Literary Elements
What is theme?
The central lesson, message, or moral about life that an author wants the reader to learn from a story.
Identify the adjective in this sentence:
The nervous student carefully opened the mysterious letter.
Nervous and mysterious
Identify the Figurative Language:
The baby was as quiet as a mouse.
Similie
What is mood?
The overall feeling or atmosphere that a piece of writing creates for the reader.
What is a citation or reference?
Giving proper credit to the original source of information, quotes, or ideas used within a research paper.
What is the climax of a story?
The turning point or highest point of tension in the plot, where the main conflict reaches a critical moment.
What is an adverb?
A word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb (often ending in -ly).
Identify the Figurative language:
"It took me forever to get the jar open."
Hyperbole
A paragraph explains several ways that sleep affects teenagers' memory, concentration, and mood.
What would most likely be the main idea?
Sleep has important effects on teenagers' physical and mental functioning.
Which of the following is the BEST thesis statement?
A. School uniforms.
B. Many community members have reached a consensus that school uniforms are good and should be mandatory.
C. School uniforms should be required because they reduce distractions, promote equality, and create a stronger sense of school community.
D. This essay will talk about school uniforms.
C. School uniforms should be required because they reduce distractions, promote equality, and create a stronger sense of school community.
A character is struggling to decide whether to tell the truth or protect their friend.
What type of conflict is this?
Internal conflict
Correct the sentence:
mo exclimed, I'll be honest Im terrified!
Mo exclaimed, "I'll be honest, I'm terrified!"
What figurative language is used in this sentence?
The old house groaned as the storm battered its windows.
Personification
Aliza stared at the clock. She had checked it at least five times in the last ten minutes. When the door finally opened, she immediately stood up.
What can you infer about Aliza?
She is waiting anxiously or eagerly for someone/something.
What is the difference between a claim and evidence?
A claim is what you argue or believe; evidence is the information used to support it.
What is third-person omniscient?
The point of view where the narrator is an outside observer who knows the thoughts and feelings of every character in the story.
Is the bolded section an independent or dependent clause?
Because she forgot her homework, Maya had to stay after school.
Dependent clause
Identify the Figurative Language:
"The baseball whizzed past his ear."
Onomatopoeia
What is foreshadowing?
Clues dropped by an author to hint at future events in the story.
Social media can negatively affect teenagers.
Give ONE piece of evidence that would effectively support this claim.
Answers may vary.
A story follows a student who repeatedly fails at something but continues practicing until they succeed. Which is the BEST theme?
A. Practice is important.
B. Failure can be frustrating.
C. Persistence can help people overcome failure.
D. Students should work harder.
C. Persistence can help people overcome failure.
The detective noticed a glaring error in the suspect's timeline; it was so obvious and undeniable that it completely unravelled his alibi.
Using the context, what is the meaning of the bolded word "glaring"?
Highly obvious and striking
What figurative language is used in the phrase “deafening silence,” and what does it mean?
two contradictory words are combined to create a specific idea or effect. Here, “deafening” emphasizes how noticeable or intense the silence is.
A character says: “I'm fine.”
But the narration explains that his hands are shaking, his voice is quiet, and he refuses to make eye contact.
What can the reader infer?
He is probably not actually fine; his actions and body language contradict his words.
What is wrong with this thesis statement?
In this essay, I will talk about why school should start later.
It is too vague and simply announces what the essay will do. A stronger thesis should make a clear, specific, arguable claim.