Literary Terms
PSSA terms
Idioms
Let's see if you were paying attention
English 101
100

The repetition of the beginning sound of two or more words in a sentence.

What is "alliteration?"

100

Writing that considers similarities and differences.

What is "compare and contrast."

100

Meaning of the idiom "break a leg."

What is "to wish a performer good luck?"

100

A preference for or dislike of something or someone.

What is "bias?"

100

A group of words that contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone. 

What is an "dependent clause?"

200
Figurative language in which an idea, object, or animal takes on human characteristics.
What is "personification?"
200

The overall emotional feeling of a literary work.

What is "mood."

200
The meaning of the idiom "elbow grease."
What is "hard work?"
200

Information that is spread with the intention to persuade readers of a view.

What is "propaganda?"

200

When the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action.

What is "active voice?"

300
An exaggeration used to make a point.
What is "hyperbole?"
300

the people reached by a literary or informational text.

What is "audience?"

300
The meaning of the idiom "down in the dumps."
What is "to feel sad or depressed?"
300

A determination that you make, based solely on the information and evidence provided in the passage.

What is "inference?"

300

When a descriptive word/phrase is separated from the word it is describing.  

What is "misplaced modifier?"

400

Writing technique when author prepares the reader for something that is going to happen in the future in the story.

What is "foreshadowing?"

400

A shortened version of a longer work, containing the main idea and most important details, and using your own words.

What is "summary?"



400
Meaning of the idiom "cost an arm and a leg."
What is "very expensive?"
400

The overall opinion that you form after reading a passage.

What is "conclusions?"

400

The use of appropriate English in writing that demonstrates or creates an objective tone and values logic, evidence, and reason. Avoids contractions and personal pronouns. 

What is "formal writing?"

500
use of a word whose sound makes one think of its meaning, as in zip, buzz, bang, and hiss.
What is "onomatopoeia?"
500
The author's reason for writing. 

What is "author's purpose."

500

Meaning of the idiom "fed up with."

What is "to run out of patience?"

500

A technique in which the reader is distracted with details not relevant to the argument or story

What is a "red herring?"

500

Anytime a writer changes tense, person, number, or mood without reason.  

What is a "shift?"

M
e
n
u