Glossary
IGCSE English glossary
The language and literary terms examiners expect you to use, each explained in plain English, with an original example and a note on how it matters in the exam.
Knowing a term is not the same as being able to use it. Every entry here explains what the term means, shows it in an original example, and (most importantly for the exam) tells you how to write about it so that naming it actually earns marks. Browse the list, or search for a term.
Language terms
Active voiceA sentence where the subject performs the action, as in the dog chased the ball.AnaphoraRepeating the same word or phrase at the start of successive sentences or lines.AnecdoteA short, personal story used to illustrate a point or engage the reader.ApostropheA punctuation mark showing possession or marking omitted letters in contractions.AudienceThe intended reader or listener a piece of writing is aimed at.BiasA one-sided viewpoint that favours one side and downplays others.ClicheAn overused phrase or idea that has lost its freshness and impact.CohesionThe way sentences and ideas are linked so writing flows smoothly.ColonA punctuation mark that introduces a list, explanation or example.Comma spliceThe error of joining two complete sentences with only a comma.Complex sentenceA sentence with a main clause and at least one subordinate clause.Compound sentenceTwo or more main clauses joined by a connective such as and, but or so.ConnectiveA linking word or phrase that joins ideas, such as however, because or therefore.DashA punctuation mark that adds an aside, a pause or a dramatic break.DialectA regional or social variety of language with distinctive words and grammar.Direct addressSpeaking straight to the reader or listener, often using you.Direct speechA character's exact words, shown inside speech marks.EllipsisThree dots showing an omission, a trailing-off, or a pause in speech.Embedded quotationA short quotation woven smoothly into your own sentence.Emotive languageWord choices designed to stir the reader's emotions.EuphemismA mild or indirect word used in place of one that seems harsh or blunt.Explicit meaningMeaning that is stated directly and openly in the text.Fact versus opinionTelling apart statements that can be proven from personal beliefs or judgements.FormThe type or format of a text, such as a letter, speech, article or report.IdiomA common phrase whose meaning is not literal, such as break the ice.ImperativeA command form of the verb that tells or urges the reader to do something.ImplicationSomething a text suggests or hints at without stating it outright.Implicit meaningMeaning that is suggested or hinted at rather than stated directly.InferenceA conclusion the reader works out from clues rather than being told directly.JargonSpecialised language used within a particular job, hobby or field.Main clauseA clause with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence.Modal verbA verb such as can, should, must or might that shows possibility or obligation.ParagraphingDividing writing into paragraphs to organise ideas clearly for the reader.ParallelismUsing matching grammatical structures to balance ideas and create rhythm.ParaphraseRestating a text's meaning in your own words, keeping the sense but changing the wording.Passive voiceA sentence where the action is done to the subject, as in the ball was chased.PEE paragraphA structure for analysis: Point, Evidence, Explanation.ProofreadingChecking your writing carefully to catch and correct errors before finishing.PurposeThe reason a text is written, such as to persuade, inform, describe or entertain.RegisterThe level of formality and the kind of language chosen for an audience and purpose.RepetitionDeliberately repeating words or phrases for emphasis and effect.Reported speechTelling the reader what someone said without quoting their exact words.Rhetorical questionA question asked for effect, not because an answer is expected.Rule of threeGrouping ideas or words in threes for rhythm, emphasis and memorability.SelectionChoosing the most relevant points or details for a task from a text.Semantic fieldA group of words in a text that share a related area of meaning.SemicolonA punctuation mark linking two closely related complete sentences.Sentence varietyMixing sentence lengths and types to control pace and hold interest.Simple sentenceA sentence with one main clause and a single complete idea.Subject-verb agreementMatching a verb to its subject in number, as in she was, not she were.Subordinate clauseA clause that adds detail but cannot stand alone as a sentence.SummaryA short account that captures the main points of a text in your own words.SuperlativeThe form of an adjective expressing the highest degree, such as best or fastest.Tense consistencyKeeping verb tenses consistent so writing does not slip confusingly between times.Topic sentenceThe sentence that states the main point of a paragraph, usually at its start.
Literary terms
AlliterationThe repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words.AllusionA brief, indirect reference to another text, person, place or event.AmbiguityWhen language is open to more than one meaning, on purpose or by accident.AntagonistThe character or force that opposes the protagonist and creates conflict.AsideA brief remark a character makes to the audience, unheard by others on stage.AssonanceThe repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words.AtmosphereThe overall feeling or ambience of a place or scene in a text.Blank verseUnrhymed poetry written in a regular metre, usually iambic pentameter.CaesuraA deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.CharacterisationThe techniques a writer uses to create and reveal a character.ClimaxThe moment of greatest tension or turning point in a narrative.ComedyA form of drama or writing intended to amuse and usually ending happily.ConnotationThe feelings and associations a word suggests beyond its plain meaning.ContrastSetting differences side by side to highlight them and create meaning.Dramatic ironyWhen the audience knows something a character on stage or page does not.Dramatic tensionThe sense of suspense, conflict or anticipation that grips an audience.EnjambmentWhen a sentence runs on over a line break without a pause.ExpositionThe part of a text that introduces characters, setting and situation.Extended metaphorA metaphor developed and sustained across several lines or a whole text.First-person narrationA story told by a character using I and me, from inside their experience.FlashbackA scene that interrupts the present action to show an earlier event.ForeshadowingHints or clues early in a text that prepare the reader for later events.Free versePoetry with no fixed metre or rhyme scheme, shaped by the poet's own choices.HyperboleDeliberate, obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.Iambic pentameterA line of five iambs, giving ten syllables with a da-DUM heartbeat rhythm.ImageryLanguage that appeals to the senses to create a picture in the reader's mind.Internal rhymeRhyme that occurs within a single line, not just at the line endings.IronyA gap between what is said or expected and what is really meant or true.JuxtapositionPlacing two contrasting ideas, images or characters close together for effect.MetaphorA comparison that says one thing is another, without 'like' or 'as'.MetreThe regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse.MonologueA long speech by one character, addressed to others or to the audience.MoodThe emotional feeling a text creates in the reader.MotifA recurring image, idea or detail that runs through a text.Narrative voiceThe personality and perspective of the voice telling a story.Omniscient narratorAn all-knowing narrator who sees every character's thoughts and the whole story.OnomatopoeiaA word that imitates the sound it describes, such as crash, buzz or splash.OxymoronTwo contradictory words placed together, such as bittersweet or deafening silence.ParadoxA statement that seems to contradict itself yet reveals a deeper truth.Pathetic fallacyWhen weather or nature reflects the mood of a character or scene.PersonificationGiving human qualities, feelings or actions to something that is not human.PlosiveA hard, punchy consonant sound such as b, p, d, t, g or k.ProtagonistThe main character at the centre of a story's action and development.QuatrainA stanza or group of four lines, often with a set rhyme scheme.RefrainA line or group of lines repeated at intervals through a poem or song.ResolutionThe final part of a narrative where conflicts are settled and loose ends tied.Rhyme schemeThe pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem, mapped with letters.Rhyming coupletA pair of consecutive lines that rhyme with each other.RhythmThe pattern of beats, stresses and pace created by the sound of language.SatireWriting that uses humour, irony or exaggeration to criticise and expose faults.SettingThe time and place in which the events of a text happen.SibilanceThe repetition of soft s, sh and z sounds to create a hushed or hissing effect.SimileA comparison using 'like' or 'as'.SoliloquyA speech in which a character alone on stage voices their inner thoughts.SonnetA fourteen-line poem with a set rhyme scheme, often about love or reflection.Stage directionsThe playwright's instructions in a script about action, setting and delivery.StanzaA grouped set of lines in a poem, separated by a space, like a verse paragraph.SymbolismWhen an object, colour or image stands for a larger idea or feeling.ThemeThe central idea or message a text explores, such as power, love or loss.Third-person narrationA story told from outside the characters, using he, she and they.ToneThe attitude a piece of writing takes towards its subject or reader.Tone shiftA noticeable change in the writer's attitude or the feeling of a passage.TragedyA serious drama or story ending in downfall, loss or death.Unreliable narratorA narrator whose account cannot be fully trusted, through bias, ignorance or dishonesty.VoltaThe turn or shift in thought within a poem, often in a sonnet.
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