English Students: Terms You Should Know

Many of these we've been over before, but here's a reminder of some of the less-common literary devices and grammatical terms:

Anadiplosis
The repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause.
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." —Yoda

Antimetabole
A sentence strategy in which the arrangement of ideas in the second clause a reversal of the first.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. —John F. Kennedy

Antithesis
Juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas.
"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues." —Abraham Lincoln

Assonance
Repetition of similar vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants (not necessarily the same letter).
The seargant asked Juan to bomb the lawn thoughtfully.

Asynedeton
deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses.
Caesar: "I came; I saw; I conquered." (not "I came, I saw, and I conquered."

Consonance
The repetition of consonants in words stressed in the same place (but whose vowels differ).
Justin added mustard to his toasted roast beef sandwich.

Ellipsis
The deliberate omission of a word or words, which are readily implied by the context (does not involve …).
"The average person thinks he isn't." –Father Larry Lorenzoni
(average is implied at the end of the sentence)

Epanalepsis
The repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause.
"Believe not all you can hear, tell not all you believe." —Native American proverb

Epistrophe
The repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses (reverse anaphora.)
“…government of the people, by the people, for the people.” –Abraham Lincoln

Inversion
In grammar, a reversal of normal word order, especially the placement of a verb ahead of the subject.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." —J.R.R. Tolkein, The Hobbit
(not A hobbit lived in a hole in the ground.)

Metonymy
Reference to something or someone by naming one of its attributes.
I hate when a bunch of suits come in my room to evaluate me. (people who wear suits)

Polysyndeton
The deliberate use of many conjunctions for special emphasis.
"[I]t is respectable to have no illusions–and safe–and profitable–and dull." —Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim

Pun
A play on words, either on different senses of the same word or on the similar sense or sound of different words.
I would like to go to Holland someday. Wooden shoe? (Wouldn’t you? – wooden shoes are worn in Holland)

Synedoche
A whole is represented by naming one of its parts.
You've got to come take a look at my new set of wheels. (look at my car, which has wheels)

CLAUSES
A component of a sentence (or entire sentence) that has a noun and a verb.

Independent clause
Can stand on its own as a complete sentence.
Low pay and constant grief are two of my job’s perks.

Dependent/Subordinate clause
Cannot stand on its own; usually contains a WABU); followed by a comma if it comes at the beginning of a sentence.

• When you get home, call me.
• Call me when you get home.

PHRASES
A component of a sentence that does not have a noun and a verb (may have one or the other)

Appositive phrase
A noun phrase set off by commas that defines the noun next to it in a sentence.
Clifford, the messiest eater at the table, spewed mashed potatoes like an erupting volcano.

Infinitive phrase
A verb phrase beginning with the “to” form of a verb.
Lakesha hopes to win the approval of her mother by switching her major from fine arts to pre-med.

[if the infinitive phrase interrupts the sentence, it gets comma before and after:
Those basketball shoes, to be perfectly honest, do not complement the suit you are planning to wear to the interview.]

Participial phrase
A phrase beginning with a participle (often –ing or –en), usually set off by commas.

• Dave saved his money, hoping he could afford a PS4 when it came out.
• Driven by a need to succeed, Jill backstabbed co-workers whenever it worked to her advantage.

Prepositional phrase
A phrase beginning with a preposition (fills the gap in “the squirrel ran ________ the trees); followed by a comma if it comes at the beginning of a sentence.

• From where I stand, it looks like students need to study more.
• The family only buys clothes from Target.