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A paraprosdokian (/ p ær ə p r ɒ s ˈ d oʊ k i ə n /), or par'hyponoian, is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence, phrase, or larger discourse is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part.
Parallelism: the use of similar structures in two or more clauses. Paraprosdokian: A sentence or phrase with an unexpected twist or surprise at the end. Paroemion: alliteration in which nearly every word in a sentence or phrase begins with the same letter. Polyptoton: repetition of words derived from the same root.
A veridical paradox produces a result that appears counter to intuition, but is demonstrated to be true nonetheless: That the Earth is an approximately spherical object that is rotating and in rapid motion around the Sun , rather than the apparently obvious and common-sensical appearance of the Earth as a stationary approximately flat plane ...
The last sentence illustrates a frequently criticized use of the passive, as the evasion of responsibility by failure to mention the agent (which may even be the speaker themselves). [10] Nonetheless, the passive voice can be complemented by an element that identifies the agent, usually via a by-phrase that is intended to emphasize the agent. [11]
The main claim of this theory is that any given sentence can be changed into a variety of other sentences where the parts of the sentence will change in what they reference, but they will nonetheless maintain the meaning of the sentence as a whole. [2]
A discourse marker is a word or a phrase that plays a role in managing the flow and structure of discourse.Since their main function is at the level of discourse (sequences of utterances) rather than at the level of utterances or sentences, discourse markers are relatively syntax-independent and usually do not change the truth conditional meaning of the sentence. [1]
Semantics is the study of meaning in languages. [1] It is a systematic inquiry that examines what linguistic meaning is and how it arises. [2] It investigates how expressions are built up from different layers of constituents, like morphemes, words, clauses, sentences, and texts, and how the meanings of the constituents affect one another. [3]
The subject of a sentence is generally a noun or pronoun, or a phrase containing a noun or pronoun. If the sentence features active voice, the thing named by the subject carries out the action of the sentence; in the case of passive voice, the subject is affected by the action. In sentences with imperative mood, the subject may not be expressed.