Writing Techniques & Style Flashcards

Which sentence best demonstrates the 'show, don't tell' principle?

Answer: Her hands trembled as she gripped the podium, sweat beading on her forehead.

'Show, don't tell' uses specific sensory details and actions rather than labeling emotions directly.

What is the primary function of a topic sentence in a paragraph?

Answer: To state the paragraph's main idea and focus

A topic sentence introduces and controls the central idea that the rest of the paragraph develops.

When should a writer use the passive voice intentionally?

Answer: When the agent is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately withheld

Passive voice is appropriate when the doer of an action is irrelevant, unknown, or strategically omitted.

What distinguishes a 'loose' sentence from a 'periodic' sentence?

Answer: Loose sentences state the main clause first; periodic sentences delay it until the end

A loose sentence front-loads its main idea, while a periodic sentence withholds the main clause for emphasis at the end.

Which revision best eliminates the dangling modifier in 'Running through the park, the trees looked beautiful'?

Answer: Running through the park, she noticed the trees looked beautiful.

The modifier 'Running through the park' must attach to the subject performing that action, which is 'she,' not 'the trees.'

What is 'purple prose'?

Answer: Overly ornate, extravagant writing that calls attention to itself

Purple prose refers to writing so flowery and exaggerated that it disrupts narrative flow and feels overwrought.

Which technique creates emphasis by deliberately repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses?

Answer: Anaphora

Anaphora is the rhetorical device of repeating a word or phrase at the start of consecutive clauses, as in 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds.'