Key Terminology

The English Language has so many aspects that make up how we speak and write. But here is some of the terminology that we use, sometimes without even realising it:

• Verb - A doing word e.g. to 'run'
• Adverb - A word added to a verb to modify its meaning e.g. 'quickly'
• Adjective - A word used to describe a noun e.g. 'blue'
• Noun - A word that indicates an object, person, place or feeling
• Fillers - A word of little meaning included into speech e.g. 'like' or 'you know'
• Alliteration - Repeating consonants at the beginning of words e.g. 'slithering snake'
• Metaphor - Where one thing is described in terms of another e.g. 'her eyes are stars'
• Simile - Making a comparison between two things e.g. 'gloopy like mud'
• Rhetorical question -  A question that doesn't require an answer, often used persuasively
• Personification - Giving an object human characteristics e.g. 'the flames danced'
• Onomatopoeia - The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named e.g. 'bang' or 'meow'
• Jargon - Specialised language used by a certain profession or group that others wouldn't necessarily understand e.g. medical jargon in a hospital
• Symbolism - The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities e.g. a smile is a symbol for friendship
• Dialect - A particular form of language showing that the user belongs to a region or social group
• Synonym - A word similar in meaning to another word e.g. 'quick' and 'fast'
• Antonym - A word that is opposite in meaning to another word e.g. 'big' and 'small'
• Hyperbole - Exaggerated statements of figures of speech not intended to be taken seriously e.g. 'to wait an eternity'
• Clause - A group of words forming a unit within a sentence
• Prepositions - A word that relates one word to another e.g. 'in' and 'under'
• Assonance - A repetition within successive words of similar vowel sounds e.g. 'killed, cold, culled'