OCR GCSE English Language key terms

Language whose meaning depends on the situation, such as 'here', 'today' and 'this hall'. In a speech, it helps establish where and when the speaker is addressing listeners.

Spoken conversation between characters in a narrative.

Words identifying who speaks and sometimes how they speak, such as ‘she whispered’.

Language that speaks explicitly to the audience, for example 'you' or 'fellow students'.

Someone's exact words reproduced accurately and identified as coming from that person or source.

A word or phrase that signals how an idea relates to another idea, for example ‘however’, ‘as a result’ or ‘meanwhile’.

A reasoned judgement about a text’s effectiveness, supported by specific textual evidence.

Information or examples used to support a claim. Evidence needs to be relevant, and its significance should be explained.

A sentence or expression that conveys strong feeling, often marked with an exclamation mark.

Information directly stated in a text, rather than something the reader must work out.

Narration in which the storyteller uses ‘I’ or ‘we’ and participates in the events being described.

A narrative viewpoint in which the narrator speaks as ‘I’ or ‘we’, presenting events through their own experience.

A movement back to an earlier event within a narrative.

A hint that prepares the reader for something that happens later in a story.

The type of text being written, such as a letter, article or speech.

A written message addressed to a particular recipient, using respectful language and conventions appropriate to a serious or professional purpose.

A category of writing with recognisable conventions, such as a ghost story.

A word pronounced the same as another word but with a different meaning, and often a different spelling, such as ‘hear’ and ‘here’.

Descriptive or figurative language that helps readers imagine a sensation, scene or experience.

A sentence form used to give a command or instruction.

Information suggested by details in a text without being stated directly.

A conclusion drawn from clues in a text, supported by evidence rather than guesswork.

A character’s thoughts presented as an inner voice rather than spoken aloud.

A reasoned understanding of what a text means, supported by its details.

A comparison that moves between texts as it develops shared points, rather than treating each text as a separate essay.

The close placement of different elements so that their relationship, often a contrast, becomes noticeable.

The writer’s choices of words, phrases, imagery and grammatical features, which create meaning and effects.