The terms you NEED to know…and the way you NEED to write about them!

Making the unfamiliar a little more familiar… The terms you NEED to know…and the way you NEED to write about them!

So…first thing’s first…what do we have to be able to do? • Show an understanding of the idea(s) presented in the text: theme, characterisation, setting, context (political, social, historical), and the positioning of the reader.

Show an understanding of the language features presented in the text: methods or procedures used in crafting and shaping the text, including structure, method of narration, style, literary features and language features.

Answer a range of questions which may require short or extended written responses. • Answer the questions precisely with supporting quotes and examples

To confidently analyse ideas and techniques you will need to know and be able to use the terminology of literary analysis. • Throughout the year you will be given a list of different terms and definitions. You will create a ‘fun and interesting’ glossary using these terms to help you out when revising. Your aim by the end of the year is to know all the terms, their definitions and what effect they have when used.

Answering questions on Unfamiliar Texts… • Learn the correct terms for language features. • Learn how to recognise these features. • Read each question carefully: you must be clear about what is being asked. • Refer to the text to develop your answer.

Do not rush as you may overlook crucial details. • Attempt every question. • Write your answers in full sentences. • Give examples to support any statements you make. • Two part questions require two part answers. If you are asked to identify and discuss a language feature, make sure you identify the feature using the correct term, then give an example, and then explain the purpose and effectiveness.

Reread the question and proof read your answer before you move onto the next question.

The terms you need to know… • Alliteration The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words e.g. the sweet smell of success, a dime a dozen, bigger and better, jump for joy, summer season.

Pun A play on words. Often used in headlines and humour. E.g. “It was raining cats and dogs. There were poodles all over the road”. • Genre A term taken from the French to signify a literary form. E.g. novel, essay, biography.

Euphemism The expression of something unpleasant in a “nice” way. E.g. ‘passed away’ instead of ‘died’ or ‘creative’ instead of ‘tells lies’. • Trite An expression worn out by constant use (similar to cliché). E.g. “Have a nice day”.

Tone A manner of expressing the author’s attitude, feeling or mood towards a subject (written or spoken). E.g. light hearted, suspicious, negative, positive, critical, cheerful. • Hyperbole A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for effect. E.g. “This book weighs a tonne!” “I could sleep for a year.”

Oxymoron A paradoxical statement that is a contradiction. E.g. sweet sorrow, act naturally, found missing, genuine imitation, good grief, same difference, almost exactly, alone together, silent scream. • Onomatopoeia A word which sounds like its meaning, often referred to as a sound word. E.g. buzz, drip, pop.

Tense Verbs that show time, such as past tense (walked) or present tense (walk). Past tense is relaying something that has already happened. Present tense is relaying something as it happens. • Stanza A group of lines in a poem often linked by rhyme and separated by a blank line.

Rhetorical question A question which is asked, not to get an answer, but to achieve a strong emphasis or express a strong emotion. E.g. “Who cares?” • Imagery Descriptions which invoke mental images in the reader. This is often achieved with the use of similes and metaphors.

Denotation The obvious, literal and accepted meaning of a word. Its dictionary definition. e.g. school – a place of education • Connotation The emotive association of a word (the feelings/emotions you can connect with a word). e.g. school may be positive or negative depending on your experience.

Idiom Phrase or sentence that has a different meaning to its literal meaning. E.g. “It’s raining cats and dogs” = “It’s raining heavily” • Jargon Specialised vocabulary belonging to a group of people who do the same work, are in the same profession, or have the same field of interest. e.g. scrum, tackle, lineout, front row, open-side flanker, drop out 22, into touch, penalty, crouch…touch…pause…engage = rugby jargon

Cliché An expression which is used so often that people recognise it immediately. Often found in conversation. E.g. ‘turning over a new leaf’, ‘the best thing since sliced bread’, ‘when all’s said and done’. • Archaism A word, spelling, construction that is old fashioned. E.g. ‘Methinks’, ‘thee’, ‘thou’

Figurative language Non-literal or imaginative meaning of the word rather than its actual meaning. e.g. ‘I was bored stiff’. • Hyperbole Exaggeration. E.g. ‘I love you in a thousand ways’.

Imperative A command or order. E.g. ‘Stand up!’, ‘Buy now!’. • Neolgism Making up new words, often by joining words together. E.g. ‘Greenpeace’

Repetition Words that are repeated to increase the effect. E.g. ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day…’ • Assonance Repeated vowel sounds in words, e.g. Smooth groove.

Emotive language Words which have an emotional association, stirring up emotions within an audience. E.g. ‘There is a lack of food and water, and little hope among the people. We can make a difference’.

Satire Any text which criticises people or ideas by laughing at their stupidity.e.g. Angela’s Ashes does this in subtle ways (religion/England). • Slang Vocabulary used by a group of people that is unique to them. ‘You’re the bomb’, ‘speak to the hand’, ‘cool’, ‘it rocks’

Slogan Distinctive and easily remembered phrase, often used in advertisements. Nike – ‘just do it’. • Stereotype Fixed or over-simplified idea of a person. E.g. all farmers wear moleskins, Airtex shirts and RM Williams boots.

Acronym A new word created by the initial letters of a phrase. E.g. EFTPOS, BNZ, ANZAC • Synonym A word of similar meaning. E.g. Big - large, quick - fast

Antithesis The deliberate juxtaposition of opposite ideas in parallel words, phrases, or grammatical structures. E.g. ‘They died that we might live’; ‘he succeeded where we failed’. • Symbol An object or word used to represent a wider quality or concept. E.g. A cross may stand for death, white = purity, wedding ring = commitment and love.

Allusion An indirect reference to event or text that is assumed to be well known to both the writer and reader. E.g. Bible, popular TV programmes/movies. • Ambiguity Construction or usage that has more than one possible meaning.

Colloquialism Casual and informal language. E.g. They wound up the party. • Contraction Word(s) shortened by use of apostrophe, e.g. don't, couldn't.

Didactic In a teaching like manner. Language that intends to instruct. E.g. a recipe, instruction manual. • Litotes deliberate understatement for effect, e.g. "It's nothing, just a broken arm."

Personal Pronouns words that take the place of a noun. I, me, my, he, she, it, you, your, they, them, their. Personal Pronouns are used extensively in advertising because they refer to the people involved in the communication. • First Person includes the speaker(s) or writer(s) of the message: I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our(s), ourselves.

Second Person Includes the people spoken to but excludes the speaker: You, your(s), yourself, yourselves. • Third Person Refers to third parties - excluding the speaker and receiver: he, him, his, she, her(s), they, them, their(s).

Statistics The use of figures and percentages to give weight to an argument. • Protagonist and antagonist The main character is a text is called the protagonist or hero. He or she may be apposed by an antagonist or villain. Texts often present a contrast between good and evil characters.

Climax Pivotal point in narrative (the most thrilling/exciting bit). • Listing A list of examples or details to give validity to a general point.

The terms you NEED to know…and the way you NEED to write about them!