ENGLISH A B C’S

Brenda MartinezENG 1D1

ALLITERATION• Alliteration is a stylistic device where a large

amount of words in a sentence begin with the same letter sound.

• Examples are:– Cars can cause chaos.– The lion licked his lips– The teacher took the troublemakers’ toy.

BOLD IRONY• Irony is a type of figurative language that uses

a word that means something different than it is actually supposed to mean.

• Examples:– Britain’s biggest dog is named Tiny.– The procrastinators meeting has been postponed

until next week.

CHARACTERIZATION• Characterization is language used to describe the

details of a character in a story. This is usually found when the author first introduces the character.

• Examples:– Lord of the Flies chpt 1: “Inside the floating cloak he was tall,

thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled and ugly without silliness. Out of the face stared two bright blue eyes…”

This is a physical characterization of one of the characters Jack.

DRAMATIC FOIL• A dramatic foil is a character that shows

qualities that comes in contrast with the qualities of another character. Usually it is a secondary character that clashes with the main character.

• Examples:– In Romeo & Juliet the character Tybalt is a foil to the character

Benvolio. Tybalt is a very violent character and is always looking to pick a fight while Benvolio prefers to keep the peace.

EPILOGUES• An epilogue is a part of the story that tells you

what happens after the main plot of the story has ended.

• Examples:– The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, in this epilogue

it tells the reader about the two main characters Katniss and Peeta and their lives after the games.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE• Many times you will here people say “It was

just a figure of speech.” Figurative language is language used to express and idea that creates a visual picture in a persons mind.

• Examples:– Simile - Irony -Alliteration –Metaphor -Imagery -Onomatopoeia– Hyperbole -Personification

GREAT CHAIN OF BEING• The Great Chain of Being is a hierarchal chain

that shows that everything in the world has its place; from God to rocks.

• Chain:

HYPERBOLE• A hyperbole is an exaggeration of and idea to

create emphasis.• Examples:– I told you not to run a million times!– I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.– It will only take me five seconds to get there.

IMAGERY• Imagery is using figurative language to

represent objects and ideas in a physical sense. We use imagery to catch a readers senses.

• Examples:– The music coursed through my veins.– The meadow was bright and blinding to the eyes.–When she bit into the donut; jelly drizzled down

her chin.

JUXTAPOSITION• Juxtaposition is a literary technique used to

compare and contrast two character’s actions. It can highlight either the good or bad aspects of the characters.

• Examples:– In Romeo and Juliet there is a contrast between the

young characters who are in love and the elderly characters who hate each other.

KEY POINTS OF VIEW• A point of view is one individuals way of

interpreting a certain situation. Point of view in a story can be found in First person, Second person and Third person.

• Examples:– 1st person: I ran through the forest.– 2nd person: You run through the forest.– 3rd person: He ran through the forest.

LISTEN, I HEAR ONOMATOPOEIA • Onomatopoeia is a word used that makes a

sound heard elsewhere, this draws the readers attention towards the story more.

• Examples– The gushing river was just under the bridge.– The clanging pots and pans woke me up.– Onomatopoeia song

METAPHOR• A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a

clear, implied or hidden comparison on to two things that may or may not be alike.

• Examples:– Life is a rollercoaster.– The ballerina is a swan, dancing on that stage.– Terry, you are such a chicken.

NARRATIVE• Narrative is the story being told by the narrator

to the readers. The narrative could be told by the author or by one of the characters in the story.

• Examples:– Animal farm by George Orwell is a narrative that

is based on politics. He used animals to narrate this story.

OXYMORON• An oxymoron is a speech that brings to

completely opposite ideas and brings them together.

• Examples:– Loving monsters– That is awfully nice.– That felt bitter sweet.

PERSONIFICATION• Personification is a type of device that gives

non-human objects human attributes.• Examples– The trees dance in the wind.– The city never sleeps.– The fire ran wild.

QUEST TAKING PROTAGONISTS

• Protagonists are the main characters of stories. Many times they are referred to as the hero of the story.

• Examples:– Harry Potter was the protagonist in the Harry

Potter series.– Superman is a protagonist because he is a superhero.

RHETORIC• Rhetoric is a technique using language to

effectively persuade someone either spoken or in written form.

• Examples:–Would you like help the kids foundation by adding

$1 to your bill.

SIMILE• A simile is a comparison between two

different things that have something in common. The key words to look for in a simile are “like” and “as”.

• Examples:– He ran like a cheetah.– Lucy is as sweet as honey.– Learn about similes more here

THEME• Theme in a story is the main idea or meaning

that could be stated directly by the author or indirectly.

• Examples:– Lust for Power– Love vs. Hate– Savagery– Friendship

UNDERSTATEMENT• An understatement is a figure of speech used

to make an event or situation sound less important then it actually is.

• Examples:– I only won ten million dollars yesterday at the

casino.–My sister only broke her arm, no biggy.

VERSE• A verse is one single line of poetry and songs.

It may also be referred to as a stanza.• Examples:– In Flanders FieldsIn Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on rowThey mark our place: an in the skyThe larks still bravely singing fliesScarce heard amid the guns below

That is one verse in this piece of poetry.

WHIMSICAL SETTINGS• Settings are used to describe the time, place

and mood of events within a story.• Examples:– The setting of Romeo and Juliet would be in the

city of Verona in the 1400’s. – In Anne of Green Gables the setting is in Prince

Edward Island in the 1890’s.

EXCELLENT FORESHADOWING• Foreshadowing is a hint given by the author

that tells the reader what will happen in the future of the book.

• Examples: – In Romeo and Juliet, the character Chorus tells of

the star-crossed lovers that take their lives.

FUNNY PUNS• A pun is a play on words that is usually funny.

Puns use words that have two meanings or two different sounds.

• Examples:–We make a great pear.– Lettuce go have lunch.– I read a poem about wind, it was a blast.

CRAZY ANTAGONISTS• The antagonist of a story is usually the evil

villain. The antagonist is the rival or archenemy of the protagonist.

• Examples:– In The Chronicles of Narnia: The lion, the witch

and the wardrobe; the white which is the antagonist.

– In the Harry Potter series Voldemort is the antagonist.