Reading Vocabulary

generalization

a conclusion about a group of persons, places, or things

drawing conclusions

a form of inference in which the reader gathers information, considers the general thoughts or ideas that emerge from the information, and comes to a decision. Conclusion is generally based on more than one piece of information.

pun

a play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words For example: The ballet shoes made a point. (ballerinas dance on pointe when they seem to dance on their toes)

idiom

an expression that has a different meaning from the literal meaning of its individual words (for example: have the upper hand or under the weather). Idioms are particular to a given language and usually cannot be translated literally (if you told said "it's raining cats and dogs" in Italian, it wouldn't make sense).

subtle inference

an inference built of information not easily connected

hyperbole

an intentional and extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect (for example: this book weighs a ton)

UNIVERSAL question

an open-ended question (meaning that there isn't just one right answer) that's raised by ideas in the text and transcend social and cultural boundaries and speak to a common human experience (What does the character believe in? What is the main character willing to fight for? How does this story give you a better understanding of human nature?)

EVALUATIVE question

asks for an opinion, a belief, or a point of view. Responses may represent different perspectives and should be supported with evidence from the text (Do you agree/disagree? How do you feel about this? What do you believe?)

mood

atmosphere or feeling created by the writer in a literary work. Can be expressed through imagery, word choice, setting, voice, and theme.

fictional adaptation

based on a real event. Can be fictional, true, or an elaboration of the original text. The adaptation may be written in the same style as an autobiography or diary.

meter

basic rhythmic structure in verse, composed of stressed and unstressed syllables

graphic elements of poetry

can include capital letters, line length, and word position; is often called the "shape" of a poem

synthesize

combine elements and parts to form a coherant whole

oxymoron

combines two contradictory terms (for example: sweet sorrow)

personification

figurative language in which non-human things or abstractions are represented as having human qualities (for example: necessity is the mother of invention)

complex inference

goes beyond the explicit (or "right there"/point to the answer) text

purpose

intended goal of a piece of writing; the reason a person writes

LITERAL question

knowledge level, FACT-based question (who, what, when, where, why, & how questions), questions asked for clarification

figurative language

language not intended to be taken literally but layered with meaning through the use of imagery, metaphors, and other literary devices

controlling idea

main point or direction of a piece of writing. Makes the reader ask a question that will be answered by reading more or helps the reader understand the author's purpose for writing the piece of text.

INTERPRETIVE question

may have more than one answer and requires that the answer(s) be supported with evidence from the text (for example: what does this MEAN?)

rhyme scheme

pattern of rhyming lines (ABAB, ABBA)

paraphrase

restate the meaning of something in different words. Paraphrasing alters the exact wording of the source and transmits its ideas or information without evaluation or interpretation.

textual evidence

specific details or facts found in the text that support what is inferred

thesis

statement or premise supported by arguments/opinions

diary

tells a person's actions, feelings, beliefs, and perceptions at a particular time. It can be written in either first- or third-person point of view typically in the style of journal writing.

theme

the central or universal idea of a piece of fiction or the main idea of a nonfiction essay. Themes are ideas or concepts that relate to morals and values and speak to the human experience.

audience

the intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium (meaning style--article, song, movie, book, poem)

autobiography

the life story of a person, as told by himself or herself

inductive reasoning

the process of determining general principles by logic or observation from specific data; reasoning from parts to whole (all ice I've ever felt is cold, so all ice is cold)

deductive reasoning

the process of logical reasoning from general principles to specific instances based on the assumed truth of the principle; reasoning from wholes to parts (I see a car wreck on a busy street; I assume a crash happened)

setting

the time and place in which a narrative (story) occurs. Elements may include the physical, psychological, cultural, or historical background against which the story takes place

genre

the type or class of a work, usually categorized by form, technique, or content

context

the words, sentences, or passages that precede or follow a specific word, sentence, or passage

summarize

to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main idea.

literary nonfiction

type of narrative (story) based on actual persons, places, and things. In literary nonfiction, a writer may construct text in any number of ways and is not limited to the organization patterns normally associated with nonfiction texts (biography, autobiography, memoir)

ambiguous

vague, unclear

sensory language

words an author uses to help the reader experience the sense elements of the story. Language that appeals to ONE or MORE of the five senses: sight, taste, touch, feel, smell.