IB English A Lang & Lit Suggestive Techniques: the Clues Key Definitions

Analysis means breaking something down to explain how it works.

The use of color to influence emotion or signal meaning

A narrative told through a series of panels combining images and words.

When writers use comparisons, exaggerations, or contradictions to suggest meaning indirectly.

Imagery is a literary device that uses descriptive language to create vivid mental pictures or sensory experiences for the reader.

The spatial arrangement of elements on a page or screen. It guides the reader's eye and controls the flow of information.

A metaphor directly equates one thing to another, implying they share qualities.

A motif is a recurring image, idea, or phrase that reinforces a theme throughout the text.

The organization of panels in graphic novels or comics. Panel arrangement controls pacing and emphasizes key moments.

A paragraph structure used in analytical writing: Point (state the argument), Evidence (quote the text), Explanation (analyse the technique and its effect), Link (connect back to the thesis).

Personification is a literary device where non-human things are given human characteristics such as actions, emotions, or intentions. This includes objects, animals, ideas, or forces of nature behaving or feeling like people.

A comparison using like or as.

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

A symbol is a tangible object or image that stands in for an abstract idea.

The style, size, and arrangement of text. Typography can convey tone and emphasize key ideas.

Visual techniques are the deliberate design choices that shape how we experience a visual text.