre in which the plot is centered on an unsolved crime. The ending usually involves an unraveling of the plot and ultimately solves the mystery. Examples = Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Tom Clancy |
| myth | a traditional story that is closely associated with a particular culture or group of people which usually communicates the beliefs and values of that culture |
| narrative | a story; has a plot, conflict, characters, setting, and point of view. May be fictional or non-fictional and include novels, autobiographies, and biographies, as well as short stories and anecdotes |
| narration | story telling, which is different from pure description or explanation |
| narrator | storyteller or speaker of the poem or novel; can be a character or, if omniscient or objective, a speaker (not to be confused with the author.) |
| objective (language tone etc.) | neutral (doesn’t use “I”), fact based |
| objective point of view | the third person narrator who reveals none of the thoughts and feelings of the characters but records details of the story as a video camera would, devoid of thoughts or emotions beyond the observable |
| octave | eight line stanza |
| ode | long lyric poem that praises a person or thing |
| omniscient point of view | means ‘all-seeing’; the third person narrator who can reveal the thoughts and feelings of several characters |
| onomatopoeia | a word whose sound suggests its meaning. For example, the bee buzzes, or plop, smash, bang. |
| oxymoron | phrases with an inherent contradiction. For example, living dead |
| paradox | statement that first appears to be contradictory but actually states a truth; example = history teaches us that we learn nothing from history. |
| parallelism | method of comparison of two ideas in which each is developed in the same grammatical structure; For example, “Have you ever thought of what it is like to fly, to hope, to dream?” |
| parody | imitation of either formal or thematic elements of one work in another for humorous purposes. Do not confuse with satire |
| passive voice | a sentence that is written so that the subject is not the one doing the action – for example, ‘The mouse was eaten by the cat.’ The mouse is the subject but it is not doing the action, the cat is |
| pastoral | literary composition on a rural theme; characters and language of nobility are often placed in simple settings or characters are shepherds in a country setting |
| pathos | a quality of an experience in life or a work of art that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy and sorrow. Pathos can be expressed through words, pictures or even with gestures of the body. |
| personal essay | focuses on the writer as subject |
| personification | inanimate or non-human thing given human characteristics. Ex. “The tree branches waved and the leaves laughed.” |
| persuasive essay | uses persuasive techniques to prove the writer’s thesis |
| persuasive technique | method of trying to influence an idea, attitude, or action by rational and symbolic means; ex:, advertising, sales, editorials |
| plot | story line or organization of events or episodes within a story; a conventional plot has rising action, a climax, and a falling action |
| point of view | perspective from which a story is seen or told. Point of view establishes the relationship among author, reader and characters. (See also first person , limited omniscient, and omniscient points of view) |
| pro and con argument | line of reasoning that looks at the positives and the negatives of a subject |
| prologue | an introductory section of a literary work; often contains information establishing the situation of the characters or presents information about the setting, time period, or action |
| propaganda | specific type of message presentation directly aimed at influencing the opinions of people, rather than impartially informing; often associated with war to persuade people to believe in ‘the right’ cause |
| protagonist | main character of the story with whom the reader generally sympathizes. For example, Little Red Riding Hood |
| proverb | a brief, sage saying that expresses a truth about life in a striking manner; example, ‘forgive and forget’ or ‘when the cat’s away, the mice will play’ |
| purpose | main effect the author hopes to achieve. Ex. entertainment, thought, enlightenment, action, demonstrating something about life or human nature. May include theme, but should not simply be equated with story’s main idea. |
| pun | play on words where multiple meanings are deliberately suggested. For example, “If you have sticky buns, you shouldn’t put pants on.” |
| quatrain | a four-line stanza |
| question and answer | assessment style where questions are posed and students demonstrate knowledge through their answers OR a rhetorical style in which a writer posed questions and provides answers as a means to convey information |
| refrain | phrase repeated at intervals throughout a poem; may appear at the end of each stanza or at less regular intervals; may be altered slightly at each appearance |
| repetition | words repeated for emphasis |
| research | active, diligent, systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising facts |
| resolution | A firm decision to do or not to do something. The action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter. |
| rhetorical question | a question that implies that the answer is obvious = the kind of question that doesn’t need to actually be answered. |
| rhyme | sound effect created when the sounds at the ends of words are repeated. For example, ant/slant, dime/chime, given/driven |
| rhyme scheme | pattern of rhymed words at the end of lines of a poem. Each new rhyme is assigned a letter, beginning with ‘a’. For example, an ABCB’ rhyme scheme: Roses are red -a Violets are blue -b Sugar is sweet -c And so are you -b |
| rhythm | shifts in beat, speed, or loudness or the pitch in a line of poetry‘ABCB’ rhyme scheme: Roses are red a Violets are blue b Sugar is sweet c |
| rising action | events of a dramatic or narrative plot leading up to the climax; during this stage, background information is given, characters and conflicts are established, and suspense is built up; there may be moments of crisis within rising action before climax. |
| round character | often the protagonist; undergoes significant, lasting change, usually in his or her outlook on life |
| sarcasm | (aka verbal irony) sneering, jesting, or mocking a person, situation or thing; often used in a humorous or ironic manner and is expressed through vocal intonations such as over-emphasizing the actual statement |
| satire | literary art of diminishing a person or topic or human quality by making it appear ridiculous; often includes irony or sarcasm; often used to promote change; and usually targets human vices and foibles. |
| sestet | six-line stanza |
| setting | time and place of a story |
| simile | outright comparison using “like”, “as” or “as if” For example, ‘the raindrops sparkled like diamonds on the widow pane’ or my soul is like a soaring swift.’ |
| slang | words what tare used popularly, or in a particular class of society, but are not generally acknowledged as correct English. Slang is sometimes vulgar. For example, calling someone an “airhead” is slang for stupid |
| soliloquy | a monologue in drama used to give the audience information and to develop the speaker’s character; typically a projection of the speaker’s innermost thoughts; usually delivered while the speaker is alone on stage. |
| sonnet | a 14-line, tightly crafted lyric poem that focuses on a specific theme; usually written in iambic pentameter. |
| speaker | imaginary voice taken on by a poet or a writer that tells you the story |
| stanza | group of lines of verse in a poem that form a unit. Stanzas are named according to the number of lines in them (ex. couplet, quatrain, sestet, octave) |
| stream of consciousness | modern narrative technique which attempts to depict the uninterrupted and frequently illogical flow of thoughts and feelings through a character’s mind. |
| statistical evidence | gathering facts or statistics as evidence for argument |
| static character | basically, a flat character. The term is used to show contrast with a dynamic character, who is well-developed and changes fundamentally. |
| stereotype | ones that we're immediately familiar with because we’ve seen them before one-dimensional; can sometimes symbolize characteristics of a whole group in society; used in satire to poke fun at ideas, people, or institutions in society. |
| stock / stereotyped character | A stock character is a stereotypical person whom audiences readily recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. distinguished by their flatness --> result, they tend to be easy targets for parody and to be criticized as clichés. |
| story within a story | one story is told during the action of another story |
| style | a distinctive way in which a writer uses language (both choice and arrangement of words) can be formal or familiar, plain or pretentious. Style is basically determined by such grammatical and sensory aspects as diction, sentences, and images |
| stylistic technique | any form used to communicate your information (ex. tone, alliteration, diction, voice) |
| subjective (language tone etc.) | opinion based, less formal than objective |
| surprise ending | sudden twist in the direction of a story, producing a resolution which surprises the reader and often the story’s character as well |
| suspense | reader’s state of anxiety, excitement and anticipation regarding an outcome, such as the ending of a mystery novel |
| symbol | an object that represents or stands in for a more abstract idea; characters, objects, events, settings can all be symbolic; ex. the eagle = independence, freedom; the dove = peace; white = peace, purity, or surrender |
| symbolism | the use of an object to represent another; for example, a flag representing a nation or an empty cupboard suggesting poverty, despair |
| theme | central idea or purpose of the story, usually implied rather than directly stated; usually gives insight into human nature or human experience; do not confuse it with the moral or the plot |
| thesis | summarizes main ideas of writing; often one or two sentences that sum up the point you intend to make; often can be the topic sentence of an essay |
| thesis statement | one sentence in an essay that declares what the main idea (thesis) of the essay will be; usually in the introduction of the essay |
| third person point of view | the speaker is a character outside of the main action of the story; the main character is spoken of as he/she; speaker may have unlimited or limited knowledge about the characters in the story |
| tone | reveals the writer’s attitude toward the readers or toward the subject; may represent any human emotional attitude from joyous to angry to melancholy to distant to detached, etc |
| tragedy (catharsis) | a noble, courageous hero of excellent character who, because of a tragic flaw, brings ruin upon him /herself; treats subjects in a dignified and serious manner, using poetic language to evoke pity and fear and bring about a purging of emotions (catharsis) |
| understatement | a statement that lessens or minimizes the importance of what is meant. Ex. If you were in the desert and it was 45°C, you might say, “It’s rather warm outside today.” |
| voice | “sound” of the characters, narrators, etc. Connected to tone and point of view |
| wit | intellectual humour, based on manipulation of concepts, typically in conversation and spontaneously, since wit carries connotation of speed of thought. “Nothing more than an incisive observation, humorously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing.” |
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