IB English A Lang & Lit Literary Forms Key Definitions

A written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people in a literary or theatrical form.

A figure of speech where two opposite words are combined to create a striking or thought-provoking effect.

A section of a dramatic text written primarily in dialogue and stage directions, designed for performance, in which meaning emerges through speech, action, and the interaction between characters.

A literary form that uses compressed language, deliberate line breaks, sound patterns, and imagery to create meaning beyond the literal, often prioritising rhythm and form over narrative.

A literary form that tells an invented story through continuous sentences and paragraphs, using narrative voice, characterisation, and structure to explore themes and human experience.

A literary form that presents factual or reflective content through continuous prose, using techniques such as voice, structure, and rhetorical strategies to inform, argue, or explore real events and ideas.

Instructions in a play's script about actors' movements and positioning.

How the writer builds sentences.