Topic Summaries

Foundational techniques

GCSE > English Language > Edexcel > GCSE English Language Topic Summaries > WRITING SKILLS: Analytical writing skills > Foundational techniques
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VOCABULARY

Foundational techniques

The definitions and effects/intentions in the tables here are included to help you understand the techniques, but you should never write these explanations in your answers or essays. You need to be specific when commenting on the effect, so general explanations like this won’t earn you any marks!

Technique Definition Example Effect/intention
Symbolism Using objects or things to represent abstract ideas or qualities “Blood will have blood" - Macbeth Uses simple, tangible things as a focus in order to convey deeper meanings about big, abstract themes and messages
Metaphor A figure of speech that describes one thing as another “Juliet is the sun!” – Romeo and Juliet Create comparisons that make emotions and ideas more intense
Similie A figure of speech that use ‘like’ or ‘as’ to describe something “as gentle as a lamb” – Romeo and Juliet Explicitly links or compares two things to create a strong association between them
Repetition Repeating words, phrases, sounds, or structures “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’, the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up…” – Macbeth Strengthens emphasis, reinforces core ideas, builds rhythm, or contributes to a sense of urgency or persuasion
Imagery Appeals to the senses and creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind “Marley’s face. It was not in impenetrable shadow as the other subjects in the yard were, but had a dismal light about it, like a bad lobster in a dark cellar.” – A Christmas Carol Immerses the reader an enhances the atmosphere of the text by making them imagine what they could see/hear/ smell/taste/touch/feel
Listing Includes multiple elements of something in quick succession “The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue...” – A Christmas Carol Builds intensity or conveys a sense of abundance, magnitude, and scale
Hyperbole Exaggeration used for emphasis “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas,’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding” – A Christmas Carol Conveys a sense of extremity and magnifies the importance, urgency, desperation, or enormity of something
Euphemism An expression to avoid directly saying something distasteful, unpleasant, or confronting “As if a girl of that sort would refuse money.” – An Inspector Calls Softens harsh or uncomfortable truths, creating a more palatable or indirect tone that can either obscure reality or hint at something more delicately or sensitively
Colloquial language Informal or conversational words and phrases “You ain’t got good sense. It’s too soon.’ ‘It ain’t too soon. If it was ah year from now it would be too soon.” – Their Eyes Were Watching God Adds authenticity and relatability to a text, shaping character voice and grounding the writing in a specific cultural or social context

Connotations Implied or suggested meanings of a word beyond its literal definition Romeo calls Juliet a “holy shrine” which has religious connotations to emphasise his reverence for her. Shapes tone and mood, subtly influencing how readers perceive a subject, and evokes specific associations that a simpler word might not.
Irony A contrast between expectation and reality “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” – Ozymandias Can create humour, suspense, or hint at a deeper truth by encouraging the audience to think critically
Alliteration The repetition of certain sounds or letter combinations “rifles’ rapid rattle” – Anthem for Doomed Youth Can create rhythm and enhance flow, or strengthen the association between the words or ideas that are related through alliteration
Personification Giving human characteristics to objects or abstract concepts The Ghost of Christmas Past is a personification of memory in A Christmas Carol Fosters an emotional and human connection to ideas that might otherwise be hard to relate to
Juxtaposition Deliberately placing two things together to draw attention to their differences “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings” – Macbeth Highlights differences and emphasises the discrepancy between two things that might not be obvious if we just viewed one thing in isolation
Allusion Referencing another text, historical event, or idea “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” (allusion to Roman god) – Macbeth Adds to the meaning of the text by inviting readers to draw connections based on their own historical, literary, or cultural experiences and understanding
Oymoron A figure of speech that combines two contradictory words “He’s a beautiful tyrant! A fiendish angel!” – Romeo and Juliet Creates a striking contrast that can emphasise complexity, irony, or paradox
Caesura A pause within a line of verse (e.g. when a poem contains a full stop and the start of a new sentence within the same line) – this is the opposite of enjambment “Nothing beside remains. Round the decay” - Ozymandias Introduces a deliberate pause within a line, affecting rhythm and pacing while emphasising key ideas or emotional shifts. Often it draws our attention to the word just before the caesura (e.g. “remains”) and makes us pause there while the meaning of that word sinks in.
Enjambment When one line of poetry continues into the next without a break at the end – this is the opposite of a caesura “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone / Stand in the desert” - Ozymandias Propels the reader forward by breaking a phrase or sentence across multiple lines, generating suspense, fluidity, interconnectedness, or a sense of urgency.
Onomatopoeia Where the sound of the word itself imitates the sound being described (e.g. buzz, ring, pitter-patter) “It shushes. / It hushes / The loudness in the road. / It flitter-twitters” – Cynthia in the Snow Immerses the reader by mimicking real sounds, enhancing vividness and sensory engagement in descriptions.

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