Key Elements
Throughout a scene, the author describes flickering lights, distant thunder, and a character repeatedly checking the locked door. The reader begins to feel uneasy. This element creates the emotional atmosphere of the scene.
What is mood?
The author writes, “The classroom was a zoo,” suggesting that the students were loud and difficult to control without literally saying they were animals
What is a metaphor?
This is what you should do when your teacher is speaking to the class
What is listen?
Relevant to a particular matter; closely connected to the subject being discussed.
What is pertinent?
In a speech about homelessness, the speaker describes a child sleeping in a car and asks the audience to imagine what it would feel like to have nowhere safe to call home. Which appeal is being emphasized?
What is pathos?
Early in a story, a character casually mentions that she has never learned how to swim. Later, the story takes place on a sinking boat. The earlier detail primarily serves this purpose
What is foreshadowing?
“The bitter smell of smoke filled her lungs as ash scratched against her skin and orange flames reflected in her eyes.” Which technique makes the scene especially vivid by appealing to multiple senses?
What is imagery?
This is the phrase our teacher says when someone asks "what time do we leave?"
What is "so you hate me?"
Characterized by a thoughtful or gentle sadness, often associated with reflection or loss
What is melancholy?
An author argues for longer school lunches by citing research showing that students who have more time to eat demonstrate higher afternoon concentration. Which appeal is strongest?
What is logos?
During a chase scene, the author uses short sentences and rapidly describes each movement. During a later conversation between two characters, the author slows down and provides lengthy descriptions of their thoughts. What element is being manipulated?
What is pacing?
A character repeatedly carries a broken watch belonging to her deceased father. By the end of the story, the watch represents her inability to move on from the past. What literary device is this?
What is symbolism?
The thing you should have with you when you come to class so you're prepared to participate.
What is bring a pencil/pen?
Absolutely necessary or essential; requiring immediate attention or action
What is imperative?
After a devastating hurricane, a politician immediately gives a speech calling for emergency funding, arguing that the community must act while the damage is still fresh and help is urgently needed. Which rhetorical strategy makes the timing especially important?
What is kairos?
Two siblings witness the same argument but describe it completely differently because one feels betrayed while the other believes the argument was justified. Which element most directly explains why readers receive different versions of the event?
What is perspective?
A character describes the moment after a disaster as a “deafening silence,” combining two seemingly contradictory ideas to emphasize the strange stillness
What is an oxymoron?
A student copies another person's assignment and submits it as their own. This violates this academic rule.
What is cheating?
Failing to provide or meet what is needed, required, or adequate; not enough for a particular purpose.
What is insufficient?
A speaker says, “As a firefighter who has worked in this community for 20 years, I have seen firsthand how dangerous these conditions can be.” Which rhetorical appeal is being used?
What is ethos?
An author places a wealthy family's extravagant dinner directly beside a description of a starving family living nearby. By positioning these opposing images together, the author draws attention to social inequality. What technique is being used?
What is juxtaposition?
A novel describes a character who ignores warnings about his own downfall as having “the hubris of a tragic Greek hero.” The author expects readers to recognize the connection to a broader literary tradition.
What is an allusion?
You ask, “What are we doing today?” while the assignment is already written on the board. What should you have done first?
What is read the agenda?
To voluntarily give up, surrender, or let go of something, especially something one has a right or claim to
What is relinquish?
A speaker ends several consecutive sentences with the words, “We can do better.” The phrase appears after discussing education, healthcare, and community safety, creating a memorable central message. Which technique is being used, and what is its primary effect?
What is repetition?