Glossary

We’ve curated a glossary of terms regarding all things writing and publishing related. From commonly-used terms to abbreviations, our glossary will guide writers and people starting out in publishing, to cut through the jargon and gain a better understanding. 

Filter by

Objective
The case of direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.   A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Onomatopoeia
Words which imitate the sounds they represent, for example ‘click’ and ‘clack’, or the use of consonant sounds to mimic the sound they are describing, for example to create the rhythm of high heels on a wooden floor.   A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Oxymoron
A phrase which joins contradictory words to create a paradox, for example ‘pretty ugly’.   A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Participle
Non-finite form of a verb that is used to form compound tenses and also functions as other parts of speech. English verbs have a present participle (ending in -ing), and a past participle (ending in -ed, except in irregular verbs).   A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Passive voice
Feature of a verb when the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action of the verb, as in the sentence, The house was destroyed by the storm.   A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021