Figurative Language
In the sentence “The hallway was a river of students after the bell,” identify the figurative language being used.
metaphor
A reader highlights important sentences, circles unfamiliar words, and writes questions in the margins. What reading strategy is being used?
Annotating
“The museum received 12,450 visitors during June.” Is this statement primarily objective or subjective?
Objective
In an argument, this statement tells readers what the writer believes or wants to prove.
Claim
A student describes a character as haughty. The character refuses to sit with classmates because she believes they are beneath her. What does haughty mean?
Arrogant or acting superior to others?
The old floorboards complained beneath our feet.” Identify the literary device and explain what makes it an example.
Personification
A character walks into class soaking wet and carrying a broken umbrella. Without being told directly, you determine that it is raining. What reading skill did you use?
Infering
The museum's new dinosaur exhibit is easily the most exciting exhibit in the entire building.” Is this statement primarily objective or subjective?
Subjective
A student writes, “School lunches should be longer because students need enough time to eat.” What would the student need next to make the argument stronger?
Relevant text evidence or supporting evidence?
A character sits perfectly straight, carefully fixes her clothing, and criticizes behavior she considers improper. Which vocabulary word best describes her?
Prim
A writer says, “The test seemed like a mountain I had to climb.” Identify the figurative language AND explain what the comparison suggests.
simile
Two articles discuss school uniforms. You examine what ideas they share and where their arguments differ. What skill are you using?
Compare and contrast
An author includes statistics, definitions, diagrams, and explanations about hurricanes. What is the author's most likely purpose?
Inform
A writer says, “Everyone knows homework is always terrible and never helps anyone.” What type of words weaken this claim by making it overly broad?
Absolute or extreme words?
One source states that technology improves student learning, while another states that technology harms student learning. The two sources do this to each other.
contradict
Explain the difference between these two sentences:
“The classroom was a freezer.”
“The classroom was like a freezer.”
First is a metaphor, while the second is a simile
A student says, “I think the character feels betrayed.” What must the student provide from the passage to strengthen this inference?
Text evidence?
Text evidence
Two writers describe the same school event. One calls it “an impressive success,” while the other calls it “a disappointing mess.” What concept best explains why their descriptions differ?
Subjective
A student includes a quotation in an argumentative response but never explains how it supports the claim. Which important part of the RACES method is missing?
Explain
An author writes about moving to a new country as a child, describing actual experiences, memories, and lessons from that period of their life. What genre best describes the text?
memoir
An author describes a storm by writing, “The angry clouds marched across the sky while the wind screamed at the trees.” Identify the main literary device and explain its effect.
Personification
A reader examines an author's word choice, organization, examples, and tone to determine how they contribute to the meaning of a text. What skill is the reader practicing?
Analyzing
An article contains accurate facts but repeatedly uses words such as outrageous, terrible, and unacceptable. Why might the article not be completely objective?
The author's word choice reveals opinions or feelings, making parts of the writing subjective.
The author's word choice reveals opinions or feelings, making parts of the writing subjective.
Why is evidence alone not enough to create a strong argumentative response?
The writer must explain how the evidence supports the claim or reasoning.
A student identifies a text as informational simply because it contains facts. What else should the student consider before determining its genre?
The student should analyze the text's overall purpose, structure, content, and characteristics, not just the presence of facts.