Eduqas GCSE English Language key terms

A sentence containing one main clause, which may still include descriptive words and phrases.

Reading quickly to establish the overall meaning and locate relevant sections.

The position an answer takes on a question or statement, maintained and developed throughout the argument.

The variety of English using widely accepted grammatical conventions, suitable for communication across regions and commonly used in public writing and education. It can be formal or informal.

The emphasis placed on a particular syllable when a word is spoken.

The selection, order and arrangement of material within a text.

The characteristic way a text is written, created through choices of vocabulary, sentences, imagery and other features.

The person, thing or idea that a clause is about and with which its verb agrees.

The grammatical matching of a verb to its subject in number and person, as in 'she writes' and 'they write'.

A letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical role, such as ‘–ness’ in ‘sadness’.

A shortened account of the main relevant ideas or information in a text.

Bringing together relevant information from different texts to answer a shared question.

A verb form that helps locate an action or state in time, such as 'walked' for the past and 'walks' for the present.

A specific piece of information from a text that supports an answer.

A detail from a text that supports an answer or interpretation.

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

Narration referring to characters by name or using pronouns such as ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘they’.

The attitude conveyed by a writer’s language, such as concern, enthusiasm, amusement or disapproval.

A sentence that establishes the main idea of a paragraph, often near its beginning.

Writing that serves a practical purpose for a particular reader, such as a letter proposing improvements or a review helping readers choose a book.

A word or phrase that signals the relationship between ideas or stages of events, such as ‘however’ or ‘later that evening’.

A moment when an event, discovery or decision changes the direction of a narrative.

A text that you have not studied before encountering it in the examination.

A word that expresses an action, event or state.

An overall judgement about the quality or value of the subject being reviewed.

The writer’s position or way of seeing the subject, expressed through judgements and the selection and presentation of details.