Top 100 Buzz Words for VCE English Language Analysis in the Exam

Introduction

When it comes to VCE English Language, examiners are crystal clear: precision matters more than waffle.

Students who throw around vague terms like “informal words” or “the text is emotional” lose easy marks. By contrast, students who use precise metalanguage — the “buzz words” of the course — immediately stand out.

This guide gives you 100 essential buzz words, grouped by subsystem and analytical function, to help you write with confidence and impress examiners.This is our golden key! Please use these columns as a rule of thumb. 🙂

Phonetics & Phonology (Sound System)

1. Assimilation

2. Elision

3. Vowel reduction

4. Insertion

5. Prosody

6. Intonation

7. Pitch

8. Stress

9. Tempo

10. Volume

Morphology & Lexicology (Words & Word Formation)

1. Affixation

2. Suffixation

3. Prefixation

4. Infixation

5. Compounding

6. Blends

7. Acronyms

8. Initialisms

9. Neologisms

10. Borrowings

11. Collocations

12. Archaism

13. Diminutives

14. Contractions

15. Shortenings

Syntax (Sentence Structure & Grammar)

1. Nominalisation

2. Passive voice

3. Active voice

4. Imperative sentences

5. Interrogative sentences

6. Declarative sentences

7. Exclamative sentences

8. Coordination

9. Subordination

10. Ellipsis

11. Sentence fragments

12. Parallelism

13. Antithesis

14. Front focus

15. End focus

Discourse (Organisation of Texts)

1. Cohesion

2. Coherence

3. Adjacency pairs

4. Overlaps

5. Interruptions

6. Topic management

7. Turn-taking

8. Discourse markers

9. Deixis

10. Ellipsis (in discourse context)

11. Anaphoric reference

12. Cataphoric reference

13. Repetition

14. Substitution

15. Code-switching

Semantics (Meaning)

1. Connotation

2. Denotation

3. Euphemism

4. Dysphemism

5. Metaphor

6. Simile

7. Symbolism

8. Personification

9. Hyperbole

10. Irony

11. Idiom

12. Semantic shift

13. Pejoration

14. Amelioration

15. Broadening

16. Narrowing

Pragmatics & Sociolinguistics (Context & Social Meaning)

1. Register

2. Jargon

3. Slang

4. Colloquialism

5. Formality

6. Informality

7. Politeness strategies

8. Face needs

9. Positive politeness

10. Negative politeness

11. Social distance

12. Cultural context

13. Situational context

14. Audience positioning

15. Prestige (overt/covert)

16. Identity construction

17. Power asymmetry

18. Solidarity

19. Taboo language

Analytical & Stylistic Devices (Great for Essays/Commentaries)

1. Alliteration

2. Assonance

3. Onomatopoeia

4. Rhetorical question

5. Inclusive pronouns

6. Exclusive pronouns

7. Listing

8. Figurative language

9. Modality (high/low)

10. Evaluative adjectives

How to Use These Buzz Words Effectively

Just dropping these terms into your writing isn’t enough. Examiners reward clarity and explanation. Use the pattern below to impress:

Feature → Example → Effect → Context

Example:
Weak: “The speaker uses informal words.”
Strong: “The discourse particle ‘yeah’ (L12) functions as a turn-taking strategy, contributing to the text’s informal register and reducing social distance between participants.”

Final Thoughts

The difference between a passing commentary and a top-scoring one is often just the precision of your metalanguage. With these 100 buzz words in your toolkit, you’ll have the language to sound sharp, analytical, and examiner-ready.

Start revising today — build flashcards, quiz with friends, and use our free VCE English Language resources to put these terms into practice.