English 9 L to J
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129 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 act | a major division in a play; similar to chapters in a book |
| adjective | a word that modifies/describes nouns or pronouns |
| adverb | a word that modifies verbs, adjectives, other adverbs by telling where, when, how or to what extent |
| alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
| allusion | a reference to a person, place, event or literary work |
| antagonist | a major character or force in opposition to the main character |
| aside | in drama, a short speech directed to the audience or another character not heard by others on stage |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds within nonrhyming words |
| author's perspective | combination of ideas, values, feelings and beliefs that influences how the writers looks at a topic; revealed in tone |
| author's purpose | why writers write: to inform, explain, entertain, persuade, etc. |
| autobiography | a writer's account of his or her own life |
| biography | a true account of a person's life written by another person |
| cast of characters | all the characters in a play, usually in order of appearance |
| characterization | methods used by an author to develop a character's personality |
| chronological order | events sequenced in time order |
| cliché | an overused term or expression that has lost its freshness |
| climax | in plot, the point of maximum interest or tension |
| comic relief | humorous scenes or events included in a serious drama that provide a break in intensity |
| complication | an additional problem introduced into the rising action that makes the conflict more difficult |
| conclusion | final paragraph that summarizes ideas and leaves readers with a strong final impression |
| conflict | a struggle between opposing forces that is the basis of a story's plot |
| conjunction | joins words or groups of words |
| content | the "glue" that holds a piece of writing together; the main ideas |
| conventions | grammar, usage, and mechanics |
| couplet | a rhymed pair of lines |
| dialect | form of language spoken in a certain geographic area or region |
| dialogue | written conversation between two or more characters |
| diary | a daily record of a writer's thoughts, experiences, and feelings |
| drafting | putting ideas on paper and allowing them to develop and change as you write |
| drama | literature in play form |
| dramatic irony | when the reader or viewer knows something a character doesn't |
| dynamic character | one who undergoes important changes as the plot unfolds |
| epiphany | an "a ha!" moment; a character's moment of revelation |
| essay | a short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject |
| exposition | when important background information is revealed in a story; also introduced setting, characters, and conflict |
| external conflict | involves characters pitted against an outside force |
| falling action | follows the climax and shows results of important actions |
| fantasy | type of fiction that is highly imaginative and unrealistic |
| fiction | works of prose that contain imaginary elements |
| figurative language | language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words |
| first-person | narrator is a character in the story and uses "I", "me", and "my" |
| flashback | a scene that interrupts the action to describe past events |
| flat character | character not highly developed |
| foreshadowing | writer's use of hints or clues to indicate future events |
| form | the arrangement of lines in a poem |
| fragment | a group of words that is only part of a sentence and does not express a complete thought |
| free verse | poetry that does not have regular patterns of rhyme and meter |
| genre | a category of literature |
| graphic aids | visual images of verbal statements (charts, graphs, etc.) |
| haiku | poetry of 17 syllables; 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables |
| historical fiction | short story or novel with setting and details that include real places and events |
| hyperbole | an over-exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect |
| iambic pentameter | pattern of five feet, each made of two syllables, first unstressed and second stressed |
| imagery | words that appeal to the five senses |
| implied idea | an idea that is suggested |
| inference | making logical guesses using evidence in text and what you already know |
| interjection | a word that expresses emotion |
| internal conflict | conflict between opposing forces within a character |
| introduction | in writing, opening paragraph that states controlling idea and main points while grabbing attention |
| irony | contrast between appearance and reality |
| line | the core unit of a poem |
| lyric poem | a short poem in which a single speaker shares thoughts and feelings |
| main characters | most important characters in a story |
| main idea | the most important idea about a topic the writer or speaker shares |
| memoir | form of autobiography; writer shares personal experiences and observations |
| metaphor | implied comparison between two unlike things |
| minor characters | less important characters in a work; they support the plot |
| mood | feeling or atmosphere a writer creates for the reader |
| narrative | a true account of events written like a story |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | character or voice telling the story |
| nonfiction | writing that tells about real people, places, and events |
| novel | a longer work of fiction |
| omniscient | the narrator is all-knowing |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words whose sounds echo their meaning |
| organization | ideas structured into logical order |
| oxymoron | when two contradictory terms are brought together |
| peer response | suggestions and comments given to peers about their writing |
| personification | when human qualities are attributed to an object, animal or idea |
| persuasion | when author tries to convince a reader |
| plot | sequence of events in a literary work that are built around a conflict |
| poetry | type of literature when words are carefully chosen an arranged |
| preposition | relates one word to another word |
| prewriting | exploring the topic, purpose, audience and format of a piece of writing |
| prior knowledge | the knowledge a reader already has about a topic |
| proofreading | checking a piece of writing for mistakes |
| prose | all forms of written or spoken expression that are not in verse |
| protagonist | main character usually involved in the central conflict |
| publishing and reflecting | ways to share finished writing with a wider audience |
| pun | joke that comes from a play on words |
| realistic fiction | fiction that is a truthful imitation of life |
| resolution | the final outcome of events that ties up loose ends of the plot |
| revising | ways to polish a piece of writing and make changes in its content, organization, and style |
| rhyme | occurrence of similar or identical sounds at the end of two or more words |
| rhyme scheme | pattern of end rhymes in a poem |
| rhythm | a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry |
| rising action | when the conflict becomes more intense and the story builds |
| round character | highly developed character with a variety of traits and sides to his/her personality |
| run-on | two or more sentences written as though they were one |
| satire | ridicule for the purpose of improving society |
| scene | an episode of a play's plot that usually occurs in one place and time |
| science fiction | writer explores unexpected possibilities of past or future |
| script | text of a play, film, or broadcast |
| sentence fluency | the flow of a sentence for readers |
| setting | time and place in which a story occurs |
| short story | short work of fiction |
| simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| situational irony | contrast between what a character or reader expects and what really happens in events |
| soliloquy | in drama a speech in which a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud while alone on stage |
| speech | a talk or public address |
| stage directions | instructions included in a play |
| stanza | a group of lines that form a unit in a poem |
| static character | a character who stays the same throughout the story and does not grow from life-altering experiences |
| style | the distinctive way an author writes (not what is said but how it is said) |
| symbol | one thing that stands for something beyond itself, such as an idea or feeling |
| theme | an underlying message about life or human nature in a literary work |
| thesis statement | a sentence that expresses the main idea or purpose of a piece of writing |
| third-person limited | the narrator is outside of the action and tells what only one character thinks or feels |
| third-person | the narrative voice is outside of the story |
| tone | a writer's attitude toward his or her subject |
| tragedy | a drama that presents the downfall of a once dignified character |
| transitions | words or phrases that shows connections between ideas in writing |
| verbal irony | when someone knowingly exaggerates or says one thing and means another |
| voice | the author's personality that shows through in a piece of writing |
| word choice | the effective combination of words |
| writing process | the five stages of writing |
| noun | a person, place, thing, idea, or quality |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun or another pronoun |
| verb | a word that expresses an action, condition, or state of being |
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