What are the good language features you should know?
Definition of language features
Language is an essential part of our
lives. We speak a language so that we can communicate with others.
Language features literary means analyzing language. Language feature
helps you to understand what the writer is saying.
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Get Help Now!The writer usually uses different language techniques to convey his message. Further, the writers use techniques such as figures of speech, sentence structure, tone, and word choice. Now our experts from Assignment Help will tell you about the list of language features.
List of Language features
Active listening
It creates effective and efficient communication skills. It is a form of listening technique. You can use it effectively in counselling, training, and resolving conflicts. Moreover, in active listening, the listener should fully concentrate, understand, respond, and then remember what is being said.
Example: In a Biology class the teacher
asks the student to open the ”origin and species book”. A student in the
class hears the name of the book as ‘Oranges and Peaches book”. Here
the student is not listening actively what his teacher is saying. This
is a brief example of active listening.
Adjective
An adjective is a word that describes the qualities of a noun.
Example: “She is happy”. In the sentence
she is happy, we can see that the word happy is the adjective which
describes the emotion of the girl.
There are three different degrees of adjectives:
Positive adjective
A positive adjective is used as a normal adjective and only indicates the qualities of a people, places or everyday things.
For example: “I am funny” and ‘’ This is
a good soup”. In this sentence, the word funny and good are the
adjectives. Here these two words, funny and good are the positive
adjective.
Comparative adjective
You can compare two things using a Comparative adjective.
For example: “Lakme lipsticks are better than Revlon lipsticks”.
“Thomas is funnier than Peter”.
Superlative adjective
You can compare three or more things using Superlative adjectives.
For example: “Lakme lipsticks are better than Revlon lipstick but the MAC lipsticks are the best.
Now after discussing the three degrees of Adjective, we will now discuss the 7 types of an adjective.
Descriptive
Descriptive adjectives describe the
nouns and the pronouns. Words like beautiful, silly, tall, annoying,
loud and nice are all descriptive adjectives.
Moreover, these words add information and qualities in a sentence.
For example
“The flowers have their own smell”. Here
the sentence is stating a fact. This sentence states that the flowers
or their smell are alike.
“The flowers have a smell”. Here the
sentence is stating a fact. This sentence states that the flowers or
their smell are like.“The beautiful flowers have a nice smell”. This
sentence gives us a lot of information. In this sentence, you can see
there are two descriptive adjectives.
“The beautiful flowers have a nice
smell”. This sentence gives us a lot of information. In this sentence,
you can see there are two descriptive adjectives.
“The cat is hungry,” or “The hungry cat.” In both cases, the word hungry is an adjective describing the cat.
Quantitative
It describes the quantity of something. When we represent a number or quantity of something then we use quantitative adjectives.
For example
“How many children do you have?” “I only have one daughter.” In this sentence, “How many” is the quantitative adjective.
“Do you plan on having more kids?” “Oh
yes, I want many children!”. In this sentence more and many are the
quantitative adjectives.
“I can’t believe I ate that whole cake!”. In this sentence whole is a qualitative adjective.
Demonstrative
It describes “which” noun or pronoun you are referring to. This adjective includes words such as:
This — Refer to a singular noun close to you.
That — Refer to a singular noun far from you.
These — Refer to a plural noun close to you.
Those — Refer to a plural noun far from you.
For example
“Which bicycle is yours?” “This bicycle is mine, and that one used to be mine until I sold it.”
Possessive
These type of adjective show possession.
It indicates to whom a thing belongs. Some of the common possessive
adjectives includes:
My — Belonging to me
His — Belonging to him
Her — Belonging to her
Their — Belonging to them
Your — Belonging to you
Our — Belonging to us
All these adjectives, except the word
his, can only be used before a noun. You cannot say “That’s my,” you
have to say “That’s my pen.” When you want to leave off the noun or
pronoun being modified, use these possessive adjectives instead:
Mine, His, Hers, Theirs, Yours, and Ours
For example, If you say “That’s my” it will be incorrect, but if you will say, “That’s mine” this will be perfectly fine.
Interrogative
When you want to ask a question then you
have to use Interrogative adjectives. Most importantly, a noun or a
pronoun always follows them. Some of the examples of the interrogative
adjective are:
Which – It is used when you have to make a choice between two things.
What – It is used to make a choice in general.
Whose – Here you can indicate that whose thing is that.
For example
“Which song will you play on your wedding day?”
“What pet do you want to get?”
“Whose child is this?”
Distributive
These adjectives describe specific
members out of a group. They single out one or more individual items or
people. Some of the common distributive adjectives include:
Each — Every single one of a group (used to speak about group members individually).
Every — Every single one of a group (used to make generalizations).
Either — One between a choice of two.
Neither — Not one or the other between a choice of two.
Any — One or some things out of any
number of choices. This is also used when the choice is irrelevant,
like: “it doesn’t matter, I’ll take any of them.”
These types of the adjective are always followed by a noun or a pronoun they are modifying.
Some more examples are
“Every flower has their own smell”
“Which of these fruits did you like the most”?
Articles
Articles are used to describe which noun you are referring to. There are three types of article:
A— A singular, general item.
An— A singular, general item. Use this before words that start with a vowel.
The— A singular or plural, specific item.
Some example of the article as an adjective is:
“The elephants left huge footprints in the sand.”
“An elephant can weigh over 6,000 pounds!”
Adverb
They are the words or phrases which modifies the meaning of an adjective, verb, or another adverb.
A verb, for example ‘She sings beautifully.’
An adjective, for example, ‘He is really interesting.’
Another adverb, for example ‘She walks very slowly.’
End in “-ly”Many adverbs end in “-ly”.
If you are not sure of the part of speech a word would be, and it ends
with “-ly”, it is probably an adverb.
Many adverbs end in “-ly”.
Examples include: Financially,
Willfully, Abruptly, Endlessly, Firmly, Delightfully, Quickly,
Lightly, Eternally, Delicately, Wearily, Sorrowfully, Beautifully, and
Truthfully
Other examples of adverbs would be words
that describe how something was done or the manner in which it was
done. These would be words like: Uneasily, Weirdly, Cheerfully,
Expertly, Wholeheartedly, Randomly, Brutally, Really, Briskly, Sloppily,
and Wickedly.
Some adverb tells us that where the
action has taken place. They are: Here, There, Everywhere, Somewhere,
In, Inside, Underground, Out, Outside, Upstairs, and Downstairs.
Some adverbs tell us that when the
action has taken place: Now, First, Last, Early, Yesterday, Tomorrow,
Today, Later, Regularly, Often, Never, Monthly, Always, and Usually.
Some adverb tells us the level of the action: Very, Too, Almost, Also, Only, Enough, So, Quiet, Almost, and Rather
Now we will see some of the examples of
an adverb in a sentence: I really don’t care; You simply don’t
understand; I so want to go to the concert.
Alliteration
The repetition of the occurrence of the same word or letter at the starting of closely related words are Alliterations.
For example: “Kim’s kid’s keep kicking”.
“Mike’s microphone make much music”.
Apostrophe
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark. It
is used for several purposes in the English language. The apostrophe
indicates possession. In addition to that, it also attaches to a noun
and not to a possessive pronoun. Such as hers, its, theirs, ours.
Example: ‘Rosie’s cup’.
Simile
A descriptive technique compares one thing with the other thing. It uses ‘as’ or ‘like’.
Example: The Assignment Help Australia from Punjabassignmenthelp.com is as good as blueberry cheesecake.
Metaphor
It is also a descriptive technique. It names a person, thing or action as something else.
Example: The circus was a magnet for the children.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is used to give obvious exaggeration for rhetorical effect.
Example:
The sun-scorched through the day.
Personification
It is more like a metaphor attributing human feelings to an object.
Example: The sun smiled at the hills, ready to begin a new day.
Another example can be, the burden of my assignment help was nothing less than a bad day.
Pathetic fallacy
It is a type of personification where
emotions are given to set an object or the weather. Here human feelings
and responses are done to inanimate things or animals. Further, it is
specially done in art and literature.
Example: The clouds crowded together suspiciously overhead as the sky darkened.
Onomatopoeia
Here the words sound a little like they mean.
Example: The autumn leaves and twigs cracked and crunched underfoot.
Oxymoron
Here the phrases are combined with two or more contradictory terms.
Example: There was a deafening silence
Emotive language
A language which is intended to create an emotional response is known as Emotive language.
Example: A heartbreaking aroma of death filled the air as he surveyed the devastation and destruction
Till here we have discussed the language
features list and the language features meaning and examples. Now we
will discuss the structural features.
Structural features are important in a
language. They help in formulating a structure of the language. We all
know that without a proper structure a language or a subject will lose
its meaning. It will be meaningless to read a sentence without a proper
structure.
The structure of a text refers to its shape as a whole. This is usually used in plotting events in a story, novel or play.
There are lists of structural features which can help us form a good sentence in a language:
Structural techniques
Now we will show you a list of structural techniques:
Allusion
It is an indirect reference to a person,
place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political
significance. Allusion does not describe in detail the person or thing
to which it refers. It is just a passing comment. In allusion the writer
expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and
grasp its importance in a text.
Effect:
Here the writers or the poets can turn
the complex ideas and emotions into simple language. Now here the
readers understand the complex ideas by comparing the writer’s or poet’s
emotion to the references given by him.
Example:
“Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.” – “Romeo” is a reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo, a passionate lover of Juliet.
Antagonist
An antagonist always stands opposite to a protagonist or the main character.
Effect:
Conflict is a basic or main element of
any plot. In a plot, the antagonist always stands alongside a
protagonist. It is vital for the typical formula of a plot. The
antagonist opposes the protagonist in his actions and thus the conflict
arises.
Example
Romeo and Juliet: the feuding Montagues and Capulets, predominantly Tybalt.
Allegory
Allegory is a figure of speech. The
characters, figures, and events describe abstract ideas and principles.
We use it in prose and poetry to tell a story with the purpose of
teaching an idea and a principle or explaining an idea or a principle.
The objective of its use is to preach some kind of a moral lesson.
Effect:
A writer usually knows that if he will
add allegory to his work then it will add different layers of meanings.
Allegory makes its stories and characters multidimensional. It helps
them make a meaning big in an aspect than it is literary means. With the
help of Allegory, a writer can put forward their moral and political
point of views. A careful study of an allegorical piece of writing can
give us an insight into its writer’s mind as to how he views the world
and how he wishes the world to be.
Example:
The Tortoise and the Hare from Aesop’s Fables: From this story, we learn that the strong and steady win the race.
Ambiguity
Ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning.
Effect:
It lends a deeper meaning to a literary
work. Here the writers give liberty to the readers to use their
imagination to explore meanings.
Example:
Ambiguous words or statement can lead to confusion. It can also create unintentional humour.
It is ambiguous to say “I rode a black
horse in red pyjamas,” because it may lead us to think the horse was
wearing red pyjamas. The sentence becomes clear when it is restructured
“Wearing red pyjamas, I rode a black horse.”
Anaphora
The writer uses Anaphora in writing or a
speech. He deliberately repeats the first part of the sentence in order
to achieve an artistic effect.
Effect:
Anaphora not only adds prominence to
ideas but also adds rhythm to it and thus, making it more enjoyable to
read and easier to remember. This technique catches the reader’s
attention.
Example:
“Every day, every night, in every way, I
am getting better and better” “My life is my purpose. My life is my
goal. My life is my inspiration.”
Idiom
An idiom is a set expression or a phrase
comprises of two or more words. The readers understand the phrase
something quite different from what individual words of the phrase would
imply.
Effect:
Writers and public speakers use idioms
generously. The writer uses an idiom to elaborate their language, make
it richer and spicier and help them in conveying indirect meanings to
their intentional audience.
Imagery
Here the writer uses abstract language
to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals
to our physical senses.
Effect:
It generates a vibrant and graphic
presentation of a scene that appeals to as many of the reader’s senses
as possible. It helps the reader’s imagination to imagine the characters
and scenes in the literary piece clearly.
Example:
It was dark and dim in the forest. He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee.
Irony
Here the writer uses words in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words.
Effect:
The writer uses irony deliberately in
English literature. It makes a work of literature more interesting and
forces the readers to use their imagination and understand the original
meanings of the texts. Moreover, real life is full of ironical
expressions and situations. Therefore, the use of irony brings a work of
literature closer to life.
Example:
The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny”.
“Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”
Juxtaposition
Here two or more ideas, places,
characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a
poem for developing comparisons and contrasts. It is an important
Effect:
Writers use the literary technique of
juxtaposition in order to surprise their readers and evoke their
interest. Here they develop a comparison between two dissimilar things
by placing them side by side. The comparison adds vividness to a given
image, controls the pacing of a poem or a narrative and provides a
logical connection between two various unclear concepts.
Example:
The white dove lay still on the ground of the bloody fields.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech which
makes a hidden or indirect comparison between two things that are
unrelated but share some common characteristics. In other words, a
similarity of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a
single or some common characteristics.
Effect:
It directly appeals to the senses of
listeners or readers, sharps their imaginations to understand what is
being communicated to them. Moreover, it gives a life-like quality to
our conversations and to the characters of fiction or poetry. Metaphors
are also ways of thinking, offering the listeners and the reader’s fresh
ways of examining ideas and viewing the world.
Example:
My brother was boiling mad.
The assignment was a breeze.
Symbolism
Here the writer uses symbols to signify
ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different
from their literal sense.
Effect:
With the help of Symbolism, a writer
adds double levels of meanings to his work. A literal one that is
self-evident and the symbolic one whose meaning is far deeper than the
literal one. Symbolism in literature increases interest in readers as
they find an opportunity to get an insight of the writer’s mind on how
he views the world and how he thinks of common objects and actions,
having broader effects.
Example:
The dove is a symbol of peace.
A red rose or red colour stands for love or romance.
Theme
A writer uses Theme as the main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.
Effect:
Theme fixes together various other
essential elements of a narrative. A theme gives readers a better
understanding of the main character’s fights, experiences, discoveries,
and emotions. It is because all of them are derived from them. Through
themes, a writer tries to give his readers an insight into how the world
works or how he or she views human life.
Example:
Frankenstein: dangerous knowledge, sublime nature, monstrosity, secrecy, literary texts.
A Christmas Carol: compassion and forgiveness, isolation, transformation, choices, time, family, memory, guilt.
Zoomorphism
Here the writer imposes animal
attributes upon non-animal objects, humans, and events. On the other
hand, the humans, gods and other objects ascribe the animal features.
Zoomorphism means assigning a person,
event or a deity with characteristics which are animalistic. While on
the other hand anthropomorphism is ascribing human qualities to other
objects, animals, and inhuman creatures in order to give an insight into
their functions.
Effect:
It is very helpful as effectively
describes different characters. The purpose of using this technique is
to create a figurative language and provide a comparison.
Example:
“In the shadow of Your wings, I used to
rejoice…..If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the remotest
part of the sea….” The Bible
Language features are a vast and
detailed topic. This will help you in understanding the writing style of
the writer as well as the language features. In addition, you can
understand what the writer wants to express by the help of these
techniques. In addition to this, using language features or language
technique the writer usually makes deliberate attempts to engage the
reader’s attention.
Most importantly, we have discussed the
different structural techniques in the English language. This list of
structural features in English will help you gather vast information
about English language technique. This language feature helps the reader
to identify different emotions.
Furthermore, we have discussed in detail
the language features meanings and examples. This blog post will help
you not only gather information on language features but also you can go
through a long language.
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