OAE English Language Arts 020

Lending Credence

In arguing her point, a writer or speaker should always give the opponent some credit for his / her ideas.

Cumulative

Sentence which begins with the main idea and then expands on that idea with a series of details or other particulars

Metaphorically

Symbolically; figuratively

Inference/Infer

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. When a multiple choice asks for an _________ to be drawn from a passage, the most direct, most reasonable _________ is the safest answer choice. If an __________ is implausible, it is unlikely to be the correct answeer. Note that if the answer choice is directly stated, it is not ______ed and it is wrong. You must be careful to note the connotation-negative or positive- of the choices.

Consonant Digraphs

Two consonant letters that together stand for a single sound (sh, th, wh).

Inferential Comprehension

Understanding of information that isn't explicitly given, but rather implied in a written passage. (make predictions)

Reading Comprehension Strategies

Understanding what you have read by making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, synthesizing and metacognition.

Iamb

Unstressed, Stressed

Anapest

Unstressed, Unstressed, Stressed

Reading Process

What good readers do before, during, and after reading. Good readers are active as they read. By following the steps of the Reading Process, your comprehension and attention will increase.

Dialect

the recreation of regional spoken language, such as a Southern one. Hurston uses this in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Attitude

the relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience

Antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

Dactyl

Stressed, Unstressed, Unstressed

haiku

3 unrhymed lines (5, 7, 5) usually focusing on nature

Ethos

an appeal based on the character of the speaker. An __-driven document relies on the reputation of the author.

Invective

an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

Rebuttal/Refutation(nouns) rebut/refute (verbs)

an opposing argument; a contradiction. To prove an argument wrong.

Ad Hominem

In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."

Polysyndeton

-- Use of several conjunctions in close succession

Synecdoche

. a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. "All hands on deck" is an example.

Synesthesia

-- Associating two or more different senses in the same image ("Lilacs have a purple smell. Lilac is the smell of nightfall, I think.")

Imperative Sentence

-- Command

Conceit

-- Fanciful expression, used in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between dissimilar objects, displays intellectual cleverness due to unusual comparison.

Inductive Reasoning

-- Inferring a general truth from facts

Extended Metaphor

-- Metaphor that goes on and on

Juxtaposition

-- Placing two things beside each other for comparison

Interrogative Sentence

-- Question

Epanalepsis

-- Repetition of the initial word of a clause at the end of it ("Nothing can be created out of nothing.")

Epistrophe

-- Repetition of the same word at the end of a successive phrases ("I want to be the best, and we need the best, and we deserve the best.")

Apostrophe

-- Speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person

Archetype

A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response

Figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Could include apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, understatement.

Figure of Speech

A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Examples are apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonomy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.

Synechdoche

A figure of speech in which a part of something us used to represent the whorle, or occassionally, the whole is used to represent a part. Examples: To refer to a boat as a "sail"; to refer to a car as "wheels"; to referr to the violins, violas, etc. in an orchestra as "the strings". **Different tan metynomy, in whcih one thing is represented by another thing that is commonly physically associated withi it (but is not necessarily part of it), i.e., regerring to a monarch as "the crown" or the President as "The White House".

Litotes

A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. _____ is the opposite of hyperbole. Examples: "Not a bad idea," "Not many," "It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain" (Salinger, Catcher in the Rye).

quatrain

A four line stanza

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main ______ expresses complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate ______, cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent _____. The point that you want to consider is the question or what or why the author subordinates one element should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing.

stanza

A group of lines in a poem

ode

A poem in praise of something divine or noble; usually serious in tone

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. The independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect is to add emphasis and structural variety.

Aphorism

A short statement that expresses a general truth

Paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

Anecdote

A story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point.

Metonymy

A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," _____ is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example, a news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" is using metonymy; Shakespeare uses it to signify the male and female sexes in As You Like It: "doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat." The substituted term generally carries a more potent emotional impact.

Loose Sentence/Non-Periodic Sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many _____ ________s often seems informal, relaxed, or conversational. Generally, _____ ________s create loose style. The opposite of a _____ ________ is the periodic sentence. Example: I arrived at the San Diego airport after a long, bumpy ride and multiple delays. Could stop at: I arrived at the San Diego airport.

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

Allegory

A work that functions on a symbolic level

Evaluative Comprehension

Ability to use critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and aesthetic considerations to evaluate a text.

Effective Modifiers

Adjectives & Adverbs

Pedantic

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES

Any tools used by the author to make his/her point more convincing. Rhetorical strategies help the author to make his claim (Logos) more convincing by appealing to Pathos and Ethos.

Authority

Arguments that draw on recognized experts or persons with highly relevant experience.

Chiasmus

Arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of X Y Y X. It is often short and summarizes a main idea.

Assertion/claim (noun)/ assert (verb)

Assertions are opinions stated as facts—the basis of all arguments. Assertions are always arguable. Another word for an assertion that controls an argument is claim."America has long had a love affair with violence and guns"(x). Canada begins his book by claiming, or asserting that an important part of America's experience has been their love of violence and guns.

Meter

Beat or Rhythm in Poetry

Base Word

Can stand alone. It is a complete word all by itself, although other word parts may be added to it to make new words.

Asyndeton

Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z.

Appreciative Comprehension

Considering the author's purpose for writing the text. You may not "like" classical music, but can you appreciate the skill, talent, and years of training of the musicians or composer?

Decoding

Decoding is the ability to apply your knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words.

Denotative

Dictionary definition

Closed Minded Biases

Difficult to interact with.

Structural Elements

Exposition, Climax, Meter, Stanzas

Cultural Differences

Factors such as age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc.

Listening Barriers

Factors that interfere with our ability to comprehend information and respond appropriately.

Stylistic Text Features

Figurative Language to Text Style

Poetry Characteristics

Figurative language, meter, sound, imagery, format.

Oxymoron

From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," ___ is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness."

Syllogism

From the Greek for "reckoning together," a __ is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.

Open Ended Question

Gives the interviewee a measure of control over the interview. Allows interviewees to select their answer.

Drama Characteristics

Highly emotional, usually focuses on humans and involves a "crisis of feeling" - a painful or harmful experience.

Causal Relationship

In __, a writer asserts that one thing results from another. To show how one thing produces or brings about another is often relevant in establishing a logical argument.

Third Person Omniscient

In ___, the narrator, with a godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters.

Phonemes

In a language or dialect, this is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances.

Wit

In modern usage, intllectually amusing language that surprises and delights. A ___ty statement is humorous, while suggesting the speakers verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks. ___ usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement. Historically, ___ originally meant basic understanding. Its meaning evolved to include speed of understanding, and finally, it grew to mean quick perception including creating fancy and a quick tongue to articulate an answer that demanded the same quick perception.

Dramatic Irony

In this type of irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or a piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work

Verbal Irony

In this type of irony, the words literally state the opposite of the writer's true meaning

Abstract Language

Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places.

Anadiplosis

Last word of a phrase is repeated to begin the next phrase ("Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.")

Subordinate Clause

Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subjec and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike independent clauses, the ___________ ______ cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. The ___________ ______ depends on a main clause (or independent clause) to complete its meaning. Easily recognized key words and phrases usually begin these clauses. For example: although, because, unless, if, even though, since, as soon as, while, who, when, where, how, and that. Example: Yellowstone is a national park in the West 'that is known for its geysers'. Parenthesed phrase= ___________ ______

Listening Strategies

Listening for organizing cues, listening for verbal and nonverbal cues, listening for main ideas and relevant supporting ideas, questioning for clarification, seeking and using feedback, applying memory strategies, and taking notes?

Modes of Writing

Narration, description, persuade, exposition, research writing, response to literature, writing for assessment, and workplace writing.

Informational Text

Nonfiction written primarily to convey factual information. Informational texts comprise the majority of printed material adults read (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, reports, directions, brochures, technical manuals).

Begging the Question

Often called circular reasoning, __ occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim.

Prose

One of the major divisions of genre, ___ refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, because they are written in ordinary language and most closely resemble everyday speech.

Personal Biases

Preferences developed through life experiences that alter objective decision making and make it difficult to think critically.

Consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

Assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity

Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices are common, such as saying language is a living beast: that's a metaphor — one of the most common rhetorical devices. Another is alliteration, like saying "bees behave badly in Boston." Rhetorical devices go beyond the meaning of words to create effects that are creative and imaginative, adding literary quality to writing.

Trochee

Stressed, Unstressed

Explication

The act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. __ usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.

Rhetoric

The art or study of persuasion through speaking or writing; language that is elaborate or pretentious but actually empty, meaning little

Ethnocentric

The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own group and culture.

Semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies that meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually, __ is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the __ may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing.

Irony/Ironic

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. _____ is often used to create poignancy or humor. In general, there are three major types of _____ used in language: (1) verbal _____ - when the words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) meaning (2) situational _____ - when events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen (3) dramatic _____ - when facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work.

Irony

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears to be and what actually is true.

Atmosphere

The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the _____. Frequently _____ foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood.

Rhetorical Modes

The flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing.

Root Word

The form of a word after all affixes are removed, the base component of a term which gives it a meaning that may be modified by other components.

Connotative

The ideas or concepts a word suggests in addition to its literal definition.

Literal Comprehension

The lowest level of understanding. It involves reading the lines and understanding exactly what is on the page. Students can repeat or paraphrase what they have read.

Deduction

The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.

Exposition

The purpose of this rhetorical mode is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, __ uses terms related to the five senses; we refer to visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory. For example, a rose may present visual __ while also representing the color in a woman's cheeks.

Allophones

The subtle variations of phonemes that occur as a result of contextual influences on how phonemes are produced in different words

Epigraph

The use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two. One of them is "You are all a lost generation" by Gertrude Stein.

Subject Complement

The word (with any accompanying phrases) or clause that follows a linking verb and complements, or completes the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it(the predicative nominative) or (2) describing it (the predicate adjective). These are defined below: 1) The predicate nominative- a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject. It, like the predicate adjective, follows a linking verb and is located in the predicate of the sentence. Example: Julia Roberts is a movie star. movie star= predicate nominative, as it renames the subject, Julia Roberts 2) The predicate adjective- an adjective, a group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb. It is in the predicate of the sentence, and modifies, or describes, the subject. Example: Warren remained optimistic. optimistic= predicate adjective, as it modifies the subject, Warren

Narrative Device

This term describes the tools of the storyteller, such as ordering events to that they build to climatic movement or withholding information until a crucial or appropriate moment when revealing in creates a desired effect.

Mood

This term has two distinct technical meanings in English writing. The first meaning is grammatical and deals with verbal units and a speaker's attitude. The second meaning is literary, meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.

Homily

This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

Third Person Limited Omniscient

This type of point of view presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all remaining characters

Ethical Appeal

When a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text.

Equivocation

When a writer uses the same term in two different senses in an argument.

Either-or reasoning

When the writer reduces an argument or issue to two polar opposites and ignores any alternatives.

Persuasive Writing

Writing in which the author wants to convince readers to agree with the author's opinions. To accomplish this, the writer must first make the issues clear to the reader and then provide incidents and facts to support his or her opinion. Examples: campaign speeches, debates, etc.

Figurative Language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

Persuasive Text

Writing to present an argument or point of view; editorials, propaganda, advertisement.

Situational Irony

a type of irony in which events turn out the opposite of what was expected.

Expository Writing

a type of oral or written discourse that is used to explain, describe, give information or inform. Organization Ideas: Cause & Effect, Problem & Solution, Chronological Order

Speaker's Stance

a "stance" is a position, where you stand on an issue. You might, for example, disagree with Bush's stance on Iraq and believe instead that we should withdraw our troops. That belief, then, would be your stance.

sonnet

a 14 line poem containing 3 quatrains and 1 couplet

Deconstruction

a critical approach that debunks single definitions of meaning based on the instability of language. It "is not a dismantling of a structure of a text, but a demonstration that it has already dismantled itself."

Onomatopoeia

a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum.

Transition

a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.

Pathos

an appeal based on emotion.

Analogy

a literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items.

Euphemism

a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. "He went to his final reward" is a common __ for "he died." They are also used to obscure the reality of the situation.

concrete poem

a poem in which the words are arranged to create a picture that relates to the content of the poem

cinquain

a poem with 5 lines that contains a 2-4-6-8-2 syllable pattern

proverb

a short traditional saying that expresses wisdom

limerick

a silly, nonsense poem with 5 lines in a AABBA rhyme scheme

Metonomy

a term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name" __ is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example: a news release that claims "The White House declared" rather than "The President declared"

Logos

an appeal based on logic or reason

Voice

can refer to two different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence's subject and verb (active and passive). The second refers to the total "sound" of the writer's style.

Litotes (understatement)

deliberately representing something as less than it is in order to create a particular effect. Canada relates an incident which begins with the claiming of a basketball and escalates into the confrontation of a man with a gun. He watches as the older boys reach for their knives and face down an opponent who has a much more powerful weapon. Later, when Geoffrey wants to talk about this incident, Mike and Junior deliberately understate the severity of what happened: '"He was an *******. Forget it."'(42). Their use of litotes or understatement is meant to teach an important lesson: you must keep your emotions under control in order to survive on the streets

Sound Devices

elements such as rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia - gives poetry a musical quality.

Annotation

explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Interpersonal vs. Intrapersonal Communications

interpersonal -- Exchange of information between two persons or among persons interpersonal -- Communication that occurs within yourself, including your thoughts and emotions.

Sarcasm

from the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," ___ involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device.

Antithesis

the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by phrase, clause, or paragraphs. "To be or not to be . . ." "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times . . ." "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country . . ."

Doublespeak

language used to distort and manipulate rather than to communicate. "Not doing so well" instead of very sick or injured

lyric vs. narrative poem

lyric -- does not tell a story/expresses the personal feelings, observations, or thoughts of a speaker narrative -- poem that tells story

Logical Fallacies

methods of pseudo-reasoning that may occur accidentally or may be intentionally contrived to lend plausibility to an unsound argument.

Jargon

refers to a specialized language providing a shorthand method of quick communication between people in the same field. The basis of assessment for Schedule D Case I and II, other than commencement and cessation, is what is termed a previous year basis. (legal jargon)

Parallelism

refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

Understatement

the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.

Anaphora

repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent.

Euphony

the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.

Diction

the author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning

Comic Relief

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.

Connotation

the interpretive level or a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.

Denotation

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word

Qualification (noun)

to modify, restrict or limit. A qualification of an assertion or claim means that you agree in part, or you wish to redefine or reshape the assertion. If you were asked your opinion of Canada's assertion, or claim, you might agree that guns have held an important place in the defense of America, but that "love affair" is too strong a term to describe Americans' feelings for guns. So you would express your opinion as a qualification of Canada's argument: while it is true that guns have played an important part in American history, the reason is not Americans' love for guns but rather their desire for safety and security.

Recapitulate

to repeat briefly; to summarize. Often when you write an argument essay or give a speech, you recapitulate, or sum up your points, in your conclusion. After describing his experience as a teacher with some difficult students (Ch. 4), Canada recapitulates by comparing these students to those he had grown up with in the Bronx and restating his claim that "Violence is a learned response"(28).

Appeals to authority

using the endorsement , approval or voice of an authority to make an argument seem more convincing. When students voice their opinions in a synthesis essay, they often quote from authority figures to support their opinions.

Parallel syntactic structures

using the same part of speech or syntactic structure in (1) each element of a series, (2) before and after coordinating conjunctions (and, but, yet, or, for, nor), and (3) after each of a pair of correlative conjunctions (not only...but also, neither...nor, both...and, etc.). Below are examples for definitions (1) and (3):Over the hill, through the woods, and to grandmother's house we go. (3) That vegetable is both rich in vitamins and low in calories.

Informative/Explanatory Writing

writing that conveys information accurately in order to increase readers' knowledge of a subject, to help readers better understand a procedure or process, or to provide readers with enhanced comprehension of a concept.