English Techniques List, all definitions PDF

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Summary

key terms for human experiences, and all other literary techniques including definitions and craft of writing words and definitions....

Description

 SECTION ONE PAPERONEENGLISHHSC  

KeyTerms

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Individualhuman experience

Experiences that we attain due to our choices or elementsof one’slife

Collectivehuman experience

Universal experiences such as adulthood, coming ofage, relationshipsetc

Anomaly (irregularities)

abnormality, a blipon the screenoflifethatdoesn't fit with the rest of the pattern, odd or peculiar. When something derivesfromwhatis common,usualorexpectedandtheresultissurprising.Resultthat doesn't fit with the course of being. Character act ordosomethingthat isnotexpectedinthecircumstance

Paradox (Contradictions)

absurdorcontradictorystatementorpropositionwhichwhen investigated may prove to be well founded or true.Initially seems contradictory or perplexing, but when furtherexaminedpresentsatruth despitecontrastingideas

Inconsistency (variationand discrepancies)

qualityorstateofbeinginconsistent;discordanceinrespecttosentiment oraction;suchcontrarietybetweentwothingsthatboth can not exist or be true together; disagreement;incompatibility, e.g:3pplwith different perspectives

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VisualTechniques Symbols,lighting,colour hue, value,intensity,cool/warm Artelements

texture,line,space,shapesize

Juxtaposition ofelements contrast Positioning ofelements

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Salience(focalpoints)

standout,attractviewersattention

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LiteraryTechniques Allegory

A story or narrative w two meanings; the obvious or literal meaningthat is immediately clear,and asecond,usuallyhiddenmeaning

Alliteration

Repetitionofconsonantsatthebeginningofsuccessivewordsorwithin sentences/phrases to create asenseofrhythm,thoughtheycanbe overdone-c ommon in poetry

Allusion

A subtle or passing reference to an event, person, place, othertext,etc. thatisintendedtobenoticedbyreaders-religiousareeasiest to spot

Ambiguity

When something is left to the reader’s imagination.Oftenthis involves theauthornotstatingexplicitlywhatishappening,whathasbeensaid,etc - b oost reader interest+encouragesto make own mind -common inpoetry

Analogy

Uses two similar concepts or ideas to createarelationship ordraw comparisonsbetweenthetwo-usedtoprovehow similarthings are

Archetype

an immediately recognisable character,conceptorobjectthatmakesit easy for audiences to categorise them based on what they resemblein literature-m  ostcharactersfitintoatleastone

Assonance

Repetitionofvowelsounds-a tthe beginningofwords/phrasesorwithin words - commonin poetry

Atmosphere

refers to the feeling or mood createdbyaplace,situationortext–it usually changes from scenetosceneand is built by sensory imageryand wordchoice

Characterisation

Theprocessbywhich characters areintroduced,describedandthenfully formed through theirchoices,interactions,etc-m  akesthemfeel likereal people,oftenbased on morals,values+ personality traits

Cliché

Common and/or overusedexpressionoftenfoundinsimilesand metaphors-c ansometimesbeused ironically or to symboliseacharacter- should only be usedifthereisareasonfor them

Connotations

ideas,feelingsorconceptsassociatedwith specific words, phrasesor situations that go beyond their literalmeaning

Contrast

Any situation wherein two different or opposingthings arepresented together in orderto highlight their differences-ideas, settings, characters, objects,concepts,themes

Context

Thetime,placeandsocialsettingwithinwhich atextwascreated, including the values of the time, the world events, majortopics of discussion, key figures, etc - literary,historical,personal -allinfluence

DramaticIrony

Any situation wherein the audience is privy to some sort of information thatthecharactersdonotknow,buildingaudiencetension,suspense,etc

Emotive language

Words chosen to create a specific emotional response in the reader, often linkedtotheword’sconnotationsandcommonlyusedinhighly emotionalordescriptivescenes/situations-c ommon in poetry

Euphemism

A mild or ‘proper’ expression used to replace onethatis harsh,bluntor otherwise offensive in order to not cause trouble or appear vulgar

Exclamation

Asentenceendingwith an exclamationmark(“!”)orsaidwith a tone of shock/excitementisusedtoexpresshighemotion–e .g.sudden revelations, important discoveriesorenthusiasm-expressestoneoremotional outbursts

FrameNarrative

This is essentially a ‘story within a story’, wherein the main narrativeis being told, remembered, etc. by someone in the ‘outside narrative - ‘ jump’ between time settingsfrom chaptertochapter.

Foreshadowing

Theactofhinting at orsettingup asituation, event oractionthatwill later be extremely important in the narrative but doesn’t seemimportant atthetime

Form

Theconstruction and structure ofatext basedonthetexttype,the context andtheauthor’s personal stylistic choices-languagechoices, sentence structures,film choices,poeticstyles

Figurative Language

Language, words and/or expressions that have meaning beyond their literal interpretation, often used to expresslinksbetweenideas,characters and concepts or subtly tie into overall themes - m  etaphors, similes, hyperbole, metonymy, personification,etc. - commoninpoetry

Fractured sentences

Incomplete or broken off sentences used most commonlyin dialogueto replicate regular speechpatternsand being cut off or trailingoffwhile speaking-c ommon in poetry

Hyperbole

purposeful over-exaggeration of a statement in order to create a more intense or over-the-topeffect-canbe paired with similes or metaphorsand aremostcommonlyusedinhighlyemotivesituations

Imagery

Words used to create an idea or mental image of something,mostoften foundin descriptions or createdthroughdescriptivelanguage- focused on settings, objects and characters to ensure audiences have averyclear ideaofwhat is happeningand how it all looks - Common in poetry

Intertextuality

This occurs when one text makes reference to another text,either obviously or in a more subtle way (e.g. allusions) in order to makeapoint ordrawlinksbetweenthetwo

Irony

Adisconnectbetweenwhatissaidandwhatismeant,usuallywiththe words said having a second insulting, humorous orsatirical meaning

Language Choices

includesindividualwordchoicesbasedonconnotations,aswellasspecific overall languagechoicesusedtocharacterisecertaincharactersand develop a strongersense ofvoice-usingslangorcolloquiallanguagecreates a different effect thatacharacterwhoalwaysuses formal language

Juxtaposition

Placing one character, idea, theme, object, setting, etc. parallel to another in order to compareandcontrastthetwo

Linearand Nonlinear

Describes the way in which a narrative flows oristold- l inear moves forwardin time, where nonlinear mayjumparound

Metaphor

Comparing two things by saying that one ‘is’ the other in orderto draw stronger comparisons and often add a level of figurative meaning- canbe extremely strongfigurativetechniques. Very commonin poetry

Modality

The strength or force of a word,which low modality wordsbeingpassive while high modality words areforceful-r aiseintensity+strengthof language in thescene

Moodortone

focuses more on the emotional or mental feelingtheauthorhas towards certainsubjectsorideasandhowtheyexpressthatin the text- very commoninpoetry

Motifs

an idea, symbol,object,concept orthemethat is alwayspresent throughout an entiretext, playing asignificant and/orsymbolicroleinthe narrative - t ie into the central ideas of the narrativeor reflectacertainmessage theauthoris trying to present - Common in poetry

Omission

What is left out ofatext -l ead to ambiguity

Onomatopoeia

A word that it the ‘sound’ of what it represents, allowing the readerto ‘hear’ what is occurring-r epresenttheactualsound made

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words or concepts used together to create a strange or complex thing/idea that still makessense-c ommon inpoetry

PatheticFallacy

Involves giving any non-human object or nature somekind ofhuman feelingsorsense-s pecificform of personification -very commonin poetry

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Personor Narrative Perspective

First, second or third person narratives areusually categorisedby theiruse of “I”,“you”, or“they”respectively-1  st = personal,3rd = omniscient narration,2nd=veryuncommon‘youbrokethe lamp’

Personification

Humancharacteristicsto nonhuman objects - inanimateobjects appear to have lifeorfeelings-f igurativedescriptive language - commonin poetry

Rhetorical Question

Aquestionthat is asked without the intent of receiving an answerbecause theansweritselfisobvious -may be usedtopromptaudiencestothink harder about aspecificidea

Setting

 location of a narrative – which may and often does change several times within the story-oftenbe tied to thenarrative

Sibilance

specific form of alliteration involving the repetitionof‘s’within aphrase orsentence-d ependingonconnotationscan be readassoftand flowingorcold andhissing.

Simile

Comparing two objects, and object and a person, etc. using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to draw parallelsbetweenthem

SoundDevices

Anytechniquesthatfocus on the sounds produced by wordsand/orhow they relate to one another - o nomatopoeia, resonance, rhythm, rhyme - VERY commonin poetry

Symbolism

When an object, person, etc. represents a more complexidea, concept or theme

Syntax

The way a sentence is constructed – short, long, fragmented,compound, complex,etc.-s hortandone-word sentencescreating impact and urgency, whilecompoundsentences are slower and usually found in more formal writing...