Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

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Key Terms for English Language - Types of Words

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

Adjectives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

1Key Terms

1.1Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentences

1.1.2Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types

1.1.3Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

1.1.4Key Terms - Types of Language

1.1.5Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood

1.1.6Key Terms - Mood & Feelings

1.1.7Key Terms - Other Techniques

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Key Terms

2Language Devices

2.1Language Devices

2.1.1Metaphors

2.1.2Similes

2.1.3Metaphors & Similes HyperLearning

2.1.4Personification

2.1.5Pathetic Fallacy

2.1.6Puns & Oxymorons

2.1.7Hyperbole & Emotive Language

2.1.8Alliteration

2.1.9Sibilance

2.1.10Onomatopoeia

2.1.11Recap: Language Devices

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Language Devices

3Writing Structure

3.1Writing Structure

3.1.1Narrators

3.1.2Paragraphs

3.1.3Tense

3.1.4Present vs Past vs Future Tense

3.1.5Foreshadowing

3.1.6Structure

3.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Structure

4Section B: Reading & Writing

5Section C: Writing

5.1Writing Task

5.1.1Discursive Writing

5.1.2Narrative Writing

5.1.3Descriptive Writing

5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Task

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