English Language Analysis

Technique	Definition	Example
Acronyms	Letters and numbers that stand for things	‘R&B’ ‘CD’ ‘MP3’
Adjectives	Describing words	‘treacherous’, ‘vulnerable’, ‘exposed’
Adverbs	HOW something is done (usually a –ly word)	‘Suddenly’, ‘rarely’, ‘shamelessly’
Alliteration	Two or more words starting with the same letter	Sweet Shop
Anecdote	A true, real-life story	‘his brother’s ship … drowned’
Comparison	Comparing two things together	‘small donation … huge difference’
Connotations	Images created in the mind based on certain words	The connotations of ‘rainbow’ are colourful, happy, gone too soon
Direct Address	Speaking to the reader directly	‘You’
Facts	True points/ statistics	£25 could provide 10 street children in India with their own bank account.
Humour	Jokes or puns to make the reader laugh	…My father had been particularly bad
List of three	Three things listed together	…rose, saffron and lemon
Imagery	The use of words to create a clear picture in the reader’s mind	…covered with gritty multi-coloured sugar dots called rainbow drops
Imperatives	Bossy phrases/ orders	‘Order now’
Play on words	Using words to create a clever double meaning	‘…Soft spot’ could mean that you like something or the soft spot in the centre of a sweet
Proper Nouns	Names of people or places	‘Captain Suleyman’, ‘Karachi’
Question and Answer Sequencing	Asking a question and then providing the answer	‘Can I do other activities as well?’, ‘Yes …’
Repetition	Repeating the same word or phrase	…rows upon rows of sweetie jars
Rhetorical Questions	Questions that don’t need an answer	‘Do you love music?’
Semantic Field	Words that belong to a specific subject	‘record, track, sample, sequence beats, sound recording hardware.’ = semantic field of music.
Sequencing	Orders the information to guide the reader	‘Next….’, ‘Then…’
Simile	Comparing two things together using ‘like’ or ‘as’	…Like precious gems
Superlatives	Exaggerations as describing words	‘The best in the world’
Verbs	Doing words	‘rolling, weaving, diving, backtracking, returning’
Vocabulary	Particular words for effect	‘Sweetie’ makes the reader think that the writer is describing sweets in a childish way.