English Language GCSE

English Language GCSE glossary

295 key terms for English Language GCSE, A to Z, each linked to the topic pages that use it.

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A

Accent: Pronunciation, which is not abandoned when speaking Standard English, so you can speak Standard English in any accent.Eduqas
Accurate use of linguistic and literary terminology: Naming a feature with the most precise term for the example, such as 'imperative', 'modal verb', 'metaphor' or 'sibilance', without forcing labels onto…Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Active listening: Showing you have understood questions and feedback by referring directly to the question or feedback just given, rather than ignoring it or repeating a…AQA, Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Active listening for gist and detail: Attending to spoken language to pick out main points and detail, and to recognise how tone, pace, stress and register shape meaning.Eduqas
Adapting register to audience and context: Adapting tone, register and formality to the speaker and situation, for example responding formally to a teacher and more informally to a peer.Eduqas
Adapting register to audience and purpose: Choosing vocabulary, grammar and register to suit audience and purpose, whether in discussion, presentation or role play, with register shifting between…Eduqas
Adapting style to form, audience and real-life context: Shaping your style to suit the form and a real-life context, for example a letter, an article, a review or a speech, writing for different audiences and…Eduqas
Adapting to feedback: Responding to feedback by developing, qualifying or politely challenging a point with a reason or example, or by clarifying a term.Pearson Edexcel
Advance identification of the presentation subject: Choosing and identifying a subject for the presentation before detailed preparation begins.Eduqas
Agreement of the subject with the teacher: Confirming the chosen subject with the teacher so the choice is confirmed rather than assumed.Eduqas
Ambitious Punctuation: Punctuation marks that demonstrate a higher level of technical control, such as semicolons, colons, and dashes.OCR
Analysing grammatical impact: Explaining and illustrating how specific vocabulary and grammar, such as a verb choice or noun phrase, contribute to effectiveness and impact.Pearson Edexcel
Analysis: Explaining how meaning is made rather than just recalling plot.Eduqas
Analysis of language and structure: Explaining how a method such as word choice, imagery or structure creates the stated effect.Eduqas
Analysis of language, form and structure across texts: Explaining how language, form and structure create effects in each text and the differences or similarities between them.Eduqas
Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.Eduqas
Anecdote: A short, amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Antithesis: The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, or grammatical structures.Eduqas
AO1 information and evidence: Identifying and interpreting information and ideas, and selecting evidence.Eduqas
AO2 language and structure analysis: Explaining, commenting on and analysing how the writer uses language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using subject terminology.Eduqas
Appropriate response: Answering the actual question with relevant detail, adjusting your tone and detail to the listener, and accepting or challenging feedback politely.AQA
Appropriate response to questions: Replying in a way that fits the purpose and audience, answering a question directly and addressing the point that was asked.Eduqas
Appropriate spoken responses: Giving a relevant, clear answer that addresses the question, and accepting feedback courteously.Eduqas
Assessment of AO5 and AO6: The assessed skills are communication and organisation, and vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation.Eduqas
Assessment of AO7, AO8 and AO9: The component assesses presenting information and ideas, responding to spoken language including questions and feedback, and using spoken Standard English.Eduqas
audience: The reader the text is shaped for, whose needs must be reflected in every language choice alongside purpose and context.AQA
Audience and purpose: The reader a text is written for and the reason for writing it, which shape the vocabulary, grammar, form and structure chosen.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Audience and purpose in formal speech: Adapting spoken language to purpose and audience, for example by defining technical terms or varying vocabulary when addressing peers or adults.Pearson Edexcel
Audience awareness: Adapting tone, vocabulary and level of formality to the listener and the situation, for example using polite disagreement with a teacher.AQA, Pearson Edexcel
Audience awareness and eye contact: Using brief cues helps you maintain eye contact and speak naturally rather than reciting.Eduqas
Audience-appropriate language: Language kept formal for your audience, with slang and casual filler avoided.Eduqas
Audience, purpose and context: The reader being written for, the reason for writing and the situation, which together shape vocabulary, grammar, form and structure.Pearson Edexcel

B

Bias: A one-sided or partial presentation of information, often ignoring opposing viewpoints.Eduqas
Bias and evaluation: Bias appears in selection, emphasis and omission, while reflecting evaluatively means weighing a text against its context and wider reading and accepting that…AQA
Bias and misuse of evidence: Distinguishing between statements that are supported by evidence and those that are not, and identifying bias or misuse of evidence.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Bias, reliability and multiple interpretations: Identifying bias and misuse of evidence, distinguishing between statements supported by evidence and those that are not, and recognising the possibility of…Pearson Edexcel
Bias, viewpoint and reliability: Identifying bias, assumption and selective evidence, and explaining how these shape a reader's response.Eduqas
Bridging Phrase: A short, formal sentence used to transition into an answer while buying thinking time.Eduqas

C

Choice of four titles: Candidates are offered four titles giving opportunities for writing to describe and narrate.Eduqas
Clarity and coherence: Writing that a reader can follow easily, with precise sentences and controlled punctuation so that meaning is never lost.Eduqas
Clarity for the reader: Preserving meaning so that ambitious wording and complex syntax never obscure it for the reader.Eduqas
Close reading: Reading carefully to make meaning from a text, tracking both what is stated directly and what is suggested.Eduqas
Coherence: The logical order of ideas so a reader can follow the argument or narrative.Eduqas
Coherence and cohesion: The logical glue of a text, managed within and across paragraphs using discourse markers, topic sentences and clear pronoun reference.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Coherent written expression: Expressing the combined idea in your own words and linking the texts explicitly with connectives such as similarly, whereas or both.Eduqas
Cohesion: The linguistic glue that links sentences and paragraphs.Eduqas
Cohesion and coherence: Linking a text with devices such as pronouns and discourse markers, and keeping it consistent across the whole text so each paragraph links back to the task.Eduqas
Colloquialism: A word or phrase that is not formal or literary and is used in ordinary or familiar conversation.Eduqas, OCR
Combining ideas from multiple texts: Bringing together ideas from two or more sources, showing where they agree and differ, and combining them into one coherent account.AQA
Comma Splice: An error where two independent clauses are joined together with only a comma.OCR
Comparative analysis: Making direct comparative points that explore similarities and differences in both ideas and methods across the texts, rather than describing each separately.AQA, Pearson Edexcel
Comparative analysis and synthesis: Identifying similarities and differences rather than describing texts separately, using connectives such as similarly, whereas and in contrast.Eduqas
Comprehension of explicit and implicit meaning: Explaining information that is stated directly and also inferring what is suggested, such as a character's feelings or motives.Pearson Edexcel
Comprehension of whole texts: Reading actively and accurately so you can say what the text is about, what happens or is claimed, and how the parts connect.Pearson Edexcel
Concise: Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive.Eduqas
Concise own-word expression: Expressing summarised content briefly in your own words while preserving the original meaning and stance.Eduqas
Concise paraphrase: Compressing content into your own words, without copying long quotations or drifting into your own opinions.AQA
Confident delivery and audience awareness: Delivery that is audible and fluent, with controlled pace, varied intonation, purposeful pauses and minimal reliance on notes, supported by eye contact and…Eduqas
Connectives: Words such as 'however' and 'therefore' that link sentences and paragraphs.Eduqas
Connotation: The ideas, feelings, or associations that a word invokes, in addition to its literal meaning.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Consistency of Standard English in live delivery: Sustaining Standard English across the whole speech, including under the pressure of live delivery, rather than only in a prepared opening.Pearson Edexcel
Contextual appropriateness: Expressing ideas using Standard English whenever and wherever appropriate, such as during a presentation.Pearson Edexcel
Contraction: A shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced by an apostrophe (e.g., can't, it's).OCR
Counter-argument: An argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory developed in another argument.Eduqas
Courtesy and constructive engagement with feedback: Acknowledging feedback courteously, accepting valid points and disagreeing politely with reasons where necessary, without becoming defensive.Eduqas
Creative and imaginative language: Shaping content beyond a literal list of points, using language imaginatively and creatively to engage the reader.Eduqas
Creative prose writing: A 40-mark task in Section B that tests writing through one task, worth 20% of the qualification.Eduqas
Critical comparison of two or more texts: Discussing two or more texts together with respect to a clear basis for comparison, weighing the writers' choices critically rather than simply listing…Eduqas
Critical evaluation: Judging how successfully a text achieves its purpose and justifying that judgement with well-chosen evidence.Pearson Edexcel
Critical evaluation and different responses: Reflecting critically and evaluatively on text using context and wider reading, and recognising the possibility of different responses to a text.Pearson Edexcel
Critical evaluation and judgement: Evaluating effectiveness by weighing the impact of choices, considering alternative readings or judging how successfully the writer achieves a purpose.AQA
Critical evaluation of themes and ideas: Reflecting critically and evaluatively on text, using its context and drawing on knowledge and skills gained from wider reading.Pearson Edexcel
Critical evaluation of writer's methods: Weighing the writer's claims and examining how language and structure position the reader, judging how convincing the whole piece is.Eduqas
Critical judgement and evaluation: Judging how successfully a text achieves its purpose and justifying that judgement, weighing a technique's effect and considering how far it works.Eduqas
Cyclical Structure: A structural device where the end of a text mirrors or returns to the ideas, imagery, or setting of the opening.Eduqas

D

Deliberate variety in sentence structure: Using simple, compound and complex forms, varied openings and controlled lengths that mirror tension or calm, rather than monotonous openings.Eduqas
Designing for an implied wider audience: Building the presentation and dialogue so that it could have a potentially wider audience than just the teacher, for example by replicating a television…Eduqas
Dialect: A shared set of grammar and vocabulary rules, which can be used in relaxed talk with friends, where dialect forms are fine and often warmer.AQA, Eduqas
Dialect versus accent: Regional accents are entirely acceptable, as assessors only evaluate non-standard grammar rather than accent.Pearson Edexcel
Discourse Markers: Words or phrases used to connect, organise, and manage what is written or said (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'On the other hand').Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Double Negative: The use of two negative words in the same clause to express a single negation, which is considered non-standard.Eduqas

E

Early confirmation to avoid wasted preparation: Agreeing the subject early protects you from building a whole presentation on a topic that is unsuitable or unmanageable.Eduqas
Effect on the reader: Explaining the effect of vocabulary or grammar on the reader, linking word choice or sentence construction to mood, pace, tension or characterisation.AQA, Eduqas
Effective use of spoken Standard English: Using spoken Standard English effectively by choosing vocabulary, grammar and register to suit audience and purpose, adapting to context rather than speaking…Eduqas
Effectively: Making choices that serve your audience and purpose, with register staying formal, technical terms explained, and delivery fluent and audible.Eduqas
Embedded Quotation: A short fragment of text from a source integrated seamlessly into the writer's own sentence.Eduqas
Emotional and persuasive impact: Making the reader feel something through concrete detail, sensory description and word choice, rather than stating feelings directly.Pearson Edexcel
Emotional impact: Created by appealing to shared values, using concrete detail and varying tone.Eduqas
Emotional impact and reader engagement: Creating emotional impact by choosing words with strong connotations, using anecdote or a vivid example, and varying sentence length.Pearson Edexcel
Emotional impact and reader response: Creating emotional impact through concrete detail and appeals to shared experience.AQA
Emotive Language: Words chosen specifically to evoke a strong emotional reaction from the audience.Eduqas
Engaging with questions: Listening to the whole question before answering, and asking for clarification if it is unclear.Eduqas
Evaluating language and structure: Judging how successfully a writer's vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural choices achieve the intended effect on the reader.Pearson Edexcel
Evaluation and judgement: Weighing which approach is more persuasive and why, supporting every judgement with a short quotation.Pearson Edexcel
Evaluation of effectiveness and impact: Judging critically which text or approach is more effective and why, justifying the judgement with evidence from both texts.Eduqas
Evidence and justification: Supporting a point of view by referring to evidence within the text and explaining how that evidence functions.Eduqas
Evidence and quotation: Citing material pertinently by introducing it, weaving it into your sentence and explaining how it supports your view.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Evidence selection: Choosing concise, relevant evidence such as brief quotations or close references that best support the point being made, rather than copying long sections.Pearson Edexcel
Evidence-based argument and inference: Drawing inferences and justifying these with evidence, and supporting a point of view by referring to evidence within the text.Pearson Edexcel
Evidence-based inference: A conclusion the text implies but does not state, which must be justified with a quotation or close reference.AQA
Explanation of effect on the reader: Explaining the effect of the choice on the reader and linking it to the writer's purpose, rather than merely labelling the feature.Eduqas
Explicit Information: Information that is directly and clearly stated in the text.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Explicit retrieval: Locating information that a text states directly, such as a stated fact, name, place or event, and using it to answer the question directly.Pearson Edexcel

F

Feedback and clarification: Building on feedback by acknowledging it and explaining how it might change or strengthen your ideas, and seeking clarification or asking follow-up questions…Pearson Edexcel
Filler Words: Meaningless words or sounds used to fill pauses in speech (e.g., 'um', 'er', 'like', 'you know').Eduqas
Flexibility of presentation form: A talk, a debate, a speech or a dialogue are all acceptable shapes for the presentation.Eduqas
Fluently: Reading at a pace that keeps meaning intact, adjusting speed for dense or unfamiliar material.Eduqas
Form and register: The type of text chosen, such as a letter, article, speech or report, together with the level of formality appropriate to the stated purpose and audience.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Form, purpose and audience: The shape of the writing, what it is meant to achieve, and who it is for, all named in the task and shaping the choices made.Eduqas
Form, structure and whole-text shaping: Analysing how form and structure shape meaning, such as how a cyclical ending or a shift from long to short paragraphs controls the reader's response.AQA
Formal Register: A style of language used in serious or official contexts, characterised by complex sentences, objective tone, and absence of slang.Eduqas
Formal register in spoken presentation: A register suited to an audience, avoiding slang and casual filler, structuring points and using Standard English appropriately.Eduqas
Formal spoken interaction: Using appropriate formal spoken language, including polite turn-taking and respectful disagreement.Pearson Edexcel
Formal spoken register: Standard English and vocabulary that are formal and appropriate to the audience and occasion, avoiding slang and filler.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel

G

Grammatical accuracy: Sentences are grammatically complete, with subject-verb agreement and consistent tense and viewpoint.Eduqas
Grammatical terminology and metalanguage: Knowing grammatical terminology to describe how language works and using it accurately when identifying and explaining how sentences, clauses, phrases and…Eduqas

I

Identifying central ideas: Looking past surface details to the main theme or themes the writer keeps returning to, showing the whole text has been understood.AQA
Imaginative and clear communication: Communicating ideas clearly and imaginatively, with content matched to the task rather than drifting into unrelated material.Pearson Edexcel
Imaginative and creative language: Language used creatively to engage the reader, even in transactional forms like articles or speeches.Pearson Edexcel
Imaginative and creative language use: The four titles give opportunities for imaginative and creative use of language.Eduqas
Imaginative and sensory language: Using language imaginatively and creatively, with evocative sensory details and figurative devices to develop setting and atmosphere.Pearson Edexcel
Imaginative content and precise vocabulary: Fresh ideas and details rather than stock phrases, with words and imagery chosen deliberately to carry the intended effect.Eduqas
Imperative verb: A verb used to give a command or instruction (e.g., 'Listen', 'Stop', 'Consider').Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Implicit Information: Information that is suggested or implied, rather than directly stated.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Implicit Meaning: Ideas that are suggested or implied by the writer, rather than directly stated.Eduqas
In media res: A narrative that begins in the middle of the action, rather than providing background information first.Eduqas
In Medias Res: A narrative technique where the story opens in the middle of the action, rather than providing background information first.Eduqas
Independent Clause: A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence, as it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.OCR
Inference: Working out implicit information that is suggested rather than stated, from word choices, tone, structure or detail.Eduqas
Inference and evidence: Drawing inferences and justifying them with quotation or close reference, explaining what the evidence suggests.Pearson Edexcel
Inference and interpretation: Working out ideas, attitudes or feelings that are suggested but not stated, and explaining what the evidence shows rather than just copying it.Pearson Edexcel
Integrated discussion using comparative connectives: Keeping both texts in play by using connectives such as 'similarly', 'whereas' and 'in contrast' so that each paragraph discusses both texts together.Eduqas
Interpretation: Explaining what a detail suggests and how you know, rather than only naming it.Eduqas
Interpretation and inference: Identifying implied themes or ideas and drawing conclusions that are justified with precise textual evidence.Eduqas
Interpretation of character, setting and atmosphere: Following who is involved, where and when events take place, and noting any shifts in mood.Pearson Edexcel
Interpretation of themes and ideas: Identifying themes, ideas and information in a text and interpreting what they suggest, rather than simply absorbing or retelling the text.AQA
Interpretation of themes, ideas and information: Offering a plausible reading of themes and ideas, and identifying and interpreting information, supported by carefully chosen evidence from the text.Pearson Edexcel
Interview and broadcast conventions: Framing the piece as a television interview, with the learner presenting to camera, a partner or the teacher as interviewer, and scripted questions and…Eduqas

J

Judging effectiveness and reader response: Making informed judgements about how successfully the writer's combined choices shape the reader's response, rather than merely describing them.Pearson Edexcel
Judicious Selection: Carefully and deliberately choosing the most effective words, techniques, or evidence.Eduqas
Juxtaposition: The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel

L

Language analysis: Zooming in on a specific word choice, such as a verb, adjective or image, and exploring its connotations to explain the effect or association created for the…Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Language and structural methods: The language, structure, form and tone used to convey ideas.Eduqas
Language and structure: The language choices, such as connotation, tone and figurative devices, and structural and form choices, including openings, shifts in focus, paragraphing and…AQA, Pearson Edexcel
Language and structure analysis: Examining how language, structure and tone create effects, tying into interpreting information and analysing language and structure.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Learner ownership of planning and delivery: The teacher confirms the subject, while planning, organising and delivering the presentation remain yours.Eduqas
Linguistic conventions and accuracy: Applying linguistic conventions such as punctuation, paragraphing, tense consistency and Standard English appropriately in writing.Eduqas

M

main theme: The idea that is centrally what the text is about, supported by its dominant ideas rather than a single detail.Pearson Edexcel
Main theme and central ideas: What a text is mostly about, identified by asking that question and distinguished from supporting detail.Eduqas
Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, stating that one thing *is* another.Eduqas
Motif: A recurring image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme.Pearson Edexcel

N

Narrative and descriptive structure: Organising writing with a deliberate opening, coherent paragraphs and an effective resolution, sustaining coherence and consistency across the text.Pearson Edexcel
Narrative and recount: The response should be a narrative or recount, keeping events moving and controlled rather than drifting into pure description with no story.Eduqas
Non-exam assessment: Spoken Language is non-exam assessment reported separately from the graded components when revising the qualification structure.Eduqas

O

Omniscient Narrator: A third-person narrator who knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
One formal presentation or speech: A single prepared talk on a subject, delivered to an audience, which candidates are required to complete.Eduqas
Optional use of presentation aids: Pre-prepared notes, PowerPoint or similar aids may be used to assist during the presentation, but this is not a requirement.Eduqas
Organising content into a clear structure: Arranging notes or cue cards so you can speak from them without reading aloud, with each section earning its place.Eduqas
own words: Expressing ideas in your own vocabulary rather than copying the writer's phrasing from the extract.Pearson Edexcel
Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g., 'deafening silence').Pearson Edexcel

P

Pacing: The speed at which someone speaks during a presentation.Eduqas
Paragraphing and whole-text structure: A deliberate arrangement with an engaging opening, logically sequenced paragraphs and a conclusion that satisfies the task.Eduqas
Paraphrase: To express the meaning of a text using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity.Eduqas
Parenthesis: A word, clause, or sentence inserted as an explanation or afterthought, usually marked by brackets, dashes, or commas.Eduqas
Parenthetical Comma: Commas used to set off extra, non-essential information within a sentence.Eduqas
Parenthetical Commas: A pair of commas used to enclose extra, non-essential information within a sentence.Eduqas
Pathetic fallacy: The attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in art and literature (often weather reflecting mood).Eduqas
Personification: The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human.Eduqas
Perspectives shaped by purpose and context: The stance shaped by a writer's role, time or purpose.Eduqas
Persuasive and rhetorical technique: Using language creatively, imaginatively and persuasively, including rhetorical questions, antithesis and parenthesis, matched to audience and form.Pearson Edexcel
Persuasive language and rhetoric: Using persuasive techniques appropriately, such as rhetorical questions, direct address, repetition, emotive vocabulary or statistics, without letting them…Eduqas
Persuasive presentation: Presenting persuasively where required, using rhetorical devices, direct address or a call to action to influence the audience.Pearson Edexcel
Persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices: Using persuasive techniques appropriately, for example rhetorical questions, direct address, repetition or emotive language, to influence the audience.AQA
Pertinent use of evidence and quotation: Citing brief, pertinent quotations to support your views, introducing them and explaining their effect.AQA
Pitch: The highness or lowness of the speaker's voice.Pearson Edexcel
Planning and delivery of non-exam assessment: Picking your form first, then checking it still allows a formal register, and planning, rehearsing and delivering accordingly.Eduqas
Planning the presentation: Giving the content a deliberate shape rather than improvising it, with a clear opening that establishes the subject, a logical sequence of main points,…Eduqas
Planning, rehearsal and delivery: Planning effectively by researching content, anticipating audience reactions and preparing responses to possible questions, and delivering with audible, clear…AQA
point of view: The viewpoint a text keeps consistent, such as first or third person, decided before drafting and checked for consistency.AQA
Precise subject terminology: Terms such as metaphor, sibilance, caesura or cyclical structure, used accurately and selectively to support a point rather than listed for its own sake.Pearson Edexcel
Precision and range in vocabulary: Choosing words for their exact meaning and effect rather than merely their rarity, so that ambitious wording never obscures meaning for the reader.Eduqas
Precision in quotation selection: Selecting a short, precise quotation that genuinely supports the point being made about vocabulary, grammar, form or structure.Eduqas
Precision in selecting language evidence: Choosing a small number of well-chosen examples, such as a specific verb, adjective, pronoun or sentence type, and quoting them accurately rather than listing…Pearson Edexcel
Precision of quotation: Using short quotations or precise references, kept to three or four words, only as support for a point expressed in your own words.Eduqas
Precision of quotation and terminology: Selecting a short, precise quotation and naming the word class or grammatical feature accurately, using linguistic and literary terminology correctly and…AQA
Preparation and rehearsal: Decide in advance which approach suits your topic and rehearse with it in that exact format.Eduqas
Preparation as a route to higher-grade criteria: Thorough preparation is the route to being assessed against the higher-grade criteria, since lack of preparation is likely to prevent access to them.Eduqas
Pronoun reference: A grammatical feature that supports cohesion, where a pronoun's referent must be clear.Eduqas
Proofreading and editing: Repeated slips in tense, agreement or punctuation are avoided across the whole response, so proofreading is evident.Eduqas
Public-facing register and structure: Making the language, structure and delivery consistently suit the implied public audience, so the wider audience is evident and not merely asserted.Eduqas
Punctuation for clarity: Punctuation is used accurately and purposefully, including commas, apostrophes, colons and semicolons where they aid clarity.Eduqas
purpose: The aim of a text, such as to describe, narrate, explain, instruct, inform, respond or argue, identified before writing.AQA
Purpose and audience: Planning effectively for different purposes and audiences, adapting language, tone and structure to a named audience such as classmates, a headteacher or a…Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Purpose and audience awareness: Planning effectively for different purposes and audiences, so that information and ideas are selected and organised for a defined purpose and audience.AQA
Purpose and audience in spoken exchange: Matching your tone to the audience and purpose, keeping responses concise and relevant in a spoken exchange.Eduqas
Purpose and reading strategy: Reading in different ways for different purposes, such as skimming for gist, scanning for detail or close reading for analysis.Eduqas
Purpose, audience and context adaptation: Selecting vocabulary, grammar, form, and structural and organisational features judiciously to reflect audience, purpose and context.Pearson Edexcel
Purpose, audience and form: Content is selected and shaped to suit these, with ideas developed rather than listed.Eduqas
Purposeful rhetorical devices: Deploying rhetorical devices purposefully, such as a rhetorical question to guide thought, antithesis to create a sharp contrast, or parenthesis to add a…AQA, Pearson Edexcel

Q

Qualification structure: The way Spoken Language sits inside the Eduqas GCSE English Language qualification, with its achievement reported as part of the qualification.Eduqas

R

Reader effect: The response a writer's choice creates in the reader, which analysis links to the writer's purpose, as when a short minor sentence can jolt the reader.Pearson Edexcel
Reader response and layers of meaning: Commenting on the overall impact on the reader and exploring layers of meaning or alternative interpretations of the evidence.Eduqas
Reader response and purpose: The writer’s intention, such as to persuade, inform, entertain or challenge, and the intended effect on the reader.Pearson Edexcel
Reading an unseen 20th century literary prose extract: Reading an extract of about 60–100 lines from one 20th century literary prose text that you cannot revise in advance.Eduqas
Reading as a model for writing: Drawing on models from wide reading to choose vocabulary, sentence structures and organisational features in own writing.Eduqas
Reading for different purposes: Reading in different ways for different purposes, since purpose shapes method, such as skimming a review for its verdict versus close-reading a speech to…AQA
Reading for purpose and audience: Skimming for the gist to establish the writer's subject, purpose and audience before scanning for key details, dates, names and figures.Pearson Edexcel
Received Pronunciation (RP): The standard accent of English as spoken in the south of England (often called the 'Queen's/King's English').Eduqas
Register: The choice of language matched to the situation, switching between relaxed dialect with peers and Standard English in presentations, discussions or interviews.AQA, Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Register and precise word choice: Vocabulary and register suited to a formal spoken context, choosing precise words rather than vague fillers or slang.Pearson Edexcel
Rehearsal: Practising your speech aloud, including in front of a listener who notes any non-standard forms, so that you can revise before the assessed presentation.Eduqas
Rehearsal and delivery: Rehearsing the framing so the wider audience is evident in the language, structure and delivery, with the opening and closing making the wider-audience…Eduqas
Rehearsal and spoken delivery from notes: Rehearsing aloud, timing the presentation and checking that each section earns its place, so delivery remains spoken from cue cards rather than read word for…Eduqas
Relevance and clarity: Giving answers that directly address the question asked rather than repeating a prepared point, and adding a reason, example or follow-up question.Pearson Edexcel
Relevance and development in response: Answering the question asked rather than a prepared point, and extending the reply with reasons, examples or further explanation so it is substantive.Eduqas
relevant evidence: Material selected from the text to support longer analytical and evaluative responses, chosen once the central concerns have been grasped.Pearson Edexcel
Relevant response: Replying to the question asked rather than repeating a prepared answer.Pearson Edexcel
Reporting of Spoken Language achievement: The spoken performance is assessed and the outcome is reported as part of the qualification, so it appears on your record alongside the rest of the course.Eduqas
Responding to feedback: Acknowledging feedback explicitly and courteously before adjusting or defending your position with reasons.Eduqas
Responses to questions and feedback: The answers given to questions and feedback from the audience following the presentation or speech, on which candidates are assessed.Eduqas
Responsive listening and questioning: Responses to questions that show understanding, listen carefully and answer relevantly rather than deflecting.Eduqas
Rhetorical devices: Used deliberately, such as a rhetorical question to involve the reader, antithesis to sharpen a contrast and parenthesis to add a pointed aside.Eduqas
Rhetorical Question: A question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Rule of Three: A writing principle that suggests that a trio of events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective.Eduqas

S

Selecting relevant detail: Hunting for the two or three most relevant details after reading the question first, rather than retelling the text in order.Pearson Edexcel
Selecting relevant information: Choosing the few points that carry the most weight and keeping only the information that matters to the task.AQA
Selection and emphasis: Choosing the strongest facts, ideas and key points and arranging them so the most important comes where it will have most effect.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Selection and omission: Choosing the most relevant ideas and information for a summary while leaving out minor or repeated material.Eduqas
Selection and organisation of content: Researching relevant material, selecting the strongest points and sequencing them with a clear opening, developed middle and memorable conclusion.AQA, Eduqas
Selection and organisation of material: Choosing the strongest facts and ideas for your purpose, then organising them to build a convincing argument, perhaps placing the most powerful point last for…AQA, Pearson Edexcel
Selection and organisation of spoken material: Selecting and organising information and ideas effectively and persuasively for a prepared spoken presentation.Pearson Edexcel
Selection and use of textual evidence: Selecting short quotations that support your points and explaining what each word or phrase suggests.Pearson Edexcel
Selection of relevant evidence: Skimming and scanning each text for information that answers the question, choosing only material that directly addresses its focus.Eduqas
Semantic Field: A group of words within a text that relate to a common theme or subject (e.g., words related to war: 'battle', 'wound', 'attack').Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Sensory Detail: Descriptions that appeal to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).Eduqas
Sentence structure variety: Mixing simple, compound, and complex forms deliberately, using short sentences for impact and complex sentences to develop ideas.Pearson Edexcel
Separation of reported outcome from final mark and grade: The Spoken Language result does not contribute to the final mark and does not change the final grade, so it is reported but not counted.Eduqas
Sibilance: A literary device where strongly stressed consonants are created deliberately by producing air from vocal tracts through the use of lips and tongue (often 's'…Eduqas
Signposting: Using words and phrases to guide the listener through the structure of the presentation (e.g., 'Firstly', 'Moving on to', 'In conclusion').Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Simile: A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, usually using 'like' or 'as'.Eduqas
Spelling and punctuation accuracy: Correct spelling of common and ambitious words, alongside precise punctuation like full stops, commas, and apostrophes to ensure clarity.Pearson Edexcel
Spelling and vocabulary: Spelling of common and ambitious vocabulary is accurate, including homophones and words with irregular patterns.Eduqas
Spoken delivery and audience engagement: Presenting live, sustaining eye contact, controlling pace and volume, and responding to your listeners.Eduqas
Spoken delivery over reading: Aids should prompt your spoken delivery rather than replace it, so keep notes brief and on-screen text minimal to avoid reading aloud.Eduqas
Spoken language endorsement: The assessment in which your teacher observes how well you listen and respond in a formal discussion or presentation.AQA
Spoken Standard English: The grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation expected in formal public speaking, using complete sentences, subject–verb agreement, standard word forms and clear…Eduqas
Spoken Standard English grammar and vocabulary: The grammar and vocabulary expected in formal contexts, not accent, which is what AO9 rewards control of when delivering a speech or presentation.Pearson Edexcel
Spontaneous Speech: Unrehearsed speaking, such as answering unexpected questions.Eduqas
Standard English: The variety of grammar and vocabulary expected in formal talk, with consistent verb forms, subject–verb agreement, clear pronouns and words suited to the…AQA, Eduqas, OCR, Pearson Edexcel
Standard English and register: The agreed grammar, vocabulary and spelling used in formal published writing, sustained with register adapted appropriately to the reader and form.Eduqas
Standard English throughout: Grammar, vocabulary and delivery that are consistently appropriate and controlled, and should be a feature of all parts of the candidate's work in this…Eduqas
Structural analysis: Commenting on choices such as sentence forms, paragraphing, openings and endings, shifts in focus and patterns across a text, and linking them to meaning.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Structure and cohesion: Selecting and organising content so that the presentation has a clear introduction, developed main points and a purposeful conclusion.Pearson Edexcel
Structured and developed content: Content that is well organised and developed, with a clear introduction, sequenced points and a conclusion that answers the central question.Eduqas
Structured question response: Answering a series of questions that each direct you to a particular part of the extract or a particular focus.Eduqas
Structured questions: Questions through which Section A tests the reading of the two unseen non-fiction texts.Eduqas
Subject terminology: Relevant terms used precisely and only where they earn their place, to support the points made rather than as a label dropped in and left unexplained.Eduqas
Subject-Verb Agreement: The grammatical rule that the verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject.Eduqas, OCR
summarise: Condensing ideas and information from a single text into concise points, expressing them in your own words rather than copying the writer's phrasing.Pearson Edexcel
Summarising and inference: Skimming for the gist, scanning for key details, and summarising a passage accurately while inferring what lies beneath the surface.Pearson Edexcel
summary: Selecting the most important points across the whole passage, including opening and closing sections, and condensing them in your own words while keeping the…Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Switching: Moving to Standard English when the situation calls for it, for example a presentation, a formal discussion, an interview or speaking to an unfamiliar adult.Eduqas
Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Synthesis: Combining points from two sources, showing where they agree, where they differ and how together they build a fuller picture.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Synthesis across multiple texts: Combining ideas from more than one text by grouping related points and producing a coherent overview.Eduqas
Synthesis across texts: Combining material from different texts by grouping related ideas, comparing viewpoints and drawing evidence from both texts within the same point.Pearson Edexcel

T

Technical accuracy in spelling and punctuation: Accurate spelling of common and ambitious vocabulary, including irregular forms and homophones, and punctuation that is accurate and used for effect.Eduqas
Text structure and cohesion: Shaping a whole text with an effective opening, developed and sequenced paragraphs and a purposeful ending, bound together by cohesive devices.Pearson Edexcel
Textual evidence: Precise references, including quotations, structural features or patterns of language, selected to support the evaluation.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Textual evidence and reference: Brief, precise references or short quotations, integrated into your argument rather than listed, used to support an evaluative claim.Eduqas
Textual references and evidence: Short, precise quotations or references, integrated into developed analytical comments, that support the reading of each text.Pearson Edexcel
Theme: The central idea, topic, or message explored in a text.Eduqas
Tone: The writer's attitude toward the subject matter or the audience.Eduqas
Tone, pace and stress in spoken meaning: Features of speech that shape meaning, which you notice when listening and use deliberately in your own speech.Eduqas
Tone, style and register: Your attitude, your sentence craft and vocabulary, and your formality level, all adapted to the form, purpose and audience named in the task.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Tracing structural movement and evaluating overall impact: Commenting on opening, development, paragraph order, shifts in focus and ending, and judging how effectively choices achieve the writer's aims with textual…Pearson Edexcel
Transactional, persuasive and discursive writing: Writing that does a real job such as a letter of complaint or a review, argues a viewpoint to move a reader, or explores more than one side of an issue.Eduqas
Tricolon (Rule of Three): A series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses.Pearson Edexcel
Triples (Rule of Three): Listing three related words or phrases for emphasis and rhythm.Eduqas
Turn-taking and respect: Listening attentively to questions and feedback without interrupting or talking over others, and using polite frames when disagreeing.Pearson Edexcel
Two compulsory equally weighted writing tasks: Both tasks must be answered and each is worth 20 marks, so neither can be skipped or treated as optional.Eduqas

U

Understanding how form shapes purpose and audience: Relating genre features, such as headline, salutation or first-person address, to the text's purpose and audience.Pearson Edexcel
Unseen non-fiction reading: Reading two high-quality non-fiction texts that have not been seen before, about 900–1200 words in total, tested through structured questions.Eduqas, Pearson Edexcel
Using subject terminology precisely: Naming linguistic and literary features accurately, such as noun phrase, imperative verb or cyclical structure, so the term matches the exact choice discussed.Pearson Edexcel

V

Viewpoint and perspective: Each writer's stance, which you identify in two non-fiction extracts alongside purpose and audience.Pearson Edexcel
Vocabulary breadth and precision: Building a broad, precise vocabulary and using it purposefully in reading, writing and speech, selecting words that are precise, varied and matched to…Eduqas
Vocabulary range and precision: Using a broad variety of words and ambitious synonyms rather than repeating basic terms, and choosing words for exact effect.Pearson Edexcel
Vocal and non-verbal delivery: Controlling pace, pause, volume, intonation and pronunciation, and using eye contact, posture, gesture and facial expression, so meaning is clear.Pearson Edexcel
Voice, tone and viewpoint consistency: Maintaining a consistent point of view and tense throughout the entire text, with logical paragraph progression.Pearson Edexcel

W

Wide range: Fiction and non-fiction, literary and transactional, print and digital, from different periods and voices.Eduqas
With good understanding: Following the writer's ideas, purpose and viewpoint, and explaining how language and structure create effects.Eduqas
Writer’s methods and effects: The specific language and structural choices a writer makes and the effects they create on the reader.Pearson Edexcel
Writers' ideas and attitudes: The viewpoints, attitudes and messages a writer presents in a text.Eduqas
Writers’ ideas and perspectives: The central idea of each text and the writer’s attitude, bias or emotional stance towards the shared topic, rather than the topic itself.Pearson Edexcel

Other terms

19th and 21st century comparison: Comparing writers' ideas and perspectives across the two periods, linking the two writers directly rather than describing each text separately.Eduqas

Where these terms come from

Each definition is one we publish on a English Language GCSE topic page or study guide. Open a term to see how each exam board words it and which topic it belongs to. For the full course, go to English Language revision or the glossary for every subject.

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