English Techniques

Rhetorical Question

a question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer

Allusion

a reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Colloquialism

a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y'all, ain't)

Cliche

a worn-out idea or overused expression

Idiom

an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect

Word Choice

careful use of words to express a specific idea

Superlatives

excessive, exaggerated comments

Exclamation

forceful delivery of a statement to stress an important point or convey emotion

Imperative Voice

forceful use of the verb to order or direct

Euphony

pleasant, harmonious sound

Repetition

repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

Alliteration

use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse

Rhetoric

using language effectively to please or persuade

Onomatopoeia

using words that imitate the sound they denote

Accumulation

Figure of speech in which a speaker or a writer gathers scattered points and lists them together.

Symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Anecdote

A story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point.

Sibilants

Repetition of the "S" sound

Juxtaposition

The arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, actions, settings, phrases, or words side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, rhetorical effect, suspense, or character development

Emjambment

The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of a poem to the next, without a pause between the lines.

Imagery

The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, thing, place, or experience

Pitch

Volume and Stress on certain words and phrases

Emotive Words

Words that are aimed at stirring an emotion such as anger or happiness

Caesura

a break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line

Ellipsis

a dramatic pause (...) that can create tension or suggest that there are some words that cannot be spoken

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

Simile

a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')

Hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

Contrast

showing the differences between two or more ideas, stories, characters, things, etc.

Jargon

specialized technical terminology characteristic of a particular subject

Pace

speed of delivery, effective speakers vary their pace such as building excitement by speaking quickly and adding dramatic pauses.

Disjunction

the abrupt use of 'yet; or 'but' to break the rhythm or flow of a line to add dramatic emphasis

Tone

the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author

Assonance

the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words

Anaphora

the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences

Intonation

the use of pitch in speech to create contrast and variation

Second Person

told from the reader's point of view, using "you"