Literary Terms & Analysis
The time and place in which a story occurs.
WHAT IS... The Setting?
A direct comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."
WHAT IS... A Simile?
A word that takes the place of a noun, such as he, she, it, or they.
WHAT IS... A Pronoun?
The single sentence, usually located at the end of an introduction, that states the main argument of an essay.
WHAT IS... A Thesis Statement?
This punctuation mark goes at the end of a sentence that asks a question.
WHAT IS... A Question Mark?
A hint or clue early in the story about an event that will happen later.
WHAT IS... Foreshadowing?
Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, such as "I've told you a million times."
WHAT IS... Hyperbole?
A word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, often ending in -ly.
WHAT IS... An Adverb?
The first sentence of a body paragraph that introduces the main point of that specific paragraph.
WHAT IS... A Topic Sentence?
Use this punctuation mark to join two related independent clauses when a coordinating conjunction is omitted, or taken out.
WHAT IS... A Semicolon?
The central message, lesson, or moral that an author conveys through a story.
WHAT IS... The Theme?
Giving human characteristics, emotions, or actions to non-human objects or animals.
WHAT IS... Personification?
This type of clause contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
WHAT IS... An Independent Clause?
The specific group of readers an author intends to reach and convince through their writing.
WHAT IS... The Target Audience / Intended Audience?
A shortened form of two words combined into one, where an apostrophe replaces the missing letters (e.g., "don't" or "it's").
WHAT IS... A Contraction?
An author's unique attitude toward their subject matter, conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and imagery.
WHAT IS... Tone?
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a sequence of nearby words (e.g., "Peter Piper picked").
WHAT IS... Alliteration?
A group of words containing a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a complete thought because it begins with a subordinating conjunction (like because, although, or since).
WHAT IS... a Dependent Clause
Words or phrases like however, furthermore, and in contrast that connect ideas smoothly between sentences or paragraphs.
WHAT ARE... Transitions?
This punctuation mark is used to introduce a list, an explanation, or a formal quote following an independent clause.
WHAT IS... A Colon?
A recurring element, image, or idea in a work of literature that helps to develop and inform the central theme.
WHAT IS... A Motif?
A reference within a literary work to a historical person, place, event, or another piece of literature.
WHAT IS... An Allusion?
The FANBOYS acronym (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) represents this specific grammatical group.
WHAT ARE... Coordinating Conjunctions?
To restate an author's ideas in your own words while retaining the original meaning and giving proper credit.
WHAT IS... Paraphrasing?
The rule stating that a verb must match its subject in number (singular vs. plural).
WHAT IS... Subject-Verb Agreement?