AQA GCSE English Language key terms

The marking of sentence boundaries using capital letters and appropriate end punctuation.

An incomplete sentence that lacks a main clause.

The place, time and surrounding circumstances in which a story happens.

A deliberate move in the reader’s attention, for example from a landscape to a person or from an object to a memory.

A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to connect one thing with another.

A sentence containing one main clause and no subordinate clauses. It can still contain descriptive phrases.

Reading quickly to establish a text’s overall subject, situation and main ideas before examining relevant details closely.

Words identifying who speaks, and sometimes how, such as ‘Maya whispered’ or ‘he asked’.

The variety of English with widely accepted conventions of grammar, vocabulary and spelling, used appropriately in education and public communication. It can be spoken in different accents.

The deliberate arrangement of ideas, events and details within a text to shape the reader’s experience.

The person, thing or idea that a clause is about, which normally controls the form of its verb.

The grammatical matching of a verb to its subject in number and person: ‘she writes’, but ‘they write’.

A clause that depends on a main clause to complete its meaning.

Letters added to the end of a word to form another word, such as ‘-ful’ in ‘hopeful’.

A focused account of the relevant information and ideas in a text or texts, expressed mainly in your own words.

A word or phrase with the same or a similar meaning to another word or phrase.

Bringing evidence from different texts together to develop a connected understanding of a particular topic.

A grammatical form of a verb that helps locate an action or state in time, such as ‘walks’ or ‘walked’.

A feeling of uncertainty or anticipation about what might happen, often involving danger, conflict or a difficult choice.

An account given by a witness about their experiences or observations.

A quotation or precise reference to a detail in a text that supports an interpretation.

A brief quotation or precise reference to a detail in a text, used to support an interpretation.

A central idea explored in a text, such as the hardship of work or the relationship between people and their surroundings.

A movement backwards or forwards in the time presented by a narrative.

The attitude conveyed by a writer’s voice, such as concern, confidence, respect or urgency.

A word that expresses an action, event or state, such as ‘walks’, ‘happened’ or ‘is’.

The central opinion or judgement that a writer develops and maintains throughout a piece of writing.