Poetry
If a poet uses a repeating consonant sound at the beginning of words (e.g., "dark days deal despair"), what device are they using?
Answer: Alliteration
Which part of the plot provides background information about the setting and characters at the start of a story?
Answer: Exposition
What is the purpose of a Caption in an informational text?
Answer: To explain what is happening in a photo or illustration.
What is a Thesis Statement?
Answer: A one sentence statement of the position you are taking your essay and the preview of the three points.
What should you do first before reading a passage?
Answer: Read the directions and preview the questions.
What is the difference between a poem's Stanza and its Speaker?
Answer: A stanza is a grouped set of lines; the speaker is the "narrator" or voice of the poem.
What is the difference between First-Person and Third-Person Omniscient points of view?
Answer: 1st person uses "I" and is a character in the story; 3rd person omniscient is a narrator who knows the thoughts of all characters.
If an author organizes a text by describing the relationship between two things, what type of text is this?
Answer: Cause and Effect
In an MCAS essay, what does it mean to "Use evidence from the text"?
Answer: Using direct quotes that are accurately cited.
If you don't know a word, how can Context Clues help you?
Answer: You look at the words and sentences surrounding the unknown word for hints.
What is the term for a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work within a poem?
Answer: Allusion
Identify the type of conflict: A character struggles with a difficult decision or a moral dilemma.
Internal conflict; character vs self
Read this short passage and identify which Text Structure the author is using:
"To prepare for the MCAS, students should first review their vocabulary. Next, they should practice reading complex passages. Finally, they should take a practice test to build their stamina."
Sequence
What is the purpose of a Transition word or phrase?
Answer: To connect ideas and create a smooth flow between sentences and paragraphs.
Describe the Process of Elimination.
Answer: Crossing out the answers you know are definitely wrong to increase your chances of picking the right one.
Explain the difference between Mood and Tone in a poem.
Answer: Tone is the author’s attitude; Mood is the feeling the reader gets.
What is the "Theme" of a story, and how does it differ from the "Main Idea"?
Answer: Theme is a universal message about life; Main Idea is what the specific story is about.
How is the main idea different from supporting details?
Answer: The main idea the topic of the entire text and supporting details are the smaller points that relate to that topic.
When writing an essay, what is Analysis (as opposed to just summary)?
Answer: Explaining how or why the evidence proves your thesis.
What does it mean when a question asks you to "Infer" or "Make an Inference"?
Answer: To use (what you know) plus text evidence to reach a conclusion not explicitly stated.
In poetry, Situational Irony occurs when the outcome of a situation is the exact opposite of what was intended or expected. If a poem describes a giant, expensive "No Littering" sign that is covered in trash and falling over, why is that considered ironic?
Because the sign was created to stop littering, but instead, it has become part of the litter problem itself. The result is the opposite of the sign's purpose.
How do authors reveal characterization?
Most informational texts have one of three main purposes: To Persuade, To Inform, or To Entertain. If an article uses lots of statistics and facts to change your mind about a law, which purpose is it?
To Persuade. (Even though it uses facts to "inform," the ultimate goal is to change the reader's opinion or behavior.)
What are the main parts of a standard body paragraph?
Answer: topic sentence, context, evidence, citation, reasoning, conclusion sentence
How can you use your scrap paper during the MCAS?
Answer: to take notes about passages using a T-chart and to plan your written responses