Characters
The main character.
Protagonist
Time order in which events happened.
Chronological Order
Where and when a story takes place.
Setting
The reason for writing (to persuade, inform, entertain).
Author’s Purpose
A traditional, ancient story often used to explain how the world works.
Myth
The force opposing the main character.
Antagonist
The central message, lesson, or overall message.
Main Idea/Theme
A short overview telling the beginning, middle, and end.
Summary
The environment in which language is used, including topic and audience.
Context
Identifying similarities.
Compare
How a character views events?
Character Perspective
How things are connected; the reason something happens and the result.
Cause and Effect
The organized sequence of events that make up a story, usually following a beginning, middle, and end.
Plot
A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning.
Inference/Infer
Identifying differences.
Contrast
The the perspective from which a story is told (first or third person)?
Point of View
An essay that uses logic, evidence, and emotion to convince readers to adopt a specific viewpoint or take action.
Persuasive
The central problem in a story.
Conflict
Facts, quotes, or details that support an argument.
Evidence
A figure of speech not meant to be taken literally. E.g., “break a leg” or “piece of cake”.
Idiom
The driving reason behind a character’s actions and desires, which shapes the story.
Motivation
A grouped set of lines in a poem, typically separated by blank space.
Stanza
How information is organized (e.g., chronological, cause/effect, compare/contrast).
Text Structure
Facts, examples, and data—that support your thesis and strengthen arguments,
Details
A comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as".
Simile