Parts of Speech
A person, place, thing, idea, living creature, quality, or action.
noun
In 1519, Ferdinand Megellan and his crew sailed west from Spain. They wanted to see what would happen if they kept sailing west. Three years later, they landed in Spain. They had sailed around the world.
Effect: Magellan and his crew sailed around the world. What was the cause?
a. They wanted to see what would happen if they kept sailing west.
b. They sailed from Spain to America.
c. They went to Spain in 1519.
a. They wanted to see what would happen if they kept sailing west.
We all wanted to visit Grandfather. Mother, Father, and I got in the car. We ____________ to grandfather's house. We had a good time with him all afternoon.
a. ran
b. drove
c. crossed
b. drove
The crop that gives the most food to humans and animals in the United States is corn. Most of the corn grown is for use as animal feed. The farmers of the United States produce about one half of all the corn grown in the world.
What is the main idea?
a. Corn is grown as feed for humans and animals.
b. Corn is grown all over the world.
c. Corn is important as it is used for many things.
a. Corn is grown as feed for humans and animals.
The people or animals whose actions and words feature in the story
the characters
A word that describes an action (doing something) or a state (being something).
verb
Jasper and Judy live in a big apartment house. They live on the tenth floor. Last week Jasper walked up all nine flights of stairs. He was very tired when he got home.
Cause: Jasper walked up nine flights of stairs. What was the effect?
a. She was tired when she got home.
b. He lives on the tenth floor.
c. He was tired when he got home.
c. He was tired when he got home.
I raced with my friend. We started together. We both ran very fast. This time she _____________ first. I said, "you win!"
a. began
b. fell
c. finished
c. finished
One of the most welcome sights in the desert is the cactus. The cactus is a plant that can store large amounts of water. It has a thick, tough skin to keep the water in. There are many kinds of cacti. Some grow as tall as 50 feet.
What is the main idea?
a. The cactus grows in most parts of the world.
b. The cactus is a beautiful-looking plant.
c. The cactus is designed for storing water.
c. The cactus is designed for storing water.
Where and when the story takes place
setting
A word that describes a noun. It tells you something about the noun.
adjective
Michael did not want to go to the dentist. He was afraid that Dr. Yurman would hurt him. He cried all the way to the office. But after all that, it didn't hurt at all.
Effect: Michael cried all the way to the office. What was the cause?
a. He wanted to see Dr. Yurman.
b. He was afraid of the dentist.
c. The dentist didn't hurt him at all.
b. He was afraid of the dentist.
There are about 2,000 kinds of bats. They come in many sizes. bats are rather strange looking animals. They are soft and furry with large ears. Bats can not run or walk. They usually eat insects. Bats are the only mammals that fly.
What is the main idea?
a. Bats are unusual mammals.
b. Bats move by running and flying.
c. Bats look like many other animals.
a. Bats are unusual mammals.
The person who writes the story
the author
A word which usually describes a verb. it tells you how something is done. It may also tell you when or where something happened.
adverb
Kitty and her friend decided to take a trip. "We'll go to the beach," said Kitty. "The beach is nice in the autumn. It's cool, so there won't be many people there. It won't be crowded at all."
Cause: The weather is cool. What is the Effect?
a. There won't be many people at the beach.
b. Kitty will take a long trip.
c. The beach will be very crowded.
a. There won't be many people at the beach.
Cats are popular house pets. Cats come in a variety of colors. Some cats have long hair and some have short hair. There are cats that have no tails. Cats can have eyes of many different colors. A cat can be solid color, more than one color, or striped.
What is the main idea?
a. Cats make the best house pet.
b. Cats are very similar.
c. There is much variety in the cat family.
c. There is much variety in the cat family.
The series of events (beginning, rising conflict, climax, falling action, and resolution) which make up the story
the plot
A word used instead of a noun, to avoid repeating the noun. (Ex: I, you, he, etc.)
pronoun
Peter walked quickly down the dark street. It was quiet. Suddenly, a dog howled. Peter walked even faster after that.
Cause: A dog howled. What was the effect?
a. Peter went inside.
b. Peter walked even faster.
c. Everything was quiet.
b. Peter walked even faster.
The police officer held her hand out. The cars halted. The children crossed the street. Then the police officer waved her hand. All the cars started to move again. What does the word halted mean?
a. started
b. stopped
c. moved quickly
b. stopped
Chocolate is a popular food. Today we think of it mainly as a candy. Years ago, it started out as a drink. All chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree. There are many steps to follow in turning cacao beans into the kind of chocolate we eat.
What is the main idea?
a. Making chocolate is a long process.
b. Chocolate is high in vitamins.
c. Chocolate has few uses.
a. Making chocolate is a long process.
The universal lesson or message of the story
theme