Edexcel GCSE English Language 2.0 key terms

The level and kind of language chosen to suit an audience, purpose and situation, such as a formal report or a conversational blog.

The deliberate reuse of a word or expression to develop or emphasise an idea.

A structured, fact-based text that presents information, evaluates a situation and may recommend action for a particular reader.

The part of a sentence that identifies who speaks, such as ‘she whispered’.

A text that evaluates something, supporting opinions with details and helping readers decide whether it is worth their attention.

A question used to provoke thought or emphasise a point rather than obtain a spoken answer.

A word or base to which a prefix or suffix can be added, such as appear in disappear.

An error in which independent clauses run together without an appropriate grammatical link or punctuation. A fused sentence has no punctuation between them.

The greeting at the beginning of a letter, such as ‘Dear Ms Ahmed’.

Words linked by a shared area of meaning, such as danger, illness or movement.

Language that evokes sight, sound, smell, taste or touch to make an experience concrete for the reader.

The marking of sentence boundaries using capital letters and appropriate end punctuation, such as full stops.

A group of words punctuated as a sentence although it is not grammatically complete.

A change in what a text directs the reader’s attention towards, such as moving from a setting to a character’s thoughts.

A word or phrase that helps the audience follow the direction of an argument, such as ‘However’ or ‘The next step’.

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

A sentence containing one main clause. It can contain several details and need not be short.

The widely accepted conventions of English grammar and vocabulary used in public communication, education and much published writing. It can be used in both formal and informal styles.

A short line beneath a headline that expands on the title or summarises the article’s angle.

The arrangement and development of a text, including its opening, shifts of focus, sequence of events and ending.

The characteristic way a piece is written, created through choices such as vocabulary, imagery, sentences and structure.

A heading within a text that introduces a section and helps readers follow its organisation.

The person, thing or group that a clause says something about, usually performing the action or experiencing the state expressed by its verb.

The grammatical relationship in which a verb matches its subject in number and person: ‘she is’ but ‘they are’.

A group of words containing a verb that depends on another clause to complete its meaning, such as ‘although it was late’.

Making one clause dependent on another, for example using ‘although’, ‘because’ or ‘when’.

A group of letters added at the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical role, such as -ness in happiness.