OCR A level English literature language devices. Exam Questions and Correct
Answers | Graded A+ | 2025/2026 Update|
Conjunction - A word that joins words, phrases, clauses or sentence.
e.g. but, and, yet, or, because, nor, although, since, unless, while, where
Preposition - Words usually used in front of nouns or pronouns and they show the
relationship between the noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Can be used to describe
a location, time or place
e.g. after, in, to, on, with, over, under
Determiner - Words placed in front of a noun to make it clear what the noun refers to.
e.g. a, the, every.
The demonstrative - A determiner or a pronoun that points to a particular noun or to the
noun it replaces. There are four of these in English: the "near" demonstratives 'this' and 'these', and
the "far" demonstratives 'that' and 'those'.
Possessive determiner - A type of function word used in front of a noun to express
possession or belonging (as in "my phone").
e.g. my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
Abstract nouns - A noun denoting an idea, quality, or state rather than a concrete object
e.g. truth, danger, happiness.
Concrete noun - A noun that can be identified through one of the five senses (taste, touch,
sight, hearing, or smell).
, Personal pronoun - Each of the pronouns in English ( I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him,
her, us, and them ) comprising a set that shows contrasts of person, gender, number, and case.
Impersonal pronoun - the pronoun 'it' when used without definite reference or antecedent
e.g. it was snowing and it seems hard to believe.
Allusion - An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it
explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Superlative - (of an adjective or adverb) expressing the highest (upper or lower limit) of a
quality (e.g. bravest, most fiercely, the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest).
Verb - An action word
Adverb - A word that describes a verb
Subjunctive verb - Expresses something that you wish for, or a hypothetical rather than
actual situation
e.g. If only I *were* ten years younger.
I only wish that what you say *were* true.
Modal verb - A verb that expresses necessity or possibility. e.g. must, shall, will, should,
would, can, could, may, and might.
Ambiguity - A word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. These
words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of
unintentional humor.
Antithesis - A rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence
to achieve a contrasting effect.
Answers | Graded A+ | 2025/2026 Update|
Conjunction - A word that joins words, phrases, clauses or sentence.
e.g. but, and, yet, or, because, nor, although, since, unless, while, where
Preposition - Words usually used in front of nouns or pronouns and they show the
relationship between the noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Can be used to describe
a location, time or place
e.g. after, in, to, on, with, over, under
Determiner - Words placed in front of a noun to make it clear what the noun refers to.
e.g. a, the, every.
The demonstrative - A determiner or a pronoun that points to a particular noun or to the
noun it replaces. There are four of these in English: the "near" demonstratives 'this' and 'these', and
the "far" demonstratives 'that' and 'those'.
Possessive determiner - A type of function word used in front of a noun to express
possession or belonging (as in "my phone").
e.g. my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
Abstract nouns - A noun denoting an idea, quality, or state rather than a concrete object
e.g. truth, danger, happiness.
Concrete noun - A noun that can be identified through one of the five senses (taste, touch,
sight, hearing, or smell).
, Personal pronoun - Each of the pronouns in English ( I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him,
her, us, and them ) comprising a set that shows contrasts of person, gender, number, and case.
Impersonal pronoun - the pronoun 'it' when used without definite reference or antecedent
e.g. it was snowing and it seems hard to believe.
Allusion - An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it
explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Superlative - (of an adjective or adverb) expressing the highest (upper or lower limit) of a
quality (e.g. bravest, most fiercely, the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest).
Verb - An action word
Adverb - A word that describes a verb
Subjunctive verb - Expresses something that you wish for, or a hypothetical rather than
actual situation
e.g. If only I *were* ten years younger.
I only wish that what you say *were* true.
Modal verb - A verb that expresses necessity or possibility. e.g. must, shall, will, should,
would, can, could, may, and might.
Ambiguity - A word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. These
words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of
unintentional humor.
Antithesis - A rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence
to achieve a contrasting effect.
