Literary Term Definitions
Identify the Literary Term
Interpreting
Literature
Interpreting
Non-Fiction
Test Taking
Strategies
100
A topic of discussion or work; a major idea broad enough to cover the scope of a literary work, that may be stated or implied.
What is a theme?
100
'Linda was a strong woman who lived her entire life on her own terms, without being apologetic for anything.' This is an example of....
What is characterization?
100
You must use examples from the text in order to support a claim. These examples are referred to as...
What is textual evidence?
100
The author's intent either to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people or to persuade or convince his/her audience to do or not do something.
What is author's purpose?
100
Name two locations in a nonfiction passage that often contain answers that students overlook.
What are: Titles, Headings, Captions, Charts and/or Graphs?
200
The comparison of two unlike things in which no words of comparison (like or as) are used.
What is metaphor?
200
'Life is a journey, not a destination.' This is an example of...
What is a metaphor?
200
'My Sorrow, when she's here with me,/Thinks these dark days of autumn rain/Are beautiful as days can be;/She loves the bare, the withered tree;/She walks the sodden pasture lane.' The poet primarily uses which literary device to characterize the speaker's 'Sorrow'?
What is personification?
200
The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach towards a topic.
What is bias?
200
This (not so little) hint is the most common indicator that an author is using personification.
What is capitalization?
300
The method an author uses to reveal the various traits and personalities of fictitious people.
What is characterization?
300
The words surrounding 'vociferous' can be used to determine the meaning of the word: 'The girl who used to be very vociferous doesn't talk much anymore.' These words are called...
What are context clues?
300
'Her pleasure will not let me stay./She talks and I am fain to list:/She's glad the birds are gone away, She's glad her simple worsted grey/ Is silver now with clinging mist.' In context, the word 'simple' most nearly means: a. plain b. straight-forward c. easy d. rudimentary e. foolish
What is a. plain?
300
'George Washington Carver was born near the end of the Civil War, in 1864, and lived until 1943. He loved art and was both an artist and a scientist. As a child, Carver was fascinated with painting, though he was unable to afford the proper materials. Instead, he used blackberry juice as his paint, and horse tail hair is as his paintbrush. Carver even went on to study art while in college, but he was encouraged to pursue botany -- the study of plant life -- instead.' The author's purpose in this excerpt is to....
What is "inform"?
300
The best process one ca use to increase the likelihood of getting a multiple choice item correct is....
What is the process of elimination?
400
The attitude of the author toward the audience, characters, subject or the work itself.
What is tone?
400
'Change versus tradition' and 'The temporary nature of beauty' are examples of....
What are themes?
400
'She's glad the birds are gone away,/ She's glad her simple worsted grey/ Is silver now with clinging mist./ The desolate, deserted trees,/The faded earth, the heavy sky,' These lines are best described as a list of: a. what makes Autumn such a sad time b. what the speaker dislikes about his surroundings c. what the speaker's 'Sorrow' finds appealing d. signs that a cold winter is approaching e. signs that the speaker's 'Sorrow is biased
What is c. what the speaker's 'Sorrow' finds appealing?
400
'> Which natural disaster was the second most costly disaster on the chart?
What is the 2004 Indonesia Tsunami?
400
Name one of the strategies a student might use to achieve a high score on an open-ended (constructed response) question.
What is: Count the parts in the question, Make a plan, Use a graphic organizer, Write a rough draft, OR Refer back to the passage for evidence?
500
Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
What are context clues?
500
#5 The sense of loss felt in the following lines: 'This was the last fish we were ever to see Paul catch. My father and I talked about this moment several times later, and whatever our other feelings, we always felt it fitting that, when we saw him catch his last fish, we never saw the fish but only the artistry of the fisherman.' is an example of....
What is tone?
500
The lines: 'She's glad her simple worsted grey/Is silver now with clinging mist.' suggest that 'she' is 'glad' because: a. the autumn rain is ending b. the mist is an aspect of autumn that pleases her c. she is dressed well for the late autumn weather d. she likes the new silver color of her clothes e. the color of the sky has become more beuatiful
What is b. the mist is an aspect of autumn that pleases her?
500
The author's purpose is to....
What is 'persuade'?
500
Name the five types of paragraphs in an essay, in chronological order:
What is introductory paragraph, 3 body paragraphs and conclusion paragraphs?
M
e
n
u