The writing tricks you see everywhere but never really notice

We’ve all read something that just sticks. Maybe it was a line in a book, a lyric in a song or a speech that gave you chills. That’s not just good writing. That’s technique.

Language techniques are the tools behind that effect. Writers use them to add emphasis, build emotion or guide your attention. They’re not complicated, but once you know how they work, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.

In this blog, we’ll break down what language techniques are how they affect your writing and why teachers keep asking you to use them. 

Why Writers Use Language Techniques in English

When students write essays or stories, their ideas often make sense — but something still feels missing. The writing may be clear, but it doesn’t stick with the reader. That’s usually a sign that techniques are not being used.

Language techniques help bring out emotion, focus the reader’s attention, and give ordinary lines more impact. But this doesn’t always mean you would look for heavy phrases or words; a simple line written with care can leave a much stronger impression than a long paragraph without any style. 

Common Language Techniques Used in English Writing

Writers don’t only put words on pages. They can deliver their thoughts in a way that makes particular points clearer. They get the readers’ interests and reactions in a way they want. This is what a normal student misses in their writing. Why is that? Because professional writers use language techniques. 

So, being a student, you can also adapt these techniques to help guide the readers and impress them with your words, and get their reactions in a way you want. 

Below, we’re going to describe some of the most common types, each by category. While you don’t need to memorize each of them. But you will find it every time you read English books, novels, etc., and when you need any of them, you will be able to apply them confidently. 

Types of Language Techniques (Grouped by Purpose)

Writers don’t choose language techniques at random. Each one serves a purpose. Some are used to make the reader feel something. Others help highlight a point or describe something more clearly, just like other common literary devices used in storytelling and rhetoric.

To make this easier, we’ve grouped the most common language techniques into four simple categories:

1. Techniques That Create Emotion
2. Techniques That Emphasise an Idea
3. Techniques That Help with Description
4. Techniques That Support Structure and Flow

Now, let’s look at each of the groups with an example, so you can better understand what they are and how you can use them to support your writing in an advanced way. 

Emotional Language Techniques

In writing that tells a story or tries to persuade emotions matter. Writers often lean on certain techniques to help the reader not just understand but actually feel something, like sadness frustration or hope.

Here’s how that works in practice:

Emotive Language
Some words carry more weight than others. A sentence doesn’t need to say “sad” to feel sad. The feeling comes from what the person does or how the moment looks.

• Example: The child was hungry
  
  
• Better: The child looked at the empty plate without saying anything, hands in their lap, just waiting quietly

You can tell the second line doesn’t just state a fact. It builds a feeling. That’s the difference.

Imagery

Imagery is from imagination. Why do we need it? Well, most writers use it in their writing to help the readers to imagine a clear picture of something by their words. Imagery describes what something looks like or feels like. 

Here is an example of how imagery can be used

Basic:

It was a hot day, but that doesn’t show much. Now try this: 

Using imagery: 

The sun burned her arms and the air felt still and heavy.

That version is clearer. This not only helps in meaning, but also in feeling the real scenario behind.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech, or a language technique, that one uses when they want to sound something bigger than it really is. Writers use it to show strong feelings or to make something stand out.

Let’s say you write I was very tired. That works, but it’s flat. Now, try I was so tired I could sleep for a week

Or another example:

Basic: I am hungry.

Hyperbole: I can eat a horse. 

You know it’s not true but that’s not the point. It helps the reader understand just how tired the person feels

Personification

Personification means giving life to things that aren’t alive. You make them act or feel like people. It helps bring calm fear joy, or tension into a scene.

Example: The wind whispered through the trees

Of course, the wind can’t whisper but saying it this way helps the reader feel the silence the movement and the mood of that moment

Symbolizm
For symbolism to be understood better, A simple object or image is used to show a deeper idea. It adds extra meaning and helps say more without needing a long explanation.

• Example: A storm can symbolize conflict or emotional tension
• Example: A sunrise might represent hope or a new beginning

It adds depth without needing long explanations.

2. Style and Sound Techniques

Some techniques are not just about meaning. They focus on how writing sounds or flows. Writers use them to make lines smooth, catchy, or more powerful when read aloud. 

You’ll often find these in poems songs and speeches. They don’t change the meaning much. But they make the writing more enjoyable and easier to remember especially when writers balance formal and colloquial language for effect.

Alliteration

Alliteration is a kind of figure of speech or language technique, where several words start with the same sound. What it does is add rhythm to a line or draw attention. 

Example

Instead of saying

The wind was fast and cold
Try something like
The wild wind whipped through the window

That repeated w sound gives the sentence a nice rhythm. It also helps readers pay more attention to the words.

Repetition

Repetition is a kind of language technique in the category of style and sound. When a word or phrase is used more than once to make it stick. It helps highlight a point or feeling by saying it again for effect.

Example
Instead of just saying
She was scared
You could write
She was scared. Scared of the silence. Scared of what might happen next.

Saying it more than once doesn’t just repeat the word. It builds tension and shows how strong that fear really is.

Assonance
This is when the same vowel sound is repeated in nearby words. It adds a soft rhythm and can make the line smoother or more pleasant to hear.

Example: The rain came late to fade the flame

The repeating ay sound gives the line a flowing musical feel.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech poets mostly use in poetry. You know those words that sound like the noise they’re describing? Writers use it when they want you to almost hear the moment. Not just imagine it, hear it.

Example

Let’s say someone’s walking through dry leaves. You could write
The leaves made a sound

But that’s flat. Instead, you write
The leaves crunched under his boots

Now you hear it. Not because someone told you — but because the word crunched already does it. You don’t need anything else. That one word brings the sound into the line.

Techniques That Help with Description

Some language techniques don’t change how someone feels. They’re not there to make a point either. They just help explain what something looked like or how it happened. That’s it

Writers use them when they’re trying to describe something and want the reader to see it. Nothing deep or emotional, just a clear moment. That’s where these fit

Simile

A simile is when you compare one thing to another using the words like or as It helps explain an idea by connecting it to something more familiar

Example

You could say
He ran fast, but that’s plain language instead. Try this. He ran like the wind

Now you get a clearer picture of how fast he was moving. That one short line gives speed and feeling all at once

Metaphor

Metaphor doesn’t have a big difference with simile, it’s like the simile but using like or as to compare two things directly with each other. 

Example

Instead, her voice was soft. Try this. Her voice was a whisper in the dark

It doesn’t just describe the sound it creates a full mood around it

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is when two words that don’t seem to fit are put together. It sounds wrong at first, but it actually works and makes you think

Example
Instead of just saying
The noise was loud

Try
It was a deafening sound

That phrase feels weird. How can a sound be deafening, right? But that’s what makes it strong. You hear the noise and feel how intense it is all at once

Techniques That Help with Structure and Flow

These techniques aren’t about emotion or description. They’re more about how a piece of writing is put together. They help guide the reader through ideas, keep the writing clear, and make sure nothing feels out of place

You’ll see these a lot in essays, speeches, and anything that needs to make a clear point step by step. They’re simple but important, and they hold the whole thing together

Thesis Statement

A thesis is just your main point. It’s the thing you’re trying to say or prove in your writing. Usually, you put it right at the start so people know what’s coming

Example

Say you’re writing about school uniforms. You don’t just start talking about clothes. You say
School uniforms should be required in all schools

That’s your starting point.t Everything after that connects back to it. It keeps your writing on track

Connectives

The meaning of connective is simple, as it forms a connection between two. Connectives are the words that help writers to connect words or phrases, like butsobecause or even though. They’re small, but they hold your writing together.

Example
Without one:
Instead of saying: She wanted to go. She stayed home.

Now with one:
She wanted to go, but she stayed home.

You might be thinking these are the same. Yes, the difference doesn’t seem obvious, but that one word changes the feel of the sentence. It gives you a reason or a contrast. That’s what connectives do. They keep your thoughts moving in the right direction.

An Easy Way to Remember the Flow of Using Language Techniques 

Instead of just knowing what these techniques are, here’s how you can apply them. This table breaks down when to use each one, why it helps, and where it works best.

Let me lay that out for you:

Quick Note

Since we discussed a lot of types and categories. Sometimes it feels hard for students to memorize and utilize in their writing accordingly. 

If you think these are not manageable to adapt smoothly, you can seek help until you can make it. Services like Scholarytic can help with your writing. The team focuses on structure clarity and academic tone without changing your original voice.

You can check it out if you want support with essays, reports, or other assignments. No pressure. Just a useful option if you need it.

•  Essay Structure Support
• Clear Thesis Development
•  Smooth Transitions and Logical Flow

Get Help with Academic Writing at Scholarytic

Final Thoughts

The blog might seem heavy to you. But the good news is that you don’t need to memorize everything in this blog. Just knowing these techniques exist is already a good start. Use one. Try it out. See how it changes your writing. Even a small shift can make a sentence sound more real or clear.

Writing doesn’t improve just by learning rules. It gets better by using them, slowly, one at a time. Some techniques will feel useful. Some may not. That’s fine. Use what helps. Leave what doesn’t. That’s how real writing grows.