English Language Arts 020, OAE 020 Exam Terms, OAE 020 Practice Assessments
Morrison
In her work she has explored the experience and roles of black women in a racist and male dominated society. In the center of her complex and multilayered narratives is the unique cultural inheritance of African-Americans.
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."
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
Medieval
Strong Christian influence prompted the exploration of Biblical themes and stories and contributing to the developments of hymns, mystery plays, and religious poetry.
Modernism
Strong intention to break tradition after WWI. All things are relative and there is no absolute truth. "the lost generation". Lack of certainty and direction.
Questioning
Students create their own questions about the material before reading. This allows them to think ahead about the characters, theme, plot, ect.
Elegy
Sustained and formal poem setting forth the poet's meditations upon death or another solemn theme
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)
Iamb
Unstressed, Stressed
Anapest
Unstressed, Unstressed, Stressed
Symbolism
Use of a person, object, event, action, or image to represent an idea
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
Mythology
anonymous work having roots in primitive folk belief. Present supernatural episodes to interpret natural events
Mood
atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader
Plot
authors use flashbacks, foreshadowing, and suspense- as well as subplots and parallel plots to very the structure and tempo of a narrative
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
Setting
the time and place that is set for a narrative text
Rhetorical and Literacy Devices/ Techniques
the tools that authors use to express ideas through language in the creation of literacy works
Climax
the turning point of the story
Antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.
Trochee
Stressed, Unstressed
Dactyl
Stressed, Unstressed, Unstressed
Deduction
The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.
Euphony
the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.
Synecdoche
. a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. "All hands on deck" is an example.
Petrarchan Sonnet
14 line poem often dedicated to a lady or unrequited love
The Renaissance
16th and 17th century rebirth humanism - writer's think about their position in the world literature as an art form Authors: Marlow, Bacon, Shakesspeare
Romanticism
17th century valued feeling and intuition nature and freedom of imagination rebel against the "old way" proper gender behavior Authors: Irving, Bryant, Dickenson, Whitman
Realism
1855-1900 Civil war and post war focus on changing on specific social issue the world as one sees it realities of life does not idealize people or places
Neoclassicism
18th century. Respected order, reason, and rules. Humans viewed as imperfect. Society more important the the individual
Surrealism
1920s. Expression of the philosophical movement. Features the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non sequitir.
Romanticism
19th century. Writers look to nature for inspiration. Idealized the past and celebrated the individual.
Realism
19th century. writings based on careful observation of ordinary life. They often focused on the middle and lower classes of society and attempted to present life objectively and honestly without idealism
Modernism
20th century experimental knowledge is not absolute loss of tradition technology
haiku
3 unrhymed lines (5, 7, 5) usually focusing on nature
Fantasy
A conscious breaking free from reality. Either for the delight of the author or a serious comment on reality
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.
Hyperbole
an extreme exaggeration
Rebuttal/Refutation(nouns) rebut/refute (verbs)
an opposing argument; a contradiction. To prove an argument wrong.
Polysyndeton
-- Use of several conjunctions in close succession
Types of Irony
(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.
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".
Science Fiction
A form of fantasy in which scientific facts, assumptions, or hypotheses form the basis of adventures in the future other dimensions, or under new variants of scientific law
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
Shakespeare
A master dramatist of the English language, he changed literature for all time with his poignant tragedies, tragicomedies, and histories. As master of the pen, he finessed the use of a variety of literary elements; in Medias Res, puns, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, soliloquies, and anachronisms.
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.
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?
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
Beat poetry
American poets in the 1950s and 1960s in romantic rebellion against the culture and value system of the US
Twain
An American Realist. Sensitive to the sound of language, he introduced colloquial speech into American fiction in his novels Huck Finn
Pedantic
An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.
Personification
Human qualities to a nonhuman entity
Prefixes
Any morpheme that is attached to the beginning of a root or word and changes the meaning of the word
Suffixes
Any morpheme that is attached to the end of a word or root that changes the meaning of the word
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.
Allophones
Articulation of a phoneme (letters). Example- "k" in kit different from k in khaki.
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.
Chaucer
Author of the Canterbury Tales. One of the first author's to advance the recognition of English as a language for literature.
Central Idea
Author's stance, belief or claim
Meter
Beat or Rhythm in Poetry
Ibsen
Born in Norway. Familiar with the economic hardships he later depicted in his plays, he experimented with realistic plays exploring social issues related to middle-class life.
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.
Emerson
Centered a new religious movement called Transcendantalism. His philosophy was rooted in an American Romanticist and Puritan background.
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.
Decoding
Decoding is the ability to apply your knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words.
Utopian Fiction
Describes an imaginary ideal world
Imagery
Descriptive language that evokes a sensory experience
Closed Minded Biases
Difficult to interact with.
Shakespearean Sonnet
English poetic form attributed to William Shakespeare: Themes include love, time, beauty, and mortality
Exposition
Establishes the setting or atmosphere
Rising Action
Events that lead to the climax
Denotation
Explicit definition of a word listed in the dictionary Ex: Home- a place where one lives
Structural Elements
Exposition, Climax, Meter, Stanzas
Elements of Narrative Structure
Exposition, complication, rising action, crisis, climax, resolution
Character vs. Character
External conflict: occurs when the main character is in a conflict with another character
Naturalism
Extreme form of Realism. Creates characters who are victims of environmental forces and internal drives that are beyond their comprehension and control
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.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Father of magical realism which expands the categories of the real so as to encompass myth, magic and other extraordinary phenomena in Nature or experience" excluded by European realistic fiction.
Stylistic Text Features
Figurative Language to Text Style
Poetry Characteristics
Figurative language, meter, sound, imagery, format.
Confessional
Focuses on poet's private experiences and personal feelings
Villanelle
French verse form: 19 lines long, 5 tercets and 1 quatrain
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
Character vs. self
Internal conflict: the main character has a conflict with him self
Haiku
Japanese poetic form: 5,7,5
Tanka
Japanese poetic form: 5,7,5,7,7
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.")
Hawthorne
Leader in the development of the short story. The philosophic attitude implicit in his writing is generally pessimistic. His emphasis on allegory and symbolism causes his characters to be more often recalled as the embodiment of psychological traits or moral concepts than as living figures.
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?
Compound Words
Made of two attached words that combine to form a new word
Visualizing and Graphic Organizers
Many teachers and students think visually and might best comprehend reading material if there are shapes, spatial relationships, and movements, and colors
Dickens
Master of characterization. His later novels show great psychological depth, offering his distinct brand of social criticism
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Metacognition (thinking about own thoughts while reading) -Make connections and predictions -Use context clues -Question -Visualize -Infer -Synthesize -Identify structures -Use graphic organizer -annotate -Use text features
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.
Complication
Onset of major conflict
Metaphysical
Philosophical poetry 17th century
Pastoral
Poem dealing with rustic life
Crisis
Point of greatest tension
Personal Biases
Preferences developed through life experiences that alter objective decision making and make it difficult to think critically.
Wordsworth
Published the first great work of the English Romantic movement, Lyrical Ballads. Changed poetry forever by the decision to use common language in his poetry.
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.
Syntactic Rules
Rules used in communication to describe how things are organized and ordered
Dystopian fiction
Seeks to point out what is wrong with a seemingly perfect situation or condition; offers alternative or negative view
Previewing
Simply going over texts with students before they engage in it. -Involves reviewing titles, section headings, and photo captions. This can give students a sense of structure, organization and comfort.
Characteristics of a Persuasive Text
Stated position or belief, facts that support a claim or belief, persuasive techniques, a logical argument, and a call of action
Annotating
Taking notes while reading. So, students are constantly thinking about the text while reading
Retelling and Summarizing
Teachers instruct students to retell what has happened in the text in their own words to help ensure they understand it.
Resolution/ Denouement
The "untying" of events
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
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.
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.
First Person
The narration is told by one character and uses pronouns like "I" and "me"
Exposition
The purpose of this rhetorical mode is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.
Third Person Omniscient
The reader experiences a narrator who is all knowing and is privy to the thoughts of all the characters in the story
Third Person Limited
The reader experiences narration through the senses and thoughts of one character and the use of pronouns like "he" "she"
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.
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.
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.
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.
Point of View
Who tells the story and how the story is told. Directly impacts the mood, tone, and the reader's interpretation of the text
Base Words
Words without any endings or other parts added to them
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.
Homer
Wrote the two great epics, Iilad and Odyssey. Considered to be one of the most influential works of the Western Canon
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"
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."
Irony
a feeling, tone, mood, or attitude arising from an awareness that what is (reality) is opposite from, and usually worse than, what seems (appearance)
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.
Allusion
a figure of speech that makes use of a reference to an historical or literacy figure event or object
Transition
a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.
Factual Support
add credibility to the claim .
Soliloquy
allows a character thoughts and feelings without directly addressing other characters
derivational morphemes
alters meaning of a word, its part of speech or both
Apostrophe
an absent person is addressed as though present, or an abstract quality or a nonhuman entity is addressed
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.
Hughes
a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
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
Logos
an appeal based on logic or reason
Testimonial
connect the writer's opinion to the readers feelings about an issue or person. Makes arguments less abstract
Figure of Speech
communicate meanings beyond the literal meanings of the words
Extended Metaphor
comparison is carried throughout the literacy work
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.
free morpheme
can stand alone
bound morphemes
can't stand alone
anacoluthon
changes the grammatical structure in middle disturbance or excitement
Specific Details
claims which are connected back to general statements that provided evidence of probability
Analogy
comparison that reveals relationships and creates understanding for the reader
Repetition
creates familiarity. Author repeats a thought/ idea in an effort to get the reader to become more familiar with the topic or brand
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
Technical Texts
deliver specific information and explain what could or may happen if the directives are not followed
Derivation
different words being formed from one particular root word
Central Ideas IMPLICITLY stated
difficult to find if students have not been taught to identify facts, evidence, and supporting details
Surrealism
element of surprise attacked false rationality and restrictive customs
Sound Devices
elements such as rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia - gives poetry a musical quality.
Existentialism
emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice reaction to realism
Types of Informational Texts
essays, news articles, US foundational docs, historical/scientific/technical/economic accounts
Annotation
explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.
Ancient and Classic
included epics, lyric poetry, dramatic plays, comedies and tragedies and the origin of the novel.
episodic plot
individual chapters that are related to each other, but also a story within itself
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.
Statement of Fact
expresses only what actually happened, or what can be proven by objective idea
Tone
expression of a writers attitude towards .a subject
Character vs. Society
external conflict: a single group of characters is in conflict with the social norms or expectations of a society
character vs. fate
external conflict: the main character battles with events that are determined by destiny or fate
Character vs. nature
external conflict: the main character struggles with nature
Legends
fictional stories once believed to be true. An exaggeration of individuals and events
Simile
figure of speech that compares two things that are unlike yet have something in common. Uses "like" and "as"
Metaphor
figure of speech that makes a connection between two things that are basically unalike but have something in common
focused freewriting
focus on a word or statement, then write down everything that comes to mind for a specified period of time
Root Analysis
focus on instructing their students on the most commonly occurring roots in the English Language. Students should see how the root helps them understand word meaning. When a student is able to breakdown unfamiliar words that share the same root as an unfamiliar word, the student may better determine the unfamiliar word's meaning
formative assessment
focuses on improving student or teach performance does not include a grade
Logical Argument
formal system of analysis that helps writers invent, demonstrate, and prove arguments, it works by testing ideas or propositions against one another to determine accuracy.
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.
Inflectional Morphemes
grammatical marker that indicates tense, number, possession, or comparison
periodic sentence
grammatically correct at the end important idea at the end
loose sentence
grammatically correct before the period important idea is first
Central Ideas EXPLICITLY stated
identified in the passage. Seen in opening paragraphs, headings, subheadings, ect.
Connotation
implied or associated meaning of the word Ex: Home- a place of comfort and security
Fables
in prose or verse to point to a moral and characters are frequently animals
Transcendentalism
mid 19th century. Believe that an ideal spiritual state that transcends the physical and empirical is realized only through the individual's intuition rather than through established religions.
Semicolon
more definite pause than a comma joins 2 clauses that could be separate
Round Characters
multidimensional that often undergo a change during the course of the narrative
Ballad
narrative poetry
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 . . ."
Flat Characters
lack dimension and are largely unchanged in a narration
Doublespeak
language used to distort and manipulate rather than to communicate. "Not doing so well" instead of very sick or injured
multiple sentences
links clauses of similar types using coordinating conjunctions
Epic
long narrative poem
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
Ode
lyrical verse
Opinion Statement
makes judgements, views, or conclusions that cannot be proven false or true
Logical Fallacies
methods of pseudo-reasoning that may occur accidentally or may be intentionally contrived to lend plausibility to an unsound argument.
Foreshadowing
offering clues to the readers about upcoming events
Oxymoron
pairing words that have opposite or contradictory meanings
Voice
particular style of an individual author
Characterization
people who participate in the action of a literary work
Exaggeration
play on the emotions of readers by creating a heightened state of emotion
Rhetorical Question
posed for its persuasive effect without expectation of a reply
Predicting
predict what will happen in the text
accismus
pretended, ironic refusal of something that one wants or denial of something about a person that is not true
Colon
provide a pause before introducing related information introduces lists, definitions, statements, or explanations
Repeat Exposure to Words
provide several opportunities for students to use a new word, both written and spoken
progressive plot
pulls reader through entire book to get answers to questions about the plot
Skimming
quickly identifying the main ideas of the text
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.
Imagery
refers to words and phrases that create vivid sensory experiences for the reader
Renaissance
renewed interest in classical antiquity; a rise in humanist philosophy including a belief in self, human worth, and individual dignity. Radical changes about science, religion, and politics were reflected in literacy topics
Denotation
the literal or dictionary meaning of a word
Metonymy
the name of one thing is substituted for that of something different
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.
Restructuring Reading Materials
replace difficult words with easier words to understand
Wolfe
revolutionized modern fiction as one of the pioneers of the stream-of-consciousness writing technique. This literary device allowed readers to look directly into the flow of thoughts and images in a character's mind.
Word Maps
scaffolds a student's vocab learning experience
Lyrical
showing personal feelings of a first person speaker
simple sentences
single clause
Parallel Expressions
single words, multi-word phrases and clauses should all be equal
Synecdoche
special kind of metonymy in which part of something is substituted for the whole of which it is a part, as in the commonly used phrase "lend me your eyes"
Paradox
statement or figure of speech that seems to contradict itself but in fact, reveals some element of the truth
Stating a Position or Claim
states a position or thesis clearly in the opening paragraphs. Clear, focused, and consistent view throughout the text. Author's may add opposing arguments to their claim so they can include responses or counter arguments
Scanning
student knows what they are looking for. Student will quickly gaze through the text to locate it.
The Keyword Method
students are given a word clue before studying the material. This is intended to create an easy connection to the words meaning that the student can access quickly during a reading experience
General Statements
subjective thoughts about an idea, topic, or issue
complex sentences
subordination to link clauses
Prose
the ordinary language of speech and writing
Euphemisms
substitutions of agreeable or at least non-offensive expressions for more harsh or unpleasant meanings
summative assessment
success of a student's word based on a standard or benchmark includes grades
Summary
synopsis, recap, shorter version. Help readers get a glimpse of the author's ideas in a shorter period of time
Pre-Teaching Vocab Words
teaching students unfamiliar words used in text prior to actually reading the material
Suspense
tension or excitement readers feel as they are drawn into a story
Activating Prior Knowledge
text to text, text to self, text to world
Informational Texts
textbook, research reports, dictionaries, reference materials, newspapers, magazine articles
Diction
the author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning
A Call to Action
the conclusion. Summarizes the views clearly. It is a "So what" questions that creates a call for action in the end
Targeted Vocabulary
the content, subject matter, and evidence presented can also be used to determine the author's audience
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.
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).
Poetic Devices
tools that poets use to express ideas through language in the creation of poetic works
compound sentences
two coordinate clauses together
syllepsis
use of single word in two different sense at once
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.
Persuasive Techniques
utilize an active voice instead of a passive voice. The active voice continually engages the reader and keeps the reader agreeing or disagreeing with positions or topics presented
Hemingway
was a leading spokesman for the "Lost Generation": he expressed the feelings of a war-wounded people disillusioned by the loss of faith and hope. His stories are mainly concerned with "tough" people, intelligent men and women who have dropped into exhausted cynicism.
Poe
was a short story master of Gothic literature. He is famous for his horror tales and is credited with inventing the detective story, as well as for writing poetry with a prominent use of rhythms, alliteration and assonance that gives it a strong musical quality.
Dickinson
was candid in her insights into her own state of consciousness and her speculations of the timeless mysteries of love and death. Her mind was charged with paradox as her eye was focused in opposite directions of two worlds; earthly and heavenly concerns.
Symbolism
writer integrates symbols to create deeper understanding and meaning. Ex: person, place, object, or activity that stands for something beyond itself
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.
Persuasive Text
writing that is supposed to sway readers in one direction or another
Medieval Period
~600 - ~1500 Anglo-Saxon + Old English + Middle English Common Themes: Religious, anonymity Examples: Beowulf, Canterbury Tales