Literary Elements & Devices
The author describes the ocean as “a silver mirror stretching endlessly.” What literary device is this?
Imagery
A character begins shy and ends the story speaking at a rally. What theme might this change support?
Finding one’s voice / courage through growth
When comparing a short story and its play version, what changes most often?
Structure and dialogue
Choose the correct version: “Each student turned in ___ assignment.”
His or her
An author begins with a question to grab attention. What is the author’s purpose for doing this?
To engage or hook the reader
A story starts in the middle of a battle, then flashes back to explain how it began. What device is being used?
Flashback
In a story, Maya works tirelessly to win a science fair but credits her team. What trait does she show?
Humility or teamwork
If a poem and an article address the same topic, which element should you compare to find their shared message?
Theme or central idea
Which word is spelled correctly? A) enviroment B) environment C) envirement
Environment
A passage starts with a personal story, then shifts to statistics. What structure is this?
Cause and effect / problem-solution hybrid
When a writer exaggerates for emphasis, like saying, “I waited a million years,” what is that called?
Hyperbole
A character realizes that relying on others is necessary for success. What universal theme is this?
The importance of collaboration
One passage describes a leader through facts; another through emotional storytelling. What differs most?
Author’s tone and purpose
Choose the correct sentence: A) The team lost it’s chance. B) The team lost its chance.
B
Ending a text with an unfinished letter, as in The Doll Lady, creates what effect?
Suspense or curiosity
“The thunder grumbled in the distance like an old man.” What two techniques appear here?
Personification and simile
When a character’s internal conflict leads to self-discovery, which literary element is being developed?
Characterization / internal conflict
In a story and a play adaptation, one character appears confident and in the other uncertain. What reading skill is that question testing?
Character comparison / perspective analysis
Identify and correct the error: “The workers fixed the bridge, then they painted it blue, then they left.”
Run-on sentence → split or use conjunction properly
In an article about a scientist, the author describes their challenges before their discoveries. What is this order called?
Chronological structure
The phrase “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” and "jumbo shrimp" are examples of what device?
Paradox or Oxymoron
A story’s title, “Unbroken Threads,” connects to the protagonist’s perseverance through hardship. What skill are you using to identify that connection?
Theme inference or symbolism analysis
A nonfiction biography emphasizes achievements, while a letter by the same person reveals regrets. What’s the key difference between the two?
Point of view and purpose
What punctuation mark should join two closely related sentences without a conjunction?
Semicolon
A speech repeats “We must” at the beginning of each sentence. What rhetorical technique is that, and what effect does it have?
Anaphora — builds emphasis and unity