The big idea: When a writer repeats a word or a sentence pattern on purpose, they give the writing a beat and push one idea to the front of your mind.
You already use this to make things stick.
A chant at a match — ‘We want more, we want more’ — or an advert's ‘Just do it’ said again and again. The repeat is what lodges it in your head.
Writers do the same two ways — here's each with an example:
One clear example of each
Repetition
The same word or phrase comes back — ‘I waited. I waited. I waited.’ The repeat hammers the feeling home and makes it hard to ignore.
Parallelism
The same sentence shape is repeated — ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’. Matching patterns give a steady, powerful rhythm.
The key move: Don't just say ‘repetition’. Name whether it's a repeated word or a repeated pattern (parallelism), then say what the beat makes the reader feel.
Free preview
This is the free notes preview
You're reading the free notes. Aimnova Pro unlocks the full study experience — and you can try it with your first topic free to keep:
- FlashcardsLock in vocabulary and key terms with spaced repetition.
- Practice questionsAnswer exam-style questions and get instant AI marking.
- Mock exams & past-paper vaultSit full mocks and see exactly how examiners award marks.
- Personalised study planA daily plan built around your exam date and weak areas.
Why it matters in the exam: Repetition is easy to spot but often left un-analysed. Name what the repeat does — drives an idea home, builds a rhythm, or makes a line stick — don't just point at it.
Analyse the repetition: “No money for the schools. No money for the hospitals. No money for the buses. But always, somehow, money for the war.”
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't just label ‘repetition’. Say whether it's a repeated word or a repeated pattern, and what the beat does — drives an idea home, builds rhythm, or makes a line stick.