Glossary

dangling modifier a phrase or clause in which the doer of the action is not clearly identifiable

declarative sentence a sentence that makes a statement

demographics statistical studies of people in a community, looking at factors such as age, gender, income, and education

denotation the definition of a word as found in a dictionary 

depth of field the range of distances from the camera lens at which all elements the photographer wants in the picture are in focus

Dewey Decimal System a system of classifying non-fiction books using different numbers for each subject

dialect the version of a language spoken in a particular region; a regional variety of a language with differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

diction a writer's choice of words, especially for clarity, effectiveness, or precision

didactic instructive, especially excessively

didactic literature literature written to teach a moral lesson

dilemma a difficult situation involving a choice between two alternatives that are equally undesirable

direct quotation words of a speaker or writer repeated exactly

dominating lines prominent vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved lines in a visual text

double-click to quickly press twice on the left-hand button of the computer mouse

dramatic having to do with live plays

dramatic context the time, place, or circumstance depicted in a poem

dramatic irony a discrepancy of meaning occurring when the reader or viewer is aware of something that one or more of the characters are not; the difference between what the audience understands and what the characters understand

dramatic monologue a poem that features a speaker addressing a silent audience

dynamic character one who undergoes a significant character change

edit to correct errors in a message

either/or fallacy the false belief or argument (fallacy) that only two choices are possible

ellipsis a printed mark of three dots to indicate that something has been left out in a written phrase or sentence

emotive language words that imply an opinion or judgment

epic a long poetic narrative, written in a grand, heroic style, that records important deeds of heroes or the history of a people

epitaph a short inscription on a tomb or gravestone 

escape fiction fiction intended chiefly to entertain, usually emphasizing plot and action

essay non-fictional prose, the purpose of which is to present information or to develop an argument

essay of argument a short, non-fictional work that offers an opinion or point of view on a topic

evocative able to call forth or recreate imaginatively real experiences

exclamatory sentence a word, phrase, or complete sentence that is emphatic or filled with emotion

exploratory language everyday language used to explore thoughts and feelings; similar to expressive language

exposition background information in a story, such as time and place and main characters; information that explains and gives essential detail

expository essay short non-fiction written specifically to provide information

expressive language everyday language used to express feelings, experiences, and ideas

extended metaphor a metaphor that is sustained for a number of lines

external conflict a struggle between a person and a physical force or a struggle between characters

eye-catching art visuals designed to attract and keep viewers' attention

eye-level shot a camera shot in which the camera is placed at eye level with the subject

fable a story that teaches a moral lesson

fact a piece of information that can be verified

falling action the unwinding events that follow a story's climax

fiction literature that is based on imagination rather than truth; prose writing that tells about imaginary people and happenings

figurative devices choices that a text creator makes that appeal to the imagination and depend on comparisons or associations that cannot be taken literally

figurative language language that uses figures of speech like similes and metaphors to achieve a special effect

first-person narrator a character in a work of fiction who tells the story by using the word I

first-person point of view a type of narration in which a character tells the story using the words I and we 

flashback a narrative device in which the author shares an incident from the past 

footer in a composition, information placed at the bottom of a page, indicating the title and page number

foreshadowing arranging events and information in a narrative in such a way that later events are prepared for or hinted at beforehand

form the way a written message is organized and presented

formal language language in which careful attention is paid to word choice and grammatical accuracy

format the way a written message is organized and presented

frame to adjust the position and angle of the camera in order to compose an image within the viewfinder or viewing screen

free verse poetry that does not contain an identifiable rhythmic pattern or rhyme scheme

freewriting a prewriting technique that involves writing non-stop for several minutes, allowing whatever thoughts that come to mind to be recorded on the page