Which tool would help you find synonyms for a word?
Thesaurus
What is the connotation and denotation of the word "home"?
C:Safety, comfort, family
D: A place where someone lives
In The Fall of the House of Usher, what kind of mood does the Ushers’ decaying mansion create?
It creates a gloomy, eerie, and suspenseful mood.
Which is parallel: “She likes cooking, reading, and jogging” or “She likes cooking, to read, and jogging”?
“She likes cooking, reading, and jogging.”
What do the passages “The sun rose over a quiet town” and “The town awoke with chaos and noise” share in common?
Both describe the start of a day but with different tones.
You don’t know the meaning of melancholy. What is the first step you should take using resources?
Look it up in a dictionary to check the definition and examples.
What is the difference between denotation and connotation?
Denotation is the literal dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or cultural association of a word.
What social issue could isolation in the story connect to today?
Loneliness and mental health challenges.
What is wrong with this sentence: “He wanted to swim, biking, and run”?
The verb forms are inconsistent; it should be “to swim, to bike, and to run” or “swimming, biking, and running.”
How do the tones differ in the two passages above?
The first is calm/peaceful, the second is hectic/noisy.
Name one digital tool you could use to verify a word’s correct usage in writing.
Examples: Grammarly, Microsoft Word editor, online dictionary.
Explain the difference in connotation between "curious" and "nosy."
Curious is positive (interested in learning), nosy is negative (intrusively prying).
Identify another story where isolation affects a character negatively.
Example: Frankenstein – Victor’s isolation leads to tragedy.
Identify the error in parallel structure: “The teacher said we should write neatly, finish quickly, and be careful.”
“Be careful” is not parallel; it should match the verb form: “work carefully."
How does comparing these two passages help you understand the author’s purpose?
It shows how word choice and tone shape the reader’s understanding of the scene.
How can context clues be used with a dictionary to determine a word’s meaning?
You can read surrounding words in the sentence to choose the definition that makes sense.
Name a word that has multiple meanings and give two connotations for it (a negative and a positive).
Example: Light – can mean “not heavy” (neutral) or “cheerful” (positive).
How does Edgar Allan Poe use physical decay to reflect psychological decay?
The crumbling mansion mirrors Roderick Usher’s deteriorating mind.
Rewrite this sentence in parallel structure: “My goals are to travel, learning languages, and to cook new recipes.”
“My goals are to travel, to learn languages, and to cook new recipes.”
Give an example of two movies you’ve seen that show the same theme in different ways.
Example:
The Lion King: Simba overcomes guilt to reclaim the throne.
Finding Nemo: Marlin overcomes fear to rescue his son.
Both show overcoming fear but in very different contexts.
The word bark appears in a poem. What strategy would you use to decide whether it means “dog sound” or “tree covering”?
heck the surrounding lines for context and verify both definitions in a dictionary.
How does context help determine the connotation of a word like "shrewd"?
Context shows whether it’s used positively (clever) or negatively (cunning or sly).
Explain why a theme about fear or decay in Poe’s work is still relevant in modern society.
It reflects universal human experiences, like anxiety, mental health struggles, or fear of loss.
Why does using parallel structure make a sentence easier to read?
It creates rhythm, clarity, and balance, helping the reader understand the relationships between ideas.
Why is it important to compare passages across texts when studying themes?
It reveals how themes can be developed differently and helps connect literature to real-world issues.