ENGLISH 11
TERMS AND DEVICES
Non Fiction
Short Story/Novel
Poetry
Drama
A
active voice
alliteration
allusion
analogy
antagonist
anticipating contrary arguments
anti-climax
antithesis
apostrophe
argumentative essay
anecdotal evidence
annotation
antecedent action
archaic language
aside
assonance
atmosphere
audience
autobiography
B
ballad
ballad stanza
bias
biography
blank verse
C
cacophony
caricature
case study
catastrophe
cause and effect
character
characterization
character foil
chorus
chronological order
cliché
climactic order
climax
colloquialism
colloquial language
comedy
comic relief
compare and contrast
comparison
conflict - character vs. character,
character
vs. self, character vs. society,
character vs. nature/
environment, character vs.
supernatural
connotation
consonance
contrast
couplet
D
denotation
dénouement
descriptive essay
determinate ending
dialect
dialogue
diary
diction
didactic
dilemma
direct presentation
dissonance
drama
dramatic irony
dramatic monologue
dynamic character
dystopia
H
hero
historical reference/evidence
humor
hyperbole
I
E
editorial
elegy
emotional appeal
epic
epilogue
epiphany
epitaph
escapist literature
euphemism
euphony
expert testimony
exposition
expository essay
extended metaphor
external conflict
F
fable
falling action
fantasy
farce
figurative language
figure of speech
first person point of view
flashback
flat character
foil
foreshadowing
formal essay
formal language
free verse
G
genre
iambic pentameter
idiom
image
imagery
indeterminate ending
indirect presentation
informal essay
informal language
interior monologue
internal conflict
internal rhyme
interpretive literature
introduction
irony
J
jargon
juxtaposition
L
legend
limerick
limited omniscient point of view
literal language
lyric
M
melodrama
metaphor
metre
monologue
mood
motif
motivating incident (aka initial
incident or inciting moment)
motivation
mystery
myth
R
narrative
narrative poem
narration
narrator
refrain
repetition
research
resolution
rhetorical question
rhyme
rhyme scheme
rhythm
rising action
round character
O
S
objective (language tone etc.)
objective point of view
octave
omniscient point of view
onomatopoeia
oxymoron
sarcasm
satire
sensory details
sestet
setting
shift
simile
situational irony
slang
soliloquy
sonnet (Italian and English)
speaker
stanza
statistical evidence
static character
stereotype
stock / stereotyped character
stress
style
stylistic technique
subjective (language tone etc.)
surprise ending
suspense
symbol
symbolism
N
P
parable
paradox
parallelism / parallel structure
parody
passive voice
personal essay
personification
persuasive essay
persuasive technique
plot
point of view
pro and con argument
prologue
prose
protagonist
purpose
pun
T
Q
quatrain
question and answer
theme
thesis
thesis statement
third person point of view
tone
tragedy
tragic flaw
U
V
varied sentence length
verbal irony
verse
voice
understatement
utopia
How to Code the Terms
 - I understand this term, and can define it.
~ - I understand this term, but cannot define it.
? – I have no idea what this term means
There is no point in defining terms you already know. Focus on finding definitions for
any ‘?’ terms first. Once you know those, move on to the ‘~’ terms; check with a partner
to ensure that your understanding is correct. This level of familiarity is usually enough to
succeed on the exam.