Reading Rules
T.D.A. TIP: Sometimes, it helps to preview all of the _____________ before reading the passage they refer to.
Questions
Punctuation Power! This mark shows ownership or is used in contractions.
An apostrophe
If you don't know what a word means, you should use ________ ________ from the sentence/text. (100 points)
The amount of food in the woods was SCARCE, and they had to go elsewhere if they wished to eat. What does 'scarce' mean? (bonus 100 points)
1. context clues
2. There's not a lot of something
What does BT-TLQA-RMC stand for?
Background Statement, Thesis, Topic Sentence, Lead-In, Quote, Analysis, Rephrase Thesis, Main Points, Clincher
In 2010, Mr. Bev attended a championship game for which of these four teams: Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers
Flyers (Game 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks)
Readers can reach a conclusion by making a(n) ____________ using context clues and background knowledge. For example, given his classroom, you can infer that Mr. Bev is a huge ________ sports fan. (100 points each)
1. inference
2. Philadelphia
The ___________ mood commonly uses the word "were." You also have to drop the “__" at the end of the main verb in this mood. (100 points each)
1. Mood
2. "s"
Using context clues, what do these two words mean? (100 points each)
1. She’s METICULOUS with every detail she touches, perfectly writing an ideal paper.
2. He was RELUCTANT to speak in front of the intimidating crowd after his last public speaking blunder.
1. Careful, cautious
2. Unwilling, not interested
Early in the text, the Joker states, This city deserves a better class of criminal... and I'm gonna give it to 'em!"
Identify the two errors with this quote. (100 points each)
1. No quotation mark at the start
2. No in-text citation. Example: (Kane).
Which are Mr. Bev's top-2 favorite ceiling tiles? (100 points each)
1. The Power of Poetry
2. The Call of the Wild
Define these three terms. (100 points each)
C_ _ _ _ _ _ - to communicate a message or information
R_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - things that are unnecessary
C_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - events in the order they happen
Convey, Redundant, Chronological
"The task was completed and finished by Mr. bev after an incredibly long day at school and thankfully it was time to go home and make some popcorn!"
What are three revisions that should be made to this sentence? (100 points each)
1. Change it to ACTIVE voice
2. Uppercase the "B"
3. Add in punctuation
4. Remove the redundant phrase "and finished"
Name three strong verbs you can use instead of the word “show” when writing a T.D.A. (100 points each).
Conveys, Illustrates, Suggests, Emphasizes, Demonstrates, Reveals, etc.
Topic sentences are crucial for setting up each body paragraph. What are three things you need to include in a great topic sentence? (100 points each)
1. Indent at the start
2. Transitional word/phrase
3. Tie back to thesis
4. Preview paragraph topic
Answer these grad school questions about Mr. Bev. (100 points each)
1. He is currently pursuing a _________ in Education.
2. His night classes are 4-10 PM on ____________.
3. Is he doing a qualitative or quantitative final study?
1. Doctorate
2. Mondays
3. Qualitative (Narrative Analysis)
T.D.A.s are important questions based on different texts! What are four things you should do before you even begin typing your T.D.A.? (100 points each)
1. Write BT-TLQA-RMC on your scrap paper
2. Re-read and understand the prompt
3. Determine your overall argument/thesis
4. Find quotes that support your thesis
She hesitated — just for a second — before saying, “I’m not sure if it’s self-explanatory… or if I’m just overthinking it.”
Identify four forms of punctuation and explain their purpose.
1. Em dashes - Used for interruptions
2. Comma - Used to separate thoughts
3. Quotation Marks - Used to show dialogue
4. Ellipsis - Used to show extended thought
5. Apostrophe - Used for contractions
6. Period - Used to conclude the sentence
What do the following prefixes mean? (100 points each)
1. Re-
2. Pre-
3. Semi-
4. Ir-
1. Again (return, reminder)
2. Before (prefix, preschool)
3. Half (semi-final, semi-interested)
4. Not (irrelevant, irregular)
When you re-read the first draft of your T.D.A., what are four things you should revise/edit? (100 points each)
Answers may vary ... but, grammar mistakes, spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, capitalization, clear thesis/claim, strong text evidence, explanation/analysis of evidence, transitions between ideas, organization of paragraphs, sentence variety, repetition or unnecessary words, conclusion strength, staying on topic/answering the prompt, word choice/stronger vocabulary
The 8th grade dance is approaching, and Mr. Bev is in charge! Select one teammate to make a 30-second speech about WHY you should go!
Answers may vary
Answer these five questions about texts we have read. (100 points each)
1. Who wrote “My Mother’s Garden”?
2. What job did Roald Dahl have during World War II?
3. What is the final commandment at the end of Animal Farm?
4. In which state was Frederick Douglass born?
5. What is the name of the university Victor attends in the story?
1. Kaitlyn Greenridge
2. Fighter Pilot
3. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.
4. Maryland
5. Ingolstadt
Grammar General Knowledge (100 points each)
1. What P.O.V. should you use when writing T.D.A.s?
2. What is a modifier?
3. This must agree with its subject in number, such as he runs instead of he run.
4. "Can't" and "Won't" are examples of ______.
5. VERB then SUBJECT is _________ voice.
1. 3rd person
2. A word or phrase that describes or gives more information about another word in a sentence.
3. Verb
4. Contractions
5. Passive
Read the definitions of these common PSSA verbs. What are they? (100 points each)
1. Show how two things are similar
2. Show how two things are different
3. Judge or decide the value of something
4. Tell the main points in a shorter way
5. Find or name something specific
1. Compare
2. Contrast
3. Evalute
4. Summarize
5. Identify
Provide the following:
1. The three magic words you should use in your "analysis" (100 points)
2. Two transitional phrases (200 points)
3. A clincher for Frankenstein about the dangers of tempting fate (200 points)
1. Because, If, Then
2. "Later on...", "As a consequence...", "From this instance..."
3. Answers may vary.
Answer these class-related questions about Mr. Bev. (100 points each)
1. What animal has Mr. Bev randomly shown videos of over the past month?
2. Who is Mr. Bev's least favorite character from a story we've read?
3. What is Mr. Bev's favorite class activity?
4. What was the name of the first activity we did in class? (Bonus question available...)
5. What is Mr. Bev's favorite grammar topic to teach?
1. Spiders/Tarantulas
2. Squealer
3. Bev's Biannual Spelling Bee
4. Video About Me!
5. Active/Passive Voice