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. 

Phrase
Sequence of two or more words acting together that does not contain both a subject and a predicate, so is not a clause.   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
 
Pleonasm
The redundant use of extra words which repeat rather than expand meaning, such as ‘burning fire’ or ‘a really new innovation’.   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
 
PLR
Public Lending Right (PLR) is a programme which compensates authors for loss of sales from their books being made available in libraries. It allows authors to be fairly paid for each library loan. Authors can register here: https://www.bl.uk/plr
Polyptoton
The repetition of a word, or its root, with a different grammatical application each time.   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
 
Predicate
The part of a sentence that includes the verb and the other elements that modify the verb, for example sat on the sofa in Sophia and her friends sat on the sofa.   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