Reading SOL
Tone
The author's attitude toward the subject
End rhyme
The rhyming of words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry
Stage directions
The specific instructions (in parentheses) a playwright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc.
Infer
To use available evidence to form a conclusion; to guess
Suspense
Uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen next in a story
Adequacy
What was done was done in the right amount
Slant rhyme
Words that almost end with the same sounds
Context
Words, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning.
Summary
a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form
Foil
a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another
Simile
a comparison using like or as
Metaphor
a comparison without using like or as
Irony
a contrast between expectation and reality
Dialogue
a conversation between two persons in prose or drama
Tension
a feeling excitement and expectation the reader or audience feels because of the conflict, mood, or atmosphere of the work
Dialect
a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group
Stanza
a group of lines in a poem or song that constitute a division (in prose: paragraph)
Pun
a joke, or "play on words," based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but mean different things
Heading
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
Aside
a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage
Satire
a literary work that makes fun of and criticizes human faults
Sarcastic
a mocking or nasty remark intended to hurt or wound another's feelings
Transition
a passage or phrase that connects a topic to one that follows
Excerpt
a passage taken from a longer book or article
Opinion
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
Allusion
a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art
Rhyme scheme
a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem
Flashback
a scene or event from the past that appears in a narrative out of chronological order, to fill in information or explain something in the present
Fable
a short moral story (often with animal characters)
Paradox
a statement that seems self-contradictory or obviously wrong but in reality expresses a possible truth.
Resume
a summary of your academic and work history that you turn in when applying for a job
Legend
a very old story which may be based on actual people and events but is not historically true
Synonym
a word that means the same as another word
Editorial
an article giving opinions or perspectives
Personal Essay
an essay that tells the writer's personal opinion, beliefs, or ideas about a subject
Fact
an idea whose truth can be proved
Character
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story),described through a process called characterization
Cliche
an overused saying or idea
Informal
casual, relaxed, everyday
Illustrate
clarify by giving an example of
Analyze
consider in detail in order to discover meaning and purpose
Outline
describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
Imagery
description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
Accuracy
exactness, correctness
Personification
figurative language in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Apostrophe
figurative language in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction
Hyperbole
figurative language that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor
Tall Tale
highly exaggerated story with humor, often set in the United States
Exaggeration
making to seem more important than it really is
Literal
meaning exactly as written or spoken
Third Person
narrator is outside the action and refers to characters as he/she/they
Biography
nonfiction story of a person's life written by another person
Broad
not detailed or specific, big picture
Problem/Solution order
organizes by first describing the problem and then giving a solution for it
Compare/Contrast order
organizes the description by how two things are alike or different
Spatial order
organizes the description of items according to their position or closeness to each other
Conflict
problem in the story that drives the plot forward
Conclude
reach a decision, come to an end
Purpose
reason for doing something
Internal rhyme
repetition of sounds within a line (but not at the end of the line)
Alliteration
repetition of the beginning sound in words, like "Silly Sally" or "Golly Gosh"
Understatement
saying less than one means for humorous effect (the opposite of hyperbole)
Resolution
something settled or solved
Requirement
something that is necessary
Topic
subject people think, write, or talk about
Plagiarism
taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas
Plot
the action of a story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.
Quotations
the exact words of a source or character set off in quotation marks
villain
the main bad character in a film or work of fiction
Thesis
the main opinion or idea shared by a writer or speaker
Omniscient
the narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.
Chronological order
the order in which events happen in time
Mood
the overall emotion created by a work of literature
Audience
the people who are meant to read or watch your work
Narrator
the person telling the story
Point of View
the perspective from which a story is told
Setting
the time and place of a story
Foreshadowing
the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
Persuade
to convince
Emphasize
to give special attention to something, to stress
Cite
to mention, refer to, quote (for proof or example)
Contrast
to put things together to see how they are different
Compare
to put things together to see how they are the same
Proofread
to read over and fix mistakes
First Person
told from the narrator's point of view, using "I"
Objective
undistorted by emotion or personal opinions
Figurative
using figures of speech; expressing something in terms usually used for something else; usually to have a bigger impact
Main idea
what a piece of writing is mainly about
Symbolism
when a thing represents more than just itself
Key words
words that help you search for resources on an internet source or help you discover meaning in text
Evidence
Supporting facts used to prove or disprove something
Allegory
A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent ideas
Diction
A writer's or speaker's choice of words
Reliable
Able to be depended on; trustworthy
Evaluate
Examine and judge carefully.
Significant
Important
Theme
Message or statement about life in the story
Sources (Resources)
Places where you get information that will answer your questions
