English Exam - Flashcards

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What is Alliteration?

Back

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in close proximity to each other (e.g., “whispering winds,” “busy bee”).

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Can you explain what a hyperbole is?

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Hyperbole is when you describe something by making it sound much bigger, smaller, better, or worse than it really is. It's an obvious exaggeration used to make a point stand out or to add humor.

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What is Personification?

Back

Personification is a literary device that assigns human qualities, such as emotions, actions, or thoughts, to inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas. It's a type of figurative language used to create vivid imagery, enhance emotional impact, and make non-human entities more relatable. 

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What is a Metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by stating that one is the other, highlighting similarities for emphasis or symbolism. The compared elements are not literally the same, but are linked to create a deeper understanding or evoke imagery.

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What is Imagery?

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Imagery in writing refers to descriptive language that creates a picture in the reader's mind by appealing to their senses. For example, instead of saying, "It was dark," a writer might use imagery like, "The room was shrouded in a deep, velvety darkness, the only light coming from a flickering candle, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls," creating a more vivid and sensory experience.

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Can you define onomatopoeia?

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Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate the natural sounds associated with objects or actions they refer to. For example, words like buzz, hiss, drip, clang, and murmur are all onomatopoeic because they sound like what they describe. These words help make writing more vivid and expressive.

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Can you define Assonance?

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Assonance is when vowel sounds are repeated in nearby words within a sentence or line of poetry. This creates a kind of internal rhyme. For example, notice the repeating "ee" sound in: The green leaves gleam in the breeze.

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What is a simile?

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A simile uses "like" or "as" to compare two unlike things. An example of a simile is: "The sky was as blue as a sapphire." This comparison creates a vivid image in the reader's mind.

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What is an idiom?

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An idiom is a type of phrase or expression that has a meaning that cannot be deciphered by defining the individual words. Appropriately, the word “idiom” is derived from the ancient Greek word “idioma,” which means “peculiar phraseology.”