Terms+you+must+know


 * **Abstract noun** ||  || A __part of speech__ that means something you //can’t// see or touch.


 * Eg: excitement, risk, happiness.** ||


 * **Concrete noun** ||  || A __part of speech__ that means something you //can// see and touch.


 * Eg: pencil, pen, cat, road.** ||


 * **Collective noun** ||  || A __part of speech__ that means a collection of something.


 * Eg: committee** (a collection of people), **pride** (a collection of lions), **herd** (a collection of cows). ||


 * **Proper noun** ||  || A __part of speech__ that gives the name of something. These always begin with a capital letter.


 * Eg: __T__om, __E__lizabeth, __R__otorua, __J__ohn __P__aul __C__ollege.** ||


 * **Pronoun** ||  || A __part of speech__ that replaces a noun.


 * Eg: it, them, he, she, him, her…** ||


 * **Verb** ||  || A __part of speech__ that means an action (a ‘doing’ word).


 * Eg: run, skipping, whistle, howling.** ||


 * **Adverb** ||  || A __part of speech__ that describes how an action (the verb) was done. Usually end in ly.


 * Eg:** He danced **slowly.** She whistled **softly.** ||


 * **Adjective** ||  || A __part of speech__ that describes a thing (a noun).


 * Eg:** The **striped** cat sat on the **bristly** mat and licked its **grubby** paws. ||


 * **Conjunction** ||  || A __part of speech__ that joins words in a sentence.

The year 10 student studied hard **because** he wanted to pass his exams. ||
 * Eg:** The cat ran across the road **and** got squashed.


 * **Preposition** ||  || A __part of speech__ that shows the position of something.


 * Eg:** **under, over, between, before.** ||


 * **Interjection** ||  || A __part of speech__ that is a type of interruption.


 * Eg: Hey! No! Wow! Yay!** ||


 * **Determiner** ||  || A __part of speech__ that determines (shows) which thing you are talking about.


 * Eg: that, this, those.** ||


 * **Alliteration** ||  || A __sound device__ that repeats the sounds at the beginning of words.


 * Eg: Silly Sammy sipped six sodas and was sick.** ||


 * **Assonance** ||  || A __sound device__ where the vowel sounds in words are repeated. These vowel sounds are followed by a different consonant.


 * Eg: rapid / rattle, can / patter** ||


 * **Onomatopoeia** ||  || A __sound device__ where the sound of a word (when spoken aloud) sounds like its meaning.


 * Eg: snap, crackle, pop, whiz, bang.** ||


 * **Repetition** ||  || A __sound device__ where words or phrases are repeated (usually to emphasise an idea).


 * Eg:** I **really**, and I mean **really** love school. ||


 * **Rhyme** ||  || A __sound device__ where words have the same sound!


 * Eg: cat, sat, mat OR pot, shot, rot.** ||


 * **Rhythm** ||  || A __sound device__ where the lines of a poem can have rhythm. This is created by the way stressed and unstressed syllables are put together. ||


 * **Metaphor** ||  || A __figure of speech__ that compares one thing to another to create a picture in the reader’s or listener’s mind. A metaphor refers to one thing as something else.


 * Eg: The old woman was a kitten. The pimple was a volcano ready to erupt.** ||


 * **Simile** ||  || A __figure of speech__ that compares one thing to another to create a picture in the reader’s or listener’s mind. Similes compare two things using the words “like” or “as”.


 * Eg: She blew out her candles //like//** **a typhoon trying to snuff out a town. Tom was //as//** **annoying to me //as//** **a red rag is to a bull.** ||


 * **Personification** ||  || A __figure of speech__ that makes a thing sound as though it’s a person.


 * Eg: The tree waved and bowed in the wind.** ||


 * **Hyperbole** ||  || A __figure of speech__ that is a huge exaggeration.


 * Eg: I’ve got tons of homework. This is the worst day of my life. I love chocolate more than anything in the whole world.** ||


 * **Plot** ||  || An __element of literature__. It means what happens in the story.


 * Eg: Cinderella was treated badly by her stepmother and stepsisters. She met her fairy Godmother who swished her up and gave her a coach so she could go to the Prince’s ball. The prince fell in love with her and they all lived happily ever after.** ||


 * **Theme** ||  || An __element of literature__. This is the message or lesson you get from a story. It can also be called a main idea or moral.


 * Eg: Always believe in yourself. If you’re prejudice then you miss out on a lot of good things in life. Eat your veggies or you’ll die. Be kind to your friends.** ||


 * **Characters** ||  || An __element of literature__. This means the people (or they could be animals) in the story.


 * Eg:** Two of the characters from the Harry Potter books are **Harry** and **Hermione.** ||


 * **Setting** ||  || An __element of literature__. This means where and when the story takes place.


 * Eg: A winter’s night, 300 years ago in a small town in India.** ||


 * **Symbolism** ||  || An __element of literature__ where something that represents an idea.


 * Eg: Sword = courage, honour, protection…**
 * Fire = hope, rescue, life…**
 * Bird in flight = peace, hope, freedom…** ||


 * **Conflict** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means an argument or bad feeling between two characters or between a character and the situation he/she is in. An //internal// conflict is a bad feeling or worry a character has within him/herself. ||


 * **Characterisation** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means the ways the author gets us to know each character. This can be done by showing us how a character acts, what they say, how they feel, what they’re thinking, relationships they have with others etc. ||


 * **Climax** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means the part of the text that is the most exciting – the crisis. It usually comes near the end. ||


 * **Genre** ||   || Used in __literature__, this means the type of text.


 * Eg: romance, horror, drama, science-fiction.** ||


 * **Rising action** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means the things that happen in the story that build up to the climax or crisis. ||


 * **Resolution** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means what happens at the end of the story. This is where we find out how things are resolved (how things work out). ||


 * **Foreshadowing** ||  || Used in __literature__, this is a small detail planted at the beginning of a story that makes us suspect something might happen.


 * Eg: “Keep to the path,” said Little Red Riding Hood’s mother.** (Well, you can just tell she’s not going to keep to the path!!) ||


 * **First person narration** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means the story is told by the main character.


 * Eg: I** sprinted down the gravely path, sure something was chasing **me**. ||


 * **Stanza** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means the parts a poem is broken into. These are sometimes called verses. They are like paragraphs for a poem. ||


 * **Third person narration** ||  || Used in __literature__, this means the story is told by somebody who is not in it.


 * Eg: Kahu** and **Brendon** laughed all the way home. **They** were sure **they** had just heard the best joke ever. ||


 * **Connotation** ||  || The ideas that come to mind when we read or hear a word or see a colour or picture etc.


 * Eg: Yellow = warmth, the beach, sand, holidays, happiness, children, summer…**


 * Forests = shade, crisp air, mountain-biking, fun, danger, fire, forestry, rainforests…** ||


 * **Denotation** ||  || The dictionary meaning of a word.


 * Eg: Forests = trees that grow close together in a large area.** ||


 * **Jargon** ||  || Language used and understood by people in a particular job or sport etc.


 * Eg: Rugby – lock, forward, prop, line-out, try.** ||


 * **Rhetorical question** ||  || A question that is not intended to be answered.


 * Eg: Don’t you want to be as fit as Superman?** Well, you can with the new Exer-thigh-tum machine! ||


 * **Imperative** ||  || A command or order. Often followed by an exclamation mark.


 * Eg: Buy now! Hurry, don’t be late! Stop!** ||


 * **Slogan** ||  || A catch-phrase that people associate with a particular organisation.


 * Eg: Nike – “Just do it”**
 * Rebel sports – “Let’s play”**
 * McDonalds – “I’m loving it”**
 * Warehouse – “Where everyone gets a bargain”** ||


 * **Synonym** ||  || A word that has a similar meaning.


 * Eg: Box** and **carton, chair** and **seat.** ||


 * **Antonym** ||  || A word that means the opposite.


 * Eg: Cold** and **hot, silly** and **sensible.** ||


 * **Pun** ||  || A play on words.

(When John’s last name is Major.) ||
 * Eg: John in Major trouble.**


 * **Cliché** ||  || An over-used expression.


 * Eg: Avoid it like the plague. He was shaking like a leaf. It was as solid as a rock.** ||


 * **Colloquialism / Colloquial language** ||  || The language we use in everyday conversation when talking to our friends.


 * Eg: “That was really cool man!”** ||


 * **Slang** ||  || The words used in colloquial language.


 * Eg:** “That was really **cool** **man**!” ||


 * **Simple sentence** ||  || Has one subject (does the action) and a finite verb (a doing word that gives tense).


 * Eg: The cat sat.** ||


 * **Compound sentence** ||  || Has two or more clauses linked with a conjunction.


 * Eg: Frank burned the toast //while//** **he was on the phone.** ||


 * **Clause** ||  || Has one subject (does the action) and a finite verb (a doing word that gives tense).


 * Eg: The cat sat** on the log. ||


 * **Phrase** ||  || A group of words that have been put together but do //not// contain a verb.


 * Eg:** The cat sat **on the log**. ||


 * **Minor sentence** ||  || These are not really sentences at all because they do not contain a subject and a verb. They are just words that can stand alone.


 * Eg: Hey! All aboard! Mix well.** ||


 * **Subject** ||  || The person or thing //doing// the action.


 * Eg: The wind** blew the houses down. ||


 * **Object** ||  || The person or thing having something done //to it.//


 * Eg:** The wind blew **the houses** down. ||


 * **Dominant image** ||  || A __visual feature__ that is the main thing on the page. The thing that catches your eye first. ||


 * **Font** ||  || A __visual feature__ that means the style of writing. ||


 * **Point size** ||  || A __visual feature__ that means the size of writing. ||


 * **Symbol** ||  || A __visual feature__ that represents another idea.


 * Eg: Wheelchair sign = wheelchair access.**
 * Peace symbol, boy and girl on the toilet doors etc.** ||


 * **Logo** ||  || A __visual feature__ that is a symbol. This symbol represents a company or organisation though.


 * Eg: The golden arches = McDonalds**
 * The red cross = the Red Cross**
 * The tick = Nike** ||


 * **Narrative** ||  || A __word we use in English__ which means a story. ||


 * **Processing information** ||  || A __word we use in English__ that means putting the information you read into your own words. ||


 * **Significance** ||  || A __word we use in English__ that means importance. When we ask “What’s the significance of this?” we are meaning “Why is this important?” ||


 * **Quotation** ||  || A __word we use in English__ that means you’ve copied the words from somewhere. Always put quotations in quotation marks. ||


 * **Structure** ||  || A __word we use in English__ that means the way something is put together. This can refer to how a sentence is made up, how a story is paragraphed, how a poem is broken into verses. ||