English Language key terms

A grammatical construction in which the subject receives the action, rather than performs it: for example, ‘The miners were being turned up.’

Describing something non-human as having human qualities or actions.

A person's way of seeing a subject, shaped by their position, experiences and beliefs.

Writing intended to influence a reader’s opinions or actions through a convincing viewpoint and supporting reasons.

The connected sequence of events in a narrative, including how one event leads to another.

The perspective from which a text is written, such as a first-person narrator or a writer’s position on an issue.

A grammatical relationship showing belonging or association, as in ‘the runner’s shoes’.

An apostrophe showing that something belongs to, or is associated with, a person or thing.

Letters added to the beginning of a word to form another word, such as ‘un-’ in ‘unnecessary’.

A short written instruction or starting point that suggests the subject of a piece of writing.

A word used in place of a noun or noun phrase, such as ‘she’, ‘it’ or ‘they’. Its reference should be clear.

Reading finished writing carefully to identify and correct errors.

Writing in sentences and paragraphs rather than verse.

Fiction written in sentences and paragraphs rather than verse, such as a novel or short story.

What a writer intends a text to achieve, such as explaining a viewpoint, persuading readers or arguing a case.

A judgement that recognises a limitation or exception instead of making an absolute claim.

An exact word or group of words copied from a text.

A reasoned answer that challenges an opposing argument.

A suggested action supported by reasons or findings.

An account of an experience or events that have already happened.

Thoughtful consideration of an experience, including what it meant and how the writer’s understanding or feelings have changed.

The level and style of language chosen for a particular audience, purpose and situation, including how formal or informal it is.

The deliberate reuse of a word, phrase or structure to emphasise an idea or connect parts of an argument.

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

A word or phrase identifying who speaks and sometimes how, such as ‘she whispered’.

The point at which a story’s central difficulty reaches an outcome, often revealing what has changed for the character.

Finding information in the relevant part of a text.