Reading Literature Vocabulary

Supporting Sentence

A _____ sentence helps to clarify, describe, explain, or enhance the main idea of a paragraph.

literary summary

A _____ summary is a synopsis of the events, characters, and ideas in a work of literature.

static

A _________ character does not change during the course of the action.

Explicit Directions

Directions that are clearly stated are also called ______.

shakespeare

He was a great poet and playwright during the English Renaissance. His works include Romeo and Juliet, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and many sonnets.

quote

If you repeat the words someone else has said or written, you ______ them.

Organization

In writing, this is the process of ordering, structuring and presenting information. It is called the _____ of the text.

controlling

The _____ idea of a passage is the idea which is dealt with and recurs throughout the passage.

thesis

The main point or central idea that a writer states and then endeavors to prove is called a ____.

context clues

These are in the text surrounding a word and give hints for the meaning of the word. They are called ___

Persuasive Techniques

These are techniques used to convince. They include repetition, sentence variety, understatement, and overstatement.

supporting evidence

These are the facts or details that back up a main idea, theme, or thesis.

Directions

These are the instructions that tell how to do something.

person vs self

This describes the type of conflict when the leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his conscience, feelings, or ideas.

cultural elements

This includes language, ideologies, beliefs, values, and norms. These elements help to shape the life of a society.

categorical claim

This is a blanket statement about something. It is used to as a strategy to convince readers of the truth of the writer\'s position. It is called a __________ claim.

mythology

This is a body or collection of tales belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes. It explains the actions of gods and goddesses or the cause of natural phenomena and includes supernatural elements.

Literary Narrative

This is a collection of events that tells a story, which may be true or not, placed in a particular order and recounted through either telling or writing.

Fallacy

This is a false or mistaken idea or statement.

tension

This is a form of suspense or potential conflict. It can occur between characters or arise from general situations.

mystery

This is a genre that often includes detectives and a crime that must be solved.

Phrase

This is a group of words used as a single part of speech.

Series

This is a list of three or more items, usually separated by commas.

Logical Fallacy

This is a part of an argument that is flawed and makes the argument invalid, an error in reasoning.

Rhetorical Strategy

This is a plan an author uses to effectively deliver the intended message in written work.

flashback

This is a scene, a conversation, or an event that interrupts the present action to show something that happened in the past

Paragraph

This is a section in a piece of writing that discusses a particular point or topic. It always begins with a new line, usually with indentation.

scene

This is a small division of a play that usually happens in a particular time and place.

Fact

This is a statement that can be proved to be true or false. It is not an opinion.

Valid

This is a statement that is sound or just, well-founded.

Implied Meaning

This is a suggested, but not stated, definition.

Speech

This is a talk or public address.

myth

This is a traditional tale about gods, goddesses, heroes, and other characters.

informal text

This is a type of real-world writing that presents material that is necessary or valuable to the reader.

Persuasive Appeal

This is a type of writing or speech that attempts to convince a reader to think or act in a particular manner.

Question And Answer

This is a way to organize paragraph or composition structure in which the author poses a question then answers it.

viewpoint

This is a writer\'s opinion or standpoint on an issue

perspective

This is a writer\'s or speaker\'s point of view about a particular subject, and is often influenced by their beliefs or by events in their lives.

Counter Argument

This is an argument that makes an opposing point to another argument. It expresses the view of a person who disagrees with your position.

Purpose

This is an author\'s intention, reason, or drive for writing the piece.

Literal

This is an exact word-for-word meaning, without exaggeration.

opinion

This is an expression of an author\'s personal belief. It is not something that can be proved to be true or false.

word choice

This is another way of saying \"diction.\" This can help reveal a) the tone of the work, b) connotations of meaning, and/or c) his style of writing. or This is the author\'s or speaker\'s craft or style. It might be formal, informal, or even slang. Diction is a synonym.

sequencing

This is arranging things in order so they can be numbered or related in a connected series.

Evidence

This is information that supports a thought or belief.

inference

This is reading between the lines. It is taking something that you read and putting it together with something that you already know to make sense of what you read. You make an _____.

Fallacious Reasoning

This is reasoning based on false or invalid arguments.

traditional text

This is the CONVENTIONAL means of relating a story or information-generally in print format like novels or storybooks. It includes CLASSIC stories such as myths and folktales.

Chronological Order

This is the arrangement of events in the order in which they occur.

tone

This is the attitude that an author takes toward the audience, the subject, or a character.

theme

This is the message, usually about life or society, that an author wishes to convey through a literary work.

literal meaning

This is the ordinary, usual, or exact meaning of words, phrases, or passages. No figurative language or interpretation is involved.

point of view

This is the perspective from which a story is told. It is the way the author lets the readers see and hear the story; who tells the story

cultural setting

This is the phrase for the set of values, beliefs, and opinions shared by a group and surrounding the author at the time of her writing.

historical setting

This is the political, social, cultural, and economic \'time and place\' surrounding the creation of a literary text.

Deductive Logic

This is the process of forming a specific consequence from general observations.

paraphrase

This is the restatement of a written work in one\'s own words that keeps the basic meaning of the original work.

topic

This is the specific part of a subject that is dealt with in a research paper or in an essay.

euphamism

This is the substitution of an agreeable or non-offensive phrase for one that might be unpleasant or offensive.

thesis statement

This is the the main idea of an essay, usually expressed as a generalization that is supported with concrete evidence.

motivation

This is the wants, needs, or beliefs that cause a character to act or react in a particular way.

diction

This is the writer\'s choice of words, including the vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the words, and the vividness of the language.

Clarify

This is to clear up or to make information more understandable: to explain.

Persuade

This is to convince

Refine

This is to make improvements to a piece of writing.

Order Of Importance

This is used when details are organized by degree of impact.

informal language

This is what people use in everyday speech. It usually consists of fairly short sentences and simple vocabulary. It is called _______ speech or language

indirect

This is when an author reveals a person in the story through his/her words, thoughts, appearance, action, or what others think or say about him/her. It is called ___ characterization.

Multiple Meaning

This is when one word has more than one definition.

nonliteral

This is when the meaning is NOT exact or word for word. It is figurative and it requires interpretation.

technical writing

This is writing that communicates specific information about a particular subject, craft, or occupation.

formal language

This kind of language usually has longer sentences and a greater variety of words than everyday speech. Slang, contractions, and jargon are avoided.

Validity

This of a source means the accuracy of the information. Is it up-to-date, written by a reliable author, contained in a reputable publication, and directly related to the topic?

In-text Citation

This phrase refers to the documentation of information within the body of a paper: when you provide information about the source within your paper.

Either-Or Fallacy Technique

This propaganda technique is also called \"black-and-white thinking\" because only two choices are given. You are either for something or against it; there is no middle ground or shades of gray. It is used to polarize issues, and negates all attempts to find a common ground.

structure

This refers to a writer\'s arrangement or overall design of a literary work. It is the way words, sentences, and paragraphs are organized to create a complete work.

jargon

This refers to the language of a specialized type, usually dealing with a narrow area of study or knowledge. It has a slightly negative connotation, and can imply that the language is mere word play

Logical Order

This refers to the way that ideas and details are arranged in a piece of writing.

Persuasive Text

This type of text attempts to convince a reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action.

event

This word means anything that happens to or is done by a character in a story.

analyze

To separate a whole into its parts

definition

Usually found in a dictionary, this tells you the meaning of a word or phrase.

direct characterization

When a character is revealed by clear descriptions by the author, this is called _____ characterization.

Claim

When an author makes a ____, (s)he is stating something which might or might not be true. It must be argued.

Relevant

When something closely relates to a subject it is called _________ to the subject.

Circular

When two ideas are used to prove each other, we call this ________ reasoning.

dynamic

a character that changes in a story

archetypal character

a character who represents a certain type of person

idiom

a phrase in common use that can not be understood by literal or ordinary meaninga

allusion

a reference to a person place or event from history literature or religion with which a reader is likely to be familiar with

plot

a series of events that happens in a literary work

argument

a statement that seeks to convince readers of something addresses a problem, and takes a position or this involves one or more reasons presented by a speaker/ writer to lead the audience to a conclusion on an issue

implied meaning

a suggested but not stated definition

adaptation

a version of an original source which is modified for presentation in another form, such as a film, musical, or play

medium

a way of communicating information

character

an individuals mental or moral quality

flat character

character that is not fully developed

figurative language

goes beyond the literal meanings of words to create special effects or feelings

evidence

information that supports a though or belief

media

means of mass communication

conflict

often an antagonist relationship that drives the plot of a story

detail

piece of info used to support main idea

classic

something widely recognized as a model or example of a type of literary work

main idea

the central and most important idea of a passage

characterization

the combination of ways that an author shows readers what a person in a literary selection is like

central argument

the dominant and controlling argument

context

the framework of meaning which surrounds a specific word sentence idea or passage or when we find the meaning of a work by looking at the words and sentences around it , we are using these clues

central

the key point made in a passage is its _____ idea

denotation

the literal definition

experience

the name for what is gathered through the process of living

citation

the notation of a source used for a paper

sequence

the order in which events are told in a story

characters

the people or animals who take part in a literary work

author's purpose

the reason for creating written work

historical context

the setting and circumstances in which a literary work is written or an event occurs.

central message

the theme of a passage story novel poem or drama that readers can apply to life

setting

the time and place of a story

classical literature

this includes great masterpieces of Greek roman and other ancient civilization as well as any writing that is widely considered a model of its form

analogy

this is a comparison based on a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar

source

this is a person, book, document, website or record that provides information. or A research __________ is any material that can be used to locate information about a given topic.

universal theme

this is the central message of a story, poem, novel, or play that many readers can apply to their own experiences, or to those of all people.

connotation

this refers to the feelings and associations that go beyond the dictionary definition of a word

summarize

to state breifly

support

to strengthen or prove an argument or idea by providing facts, details, examples and other information or To strengthen your ideas and opinions with examples, facts, or details is to add _____ details

internal conflict

when a character has a problem within his or herself

conclusion

when you use pieces of information on a subject to base your opinion or make a decision

dialouge

words spoken by characters

fiction

writing about imaginary characters and events