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This glossary contains definitions for words used throughout the website.  If you have a suggestion of a word that should be included here, please e-mail me at tim@mr-anderson.com.



Browse the glossary using this index

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P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

P

pace

:

The rate at which something moves; the rate at which a writer moves the action or information; the rate a speaker uses in delivery.

parallel structure

:
The phrasing of language so as to balance (grammatically) ideas of equal importance. Note: Parallelism may apply to phrases, sentences, paragraphs, longer passages or whole selections.

parody

:
A literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule.

paronym

:
A word from the same root, and usually a similar pronunciation, as another;

Example:
  • beautiful and beauteous.
• From Greek para (=beside).

patronym

:
A name derived from the name of one's father, or another male ancestor.

• From Greek pater (=father).

pentameter

:
a five-foot line.

persona

:

A voice or character representing a speaker or narrator of a literary work.

personification

:
A figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects or ideas (e.g., happy house).

persuasive

:
One of the four traditional forms of composition in speech and writing that moves the reader by argument or entreaty to a belief or position.

persuasive technique

:
A method used in speaking or writing to get an audience to agree with

phoneme

:
A minimal sound unit of speech that, when contrasted with another phoneme, affects the naming of words in a language, as /b/ in book contrasts with /t/ in took, /k/ in cook and /h/ in hook.

phonemic awareness

:
The awareness of the sounds (phonemes) that make up spoken words. Such awareness does not appear when young children learn to talk; the ability is not necessary for speaking and understanding spoken language. Phonemic awareness is a necessary step for learning to read. In alphabetic languages, letters and letter clusters represent phonemes, and in order to learn the correspondences between letters and sounds, one must understand that words are made up of phonemes. phonics A way of teaching reading and spelling that stresses symbol-sound relationships; used especially in beginning instruction.

pitch

:
The difference in the relative vibration frequency of the human voice that contributes to the total meaning of speech.

plagiarism

:
To steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own; to use another's production without crediting the source.

plot

:
The careful sequencing of events in a story generally built around a conflict. Stages of plot include exposition (background), rising action, climax, falling action and denouement (resolution).

point of view

:

The perspective or attitude of a narrator of a piece of literature.

Point of view may be:
  • First person - uses "I" - A character is telling the story.
  • Second person - uses "you" - The author speaks directly to the reader. Second person is seldom used; it is found most often in nonfiction today.
  • Third person - uses "he," "she," or "it" - The author is telling about the characters. There are three third person points of view:
    • Limited omniscient - We are told the thoughts and feelings of only one character (sometimes, but very seldom, of two or three characters).
    • Omniscient - We are told everything about the story, including the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, and even information in the author's mind which no character knows.
    • Dramatic or objective - We are told only what happens and what is said; we do not know any thoughts or feelings of the characters. It is called "dramatic" because it includes the words and actions, just what you would see and hear if it were in a play or film.

prefix

:
An affix attached before a base word or root, as re- in reprint.

prewriting

:
The initial creative stage of writing, prior to drafting, in which a writer formulates ideas, gathers information, and considers ways to organize them.

primary source

:
Firsthand information, such as an eyewitness account.

prior knowledge

:
Knowing that stems from previous experience. Note: Prior knowledge is a key component of schema theories of reading comprehension in spite of the redundancy inherent in the term.

problem-solution

:
An organizational structure of text that is similar to cause and effect, except that outcomes are a result or solution of a perceived need or problem.

propaganda

:
The spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person.

protagonist

:
The main character in a story.

pseudonym

:
An assumed name, especially by an author.

Examples:
  • Mark Twain is a pseudonym for Samuel Clemens.
  • Theodore Geisel used the pseudonym of Dr. Seuss.
  • Eric Arthur Blair wrote the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four under the pseudonym George Orwell.
• From Greek pseudo (=false).

Keyword(s):

public documents

:
Nonfiction materials such as newspapers, editorials and speeches.

pun

:

The usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound; a play on words. (e.g., the substitution of the slogan visualize world peace with visualize whirled peas).

pyrrhic foot

:
a two-syllable foot, both syllables unstressed.