Figurative Language
Power of Persuasion
Commonly Confused Terms
Fiction
Context Clues
100
The tornado ran across the field.
What is personification?
100
Mr. Johnson is always so mean. He picks on me every day, no matter what. I can't seem to do anything right. He's a horrible teacher.
What is bias?
100
dialect or dialogue? John asked Maria, "Where are you going after school today?"
What is dialogue?
100
The black limousine pulled up to the imposing building. The family members who stepped out of the vehicle seemed to shrink under the massive weight of the day. One of these four terms best describes the tone of the selection. somber peaceful playful stern
What is somber?
100
There were no trees, animals, or vegetation on the barren plain. "Barren" means A. large B. wooded C. simple D. empty
What is empty? (D)
200
He is as sharp as a tack.
What is a simile?
200
Girls smell like flowers and fingernail polish, while boys smell like leather and sweat.
What is a stereotype?
200
dialect or dialogue? Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
What is dialect
200
Delilah's heart raced as the seconds ticked by on the clock. She heard a flurry of papers behind her, but she paid no attention. Her mind was focused on her own work. She knew that if she did not finish, the next four years of her life might be completely ruined. One of these terms describes the mood of the passage. suspenseful concerned light-hearted stern
What is suspenseful?
200
The teacher's lecture was concise. We were dismissed before the bell rang. "Concise" means A. boring B. brief C. lengthy D. interesting
What is brief? (B)
300
Crack, fizz, ahh! Goes my favorite soda
What is onomatopoeia?
300
Mrs. Wilson announced that the class has forty pages to read in the social studies textbook, ten math problems, and a science worksheet for homework that night. Johnny responded, "Great! I love it when we have a ton of homework!"
What is sarcasm?
300
foreshadowing or flashback? As Selena was preparing for bed, she noticed the door was slightly open. "I thought I closed that," she thought to herself. She walked upstairs, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. As she drifted off to sleep, the last sound she thought she heard was the creak of the stairs.
What is foreshadowing?
300
When her daughter was abducted and taken to the underworld by Hades, Demeter refused to nourish the earth, which in turn threatened the very existence of man. Demeter abandoned her responsibilities on Earth. As a result, plants withered and died, rivers ran dry, and animals began to disappear. Demeter:Earth:: tire:car mother:child Persephone:Hades animals:disappear
What is mother:child?
300
Carmen's encyclopedic, expansive knowledge of American history is impressive. "Expansive" means A. broad B. patriotic C. limited D. dull
What is broad? (A)
400
This is a wide, wild world of wonder.
What is alliteration?
400
Fred relentlessly ridiculed George and called him "Four Eyes." One day Fred was called to the office. There, he found his mother waiting for him. "Where are we going, Mom?" Fred asked. "I spoke with Dr. Barnes this morning. He said you need glasses, so we're off to LensCrafters."
What is irony?
400
foreshadowing or flashback? As Ms. Smith opened her lunchbox on the first day of the new school year, she heard her mother's voice in the back of her head. "Mommy, I'm really scared. What if the other kids don't like me?" "Don't worry, dear. You'll make friends and have a wonderful year in kindergarten. Look at this sandwich I made for you. I drew a heart of mustard on your turkey sandwich. Think of me as you take a bite." As she saw the contents of her lunch pail, it reminded her of the many nervous students she had sitting in front of her. She realized how nervous her students must be.
What is flashback?
400
Franz crept out of the metallic dome for his evening duties. He turned the scope once and then twice until the images came into focus. The boredom of his job wore him down, because - just like every other night - the three moons sat in their perfect places in the sky. He wondered if the attack they were constantly preparing for would ever take place. science fiction, historical fiction, or realistic fiction?
What is science fiction?
400
Athletes have a rigorous training routine, which includes weight lifting, running, and diet. "Rigorous" means A. sports B. basic C. stretching D. demanding
What is demanding? (D)
500
The sun was daffodil yellow as it rose in the sky.
What is a metaphor?
500
Southeast of Belgium lies Luxembourg, one of Europe's smallest countries. The entire country is only about fifty-five miles long and thirty-five miles wide, making it slightly smaller than the state of Rhode Island. Is the author's tone positive, negative, or neutral?
What is neutral? (no bias or opinion shown)
500
myth or fable? Then Brer Rabbit got an idea. "Ow!" he shouted as loudly as he could. "I got me a briar in my hand!" He waved a paw and stuck it into his mouth. The other critters told him he'd better pull out the briar and wash his hand afore it got infected. That was just what Brer Rabbit wanted to hear. He hurried off, looking for a shady spot to take a quick nap. A little ways down the road, he found an old well with a couple of buckets hanging inside it, one at the top, and one down at the bottom.
What is a fable?
500
I set up my homework at the kitchen table and then spent the next two hours doing everything but homework. I turned on the History Channel and watched a program on World War II. Boring. I tried to play ball with Einstein. He fell asleep. All I could think of were the sick pups in the clinic and the puppy mill where all those poor creatures were being kept. science fiction, historical fiction, or realistic fiction?
What is realistic fiction?
500
Mr. Ferriter will designate a team captain after the third soccer practice. "Designate" means A. know B. assign C. include D. fail
What is assign? (B)
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