1.1.3

Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

Test yourself on Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

After reading these notes, test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Key Terms for English Language - Types of Words

You need to know the following key terms for your English Language exam:

Adjectives

Adjectives

  • Words that describe a noun. They add more information about it.
    • E.g. Gorgeous, disgusting, happy, long, tall, green.
Adverbs

Adverbs

  • Words that change verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. They may describe how or when something is done.
    • E.g. Quickly, dangerously, always, never, once, soon, near.
Monosyllabic words

Monosyllabic words

  • Words that consist of one syllable.
    • E.g. Yes, no, cat, dog, food, bat.

Key Terms for English Language - Sounds

You need to know the following key terms for your English Language exam:

Alliteration

Alliteration

  • The same letter or sound at the beginning of words next to each other.
  • Please note, these are the same sounds, not necessarily the same letters (e.g. 'c' and 'k' may sound the same in some words).
    • E.g. The beautiful blue ocean blinked at the sun.
Assonance

Assonance

  • When two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds.
    • E.g. Although she was frail, she had a grace that trailed her everywhere.
Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia

  • When the way the word sounds imitates the sound it is describing.
    • E.g. Bang, crash, sizzle.
Sibilance

Sibilance

  • A specific form of alliteration, which focuses on 's' sounds.
  • It relies on the repetition of soft consonant sounds in words to create a wooshing or hissing sound in the writing. The sounds used include 's', 'sh', 'c' and 'ch'.
    • E.g. The shark shot through the water, charging towards the shore.
Jump to other topics
1

Key Terms

1.1

Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentences1.1.2Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types1.1.3Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language1.1.4Key Terms - Types of Language1.1.5Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood1.1.6Key Terms - Mood & Feelings1.1.7Key Terms - Other Techniques1.1.8End of Topic Test - Key Terms
2

Language Devices

2.1

Language Devices

2.1.1Metaphors2.1.2Similes2.1.3Metaphors & Similes HyperLearning2.1.4Personification2.1.5Pathetic Fallacy2.1.6Puns & Oxymorons2.1.7Hyperbole & Emotive Language2.1.8Alliteration2.1.9Sibilance2.1.10Onomatopoeia2.1.11Recap: Language Devices2.1.12End of Topic Test - Language Devices
3

Writing Structure

3.1

Writing Structure

3.1.1Narrators3.1.2Paragraphs3.1.3Tense3.1.4Present vs Past vs Future Tense3.1.5Foreshadowing3.1.6Structure3.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Structure
4

Section B: Reading & Writing

4.1

Writing Formats

4.1.1Letter4.1.2Reports & Essays4.1.3Journal/Diary Entry4.1.4Speech4.1.5Newspaper Article4.1.6Leaflet4.1.7Review4.1.8Travel Writing4.1.9End of Topic Test - Writing Formats
4.2

Writing to...

4.2.1Writing to Inform4.2.2Writing to Inform - Example4.2.3Writing to Explain4.2.4Writing to Explain - Example4.2.5Writing to Persuade4.2.6Writing to Persuade - Example4.2.7Writing to Argue4.2.8Writing to Argue - Example4.2.9Writing to Persuade vs Writing to Argue4.2.10Writing to Advise4.2.11Writing to Advise - Example4.2.12End of Topic Test - Writing to...
4.3

Acronym of Techniques - DAFORESTAR

4.3.1Direct Address4.3.2Alliteration4.3.3Facts4.3.4Opinions4.3.5Repetition4.3.6Exaggeration (Hyperbole)4.3.7Statistics4.3.8Triple (Rule of 3)4.3.9Emotive Language4.3.10Rhetorical Questions4.3.11End of Topic Test - DAFORESTER
5

Section C: Writing

5.1

Writing Task

5.1.1Discursive Writing5.1.2Narrative Writing5.1.3Descriptive Writing5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Task

Practice questions on Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What do we call words that have one syllable?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Which of these are adverbs?True / false
  3. 3
    Which of these are adjectives?True / false
  4. 4
    Which word is an adjective in this sentence?<br><br><b>Trudy had a beautiful smile.</b>Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Which word is an adverb in this sentence?<br><br><b>Harry ran swiftly to his friend's house.</b>Multiple choice
Answer all questions on Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium

Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types

Key Terms - Types of Language