GTLE English Subject Specialism key terms

The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a language, such as the difference between /p/ and /b/ in 'pat' and 'bat'.

A variant pronunciation of the same phoneme that does not change word meaning, such as the aspirated and unaspirated forms of /p/ in English.

Two words that differ in only one sound segment and have different meanings, used to prove that the differing sounds are separate phonemes.

The smallest meaningful unit of a word; 'unhappiness' contains three, namely 'un-', 'happy' and '-ness'.

A morpheme that can stand alone as a complete word, such as 'book' or 'run', without needing another element attached.

A morpheme that cannot occur alone and must attach to another form, such as the plural '-s' or the prefix 're-'.

A suffix that changes a word's grammatical form without altering its core meaning or word class, such as past tense '-ed' or plural '-s'.

An affix that creates a new word, often changing its word class or meaning, as when '-ness' turns the adjective 'kind' into a noun.

A rule describing how words group into phrases, for example that a noun phrase may consist of a determiner followed by an optional adjective and a noun.

A word or group of words that functions as a single unit within a larger structure and can often be moved or replaced as a whole.

The study of how words combine into phrases and sentences, including the rules governing word order and grammatical relationships.

A set of rules stating how a language ought to be used, often based on standards of correctness rather than on observed usage.

An account of how speakers actually use a language, recording observed patterns without judging them as right or wrong.

A variety of language chosen according to situation, purpose and audience, ranging from informal conversation to formal academic writing.

The practice of alternating between two or more languages or language varieties within a conversation or even a single utterance.

A situation in which two varieties of the same language serve distinct social functions, one formal and prestigious, the other used in everyday talk.

The socially prestigious variety of English used in formal writing, education and public life, defined by grammar and vocabulary rather than accent.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, independent of the feelings or associations it may evoke.

The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as the negative shade of 'cheap' compared with 'inexpensive'.

A group of words related in meaning that together cover an area of experience, such as terms for kinship or for cooking.

A meaning relationship in which one word is a subordinate category of another, as 'rose' is a hyponym of 'flower'.

The relationship between words with closely similar meanings, such as 'begin' and 'start', which are rarely interchangeable in every context.

The habitual co-occurrence of particular words, so that English speakers say 'make a decision' rather than 'do a decision'.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from the individual words, such as 'kick the bucket' meaning to die.

A conclusion a reader draws from evidence in a text that is not stated directly, combining clues with background knowledge.

Reading quickly to grasp the general idea or gist of a text, often by attending to headings, topic sentences and first paragraphs.

Reading rapidly through a text in search of specific information such as a date, name or figure, ignoring unrelated content.

The way sentences are linked together through devices such as pronouns, conjunctions and lexical repetition so that a text holds together.

The overall logical unity of a text, achieved when its ideas connect in a way that makes sense to the reader.

A single sentence, usually near the start of an essay, that states the central claim the writer will develop and support.

A sentence, typically first in a paragraph, that announces the paragraph's main point and links it to the essay's argument.

A word or phrase such as 'however' or 'in addition' that signals how one part of a text relates to another.

A question asked for effect rather than to obtain an answer, used to engage readers or emphasise a point.

A deliberate device used to influence an audience, such as appeals to emotion, statistics, repetition or appeals to authority.

The writer's or speaker's attitude towards the subject and audience, conveyed through word choice, sentence structure and imagery.

A poetic line of five metrical feet, each an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, common in English blank verse and sonnets.

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter, widely used in English dramatic and narrative verse.

A figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another, implying comparison without using 'like' or 'as'.

A comparison between two unlike things introduced by 'like' or 'as', as in 'her voice was like gravel'.

A situation in a play where the audience knows something a character does not, creating tension or humour.