English Language devices

 Oxymoron
 Simile
 Personification
 Hyperbole
 Alliteration

To work out what a writer is implying by a particular sentence, use clues from elsewhere in the
text. Think about the writer’s overall attitude to the topic. Pg. 66
One of the two ways it entertains the reader is by using language associated with the
stereotype. Stereotype – a familiar but simplified character type. pg. 67
Non-standard English
The tone of the article is informal. This comes across in the writer’s choices of sentences,
dashes and exclamation marks. The writer also uses non-standard English word forms, such as
dropping the final “g”. Words and grammatical patterns that fall outside the conventional
forms of English.

Page 66

 Oxymoron –a figure of speech that combines two contradictory ideas

 Hyperbole –exaggerated statements
 Figurative language- words and phrases use not with their basic meaning but with a
more imaginative meaning to create a special effect ; figurative language techniques
include simile, metaphor and personification
 Simile- a type of figurative language in which one thing is compared to something else
using the words “as” or “like”
 Personification – a type of figurative language in which an object is described as if it has
human characteristics
 Alliteration – use of the same sound, especially consonants, at the beginning of several
close-together words
 Non-fiction – writing that is about real events and facts