Context Clues
To me the movie was indescribable . . . because I fell asleep halfway through.
Beyond words
The seat near the window is mine.
Prepositional phrase
A book about animals describes the different kinds of whales and their habitats or the life cycle of frogs
Description
A scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time.
Flashback
"He often looked down at his feet, his voice barely a whisper when he spoke."
He is shy
The soldiers are tired, unmotivated, and falling into despair; we desperately need to raise morale.
Enthusiasm
My brother’s friend had come to visit him.
Noun phrase
A book about climate change explains what causes it and what we can do to reverse the dangers.
Problem and Solution
A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than, or resembles.
Metaphor
"She walked into the room with her head held high, her gaze sweeping the crowd."
She is confident
Everything I did or said, he complimented. It was cute at first, but by the end of the night it got annoying. I’m never dating a sycophant again.
Suck-up
The dogs have been barking continuously.
Verb phrase
A book explains the similarities and differences between moths and butterflies.
Compare and contrast
A reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture.
Allusion
"Her eyes softened with concern as she reached out to comfort the crying child."
She is kind/ maternal
She wanted to dress her best for the prom, so she asked to borrow her mother’s finest adornments.
Decorations
To get to the top is not difficult if you put in continuous effort.
Infinitive phrase
A book about the American revolution lists the events leading to the war.
Sequence or chronological order
The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person , a thing, a place, or an experience.
Imagery
"A sly grin played on his lips as he pulled a prank on his friends."
He is a prankster/ mischievous
Because of the kalopsia from his puppy love, he couldn’t see any of the warnings or red flags.
Fog, haze, rose-colored glasses
Ms. Wood, Sally’s favorite teacher in the school, is friendly and approachable.
Appositive
A book about volcanoes describes how eruptions occur when an opening develops in the Earth’s crust and the molten (magma) is forced through the crack.
Cause and Effect
When events or words are the opposite of what is expected, creating a sense of surprise, humor, or deeper meaning
Irony
"He paused for a moment, stroking his chin as if deep in contemplation."
He had a hard decision to make/ was thoughtful