NCEA Level 2 English flashcards
NCEA Level 2 English · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Purpose
- The reason a text was created, such as to persuade, inform, entertain, or satirise. Purpose determines which techniques count as effective when you analyse a text.
- Tone versus mood
- Tone is the writer's attitude, shown through word choice and sentence structure. Mood is the feeling the reader experiences. A single text can carry both at once.
- Simile
- A comparison using 'like' or 'as', for example 'quiet as a library'. It makes an abstract quality concrete by linking it to something familiar to the audience.
- Personification
- Giving human qualities to non-human things, such as 'the wind argued with the shutters'. It creates atmosphere and can make abstract ideas easier to picture.
- Sibilance
- Repetition of hissing 's' and 'sh' sounds in close proximity. It often creates a soft, sinister, or secretive mood and draws the ear to a particular phrase.
- Juxtaposition
- Placing two contrasting ideas, images, or characters side by side. The contrast highlights difference and pushes the reader toward a particular judgement.
- Foreshadowing
- Hints early in a text about events that occur later. It builds tension and makes later developments feel inevitable rather than arbitrary to the reader.
- Cyclical structure
- A text that ends where it began, returning to the opening image, setting, or phrase. It suggests entrapment, resolution, or that little has changed.
- Low-key lighting
- Lighting with deep shadows and strong contrast, common in tense or threatening scenes. It hides information from the viewer and creates unease or menace.
- Salience
- The element a viewer's eye is drawn to first in a visual text, created through size, colour, placement, or focus. Salience reveals what the composer prioritises.
- Embedded quotation
- A short quotation woven into your own sentence rather than standing alone. It lets you analyse specific word choice immediately after quoting it.
- Comma splice
- Joining two independent clauses with only a comma, which is an error in formal writing. Fix it with a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction.
- Apostrophe rules
- Apostrophes mark possession (the writer's idea) or contraction (it's = it is). They never mark a plural, so 'three idea's' is incorrect.
- Rule of three
- Listing three items or ideas in sequence, a persuasive pattern that feels complete and memorable. It is common in speeches, slogans, and concluding sentences.
- Rhetorical question
- A question asked for effect rather than an answer. It draws the audience into the argument and implies the answer the writer wants them to accept.
- Rebuttal
- Acknowledging an opposing view and then arguing against it. It strengthens persuasive writing by showing the writer has considered alternatives before dismissing them.
- Register
- The level of formality in language, ranging from casual to formal. Register must match the audience, purpose, and form of the text being written.
- Topic sentence
- The first sentence of a paragraph, stating the claim that the rest of the paragraph will support. It guides the reader and keeps the paragraph focused.
- Complex sentence
- A sentence with one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause, such as 'Although it rained, the match continued.' It shows relationships between ideas.
- Formal letter conventions
- Includes sender and recipient addresses, a date, a salutation, structured body paragraphs, and a formal sign-off. Contractions and slang are avoided throughout.
- Homophones
- Words that sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning, such as their/there/they're and affect/effect. Errors here reduce accuracy marks in written assessment.
- Crafting versus accuracy
- Crafting means deliberate language choices sustained across a whole piece; accuracy means correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Written assessment rewards both.
- Signposting
- Phrases such as 'firstly', 'however', and 'to conclude' that tell an audience where the argument is going. They help listeners follow a spoken presentation.
- Vocal variety
- Varying pace, volume, and pitch during a presentation to hold attention and emphasise key points. Monotone delivery reduces engagement and limits achievement.
- Eye contact
- Looking across the audience rather than down at notes. It signals confidence, builds connection, and lets a speaker gauge whether the audience is following.
- Presentation hook
- The opening device that captures attention, such as a question, anecdote, or striking statistic. It should connect directly to the presentation's central purpose.
- Visual aid principle
- Slides and props support the spoken words rather than replace them. They carry keywords or images, and the speaker refers to each one explicitly.
- Audience adaptation
- Adjusting vocabulary, register, and amount of explanation to suit the audience's prior knowledge, attitudes, and the setting in which they are listening.
- Diegetic sound
- Sound whose source exists within the story world, such as dialogue, footsteps, or a radio in the scene. It grounds the viewer in the fictional reality.
- Non-diegetic sound
- Sound added outside the story world, such as a musical score or narrator's voiceover. It shapes mood and guides the viewer's emotional response.
- Montage
- A sequence of short shots edited together to compress time or build meaning through association. It can convey a character's development rapidly.
- Loaded language
- Word choice carrying strong positive or negative connotations, used to sway opinion. Spotting it helps you identify bias in spoken or written texts.