Language Techniques & Examples | Improve Your Writing

Technique

Definition

Effect

Example

Alliteration

Repetition of same initial letter or sound as beginning word.

It can create rhythm, emphasis and mood in a content.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Can you see the connection.

Anaphora

Repetition of word, phrase at the beginning of the sentence

Use it to create dramatic effect and also some sense of rhythm.  

Positive affirmations like: I am strong; I am capable; I deserve it.

Anecdote

The term is used to define sharing of personal experience.

It creates effectiveness and attract listener attention.

When you begin to share, “When I was in high school...”

Hyperbole

Exaggerated sentences that shouldn't be taken literally.

Helps to emphasize the impact by speaking about it beyond reality.

“I have been calling her at least a hundred times.

Assonance

Two words or phrases that come in a sentence share the same vowel sound

It helps to create soft resonance and also provides a flow to the text

Jerry looking at fat sheep said “What is the need to feed the sheep?”

Personification

It is a way to depict non-living things with human characteristics.

It can add vividness, and an emotional effect to writing and understand abstract ideas. 

The leaves waved at the wind.

Connotations

A phrase or sentence that invokes feeling for a person in addition to its liberal or primary meaning.

It is used for someone to speak about their personalities both negative and positives.

“She has a heart of gold”-Positive
”That boy is lazy.” -Negative

Contrast

It is used to place opposing or different elements next to each other and emphasize their differences.

It is used to show distinction between objects, events or characters in a text.

“The dress was black however with white background it could contrast.”  

Derogatory

A term or phrase that suggests remarks on someone to hurt or abuse.

It is directed towards a group or individual to cause harm.

Scolding, sarcasm or remarks on body are often considered derogatory contents.

Dialect

A dialect is a term used to describe English spoken by particular group from specific region.

Depending on the region it can have different meaning on listeners.

A specific food can be called with different ways in different regions. “bread roll”, “Barm” or “bap”.

Enjambment

It is usually seen in poems where a sentence or phrase continues from one line to next without punctuation.

it provides a flow and speed. It is used to built suspense, emphasize on a word or create seamless thought process.

Poems like “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot, John Donne's “The Good-Morrow” and many more poems.

Ethos

A persuasive technique that focuses on building writer's or speaker's credibility and trustworthiness.

Used to build audience's trust and confidence in speaker or writer.

Professional credentials, using professional tones and reputations can make crowd trust a person. If you need any expert aid you can use assignment helper services.

Flashbacks

A technique used to insert past events in order to grab audience's attention.

It allow listeners, readers to grab the background of characters.

“When Jiro was small he was too weak”. Here, Jiro (the character) backstory is being present.

Foreshadowing

When the writer or speaker gives you hints or clues about events that can happen later in the story, it is called foreshadowing.

It helps the reader and listener get hint and become interested for upcoming part of story.

The sky suddenly became dark, a sign of coming storm.

Imagery

It is an unique way to create deeper image for the reader.

It is normally used to make a person imagine taste, smell, touch, sight and sound made in the story.

The food was dripping.

Jargon

Special words that are used by professionals or group that are difficult to understand by others.

It creates specificity and help demonstrate knowledge to a particular professional. It provides a sense of security to speakers that others can't understand what they mean.

API, Claude, quantum chips and many more terms.

Logos

It is a rhetorical device that uses logic and reasoning to persuade an audience.

It helps gain trust and faith of audience and clarify meanings.

Smith said “90% of world population uses smartphone in 2025.”

Metaphor

A form of language in which comparison of uncommon things take place.

It can be used for better understanding and remembering vital data.  

Johnny screamed “time is a thief”.

Motif

It is a repeating image, symbol, idea or object that has significance and helps develop a theme.

It aids in creating a deeper meaning and understand primary themes.

Light and darkness in Romeo and Juliet depicts love and danger in the story.

Simile

It is a descriptive device that compares two objects to build vivid image in mind.

It is used to let reader imagine and understand what they are reading.

The newspaper published about the police as brave as a lion.

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like the noise it defines.

It's a way to employ interest and provide idea of sounds quickly in written form.

Thomas threw a rock in the water which splashed the water.

Oxymoron

Two words that are not linked with each other but are used together.

It lets add dept, irony, humour or dramatic effect.

After the fight, a deafening silence covered the room.

Pathos

It is a way of appeal used often in persuasive writing commonly created with emotive language and symbolism.

It helps build emotions and feelings in the audience or readers. It helps to induce pity or sadness inside reader or listener.

Only people who have known hunger know it's ability.

Paradox

It helps connect or join two ideas that are contradicting to each other.

It can create a mental clash to arrive at a new idea.

The only constant is change.

Pun

A word or phrase that can have double meaning in the context of the sentence.

You can use it to create a humor sense and multiple layers of meaning.

Jimmy in class said “I don't trust the stairs. They are always up to something.”

Repetition

A phrase, word or sentence when repeated two or more times.

It helps create emphasis to something and bring it to attention of audience.

With hand in hand all students passed the exam.

Rhetorical Question

It is a question asked to create a dramatic effect or make a point rather than getting answers.

It often used as a  persuasive writing technique to provoke a belief without inviting any discussion form.

Johan said “Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't want to be a millionaire?”

Symbolism

Symbolism mean when an object, location or character represents a theoretical idea.

It helps remove abstraction and present it in a more concrete or solid way.

A red rose is considered a symbol of love, whereas the red colour depicts anger or revenge.

Rhyme

Often seen in poems, words or phrases at end that has similar sound.

It is used to bring interest of readers and listeners.

The pussy cat wore a hat.

Rhythm

The recurrence of specific sounds based on long and short patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables.

It has effects on the reader depending on texts and how it is used.

Tsunami in the blink of an eye submerged the whole village.

Cliche

An overused phrase or word used that lose their original meaning and embrace another meaning.

Often used to give glimpse on a character's personality and behaviour

It is better to be safe than sorry by wearing a helmet during bike rides.

Ellipsis

They are the words that are omitted from a sentence, which is either understandable from the context or indicated by three dots.

They can be used to create an atmosphere of suspense or uncertainty.

“Going to the store?” instead of “Are you going to the store?”

Satire

It is both a literary device and a genre that uses exaggeration, humor, irony or ridicule to highlight flaws in people and society.

It is used to make unkind fun of something, someone and is considered very high form of humour

Using humour playfully to mock politics and culture with cruelty is an example of satire.