Five Reading Steps
First Step
Read the entire text.
Who or what is personified in this poem?
Death
What was the setting of this story?
An island.
A person, place, thing, or idea.
Nouns.
What part of speech is in italics in the sentence below?
"The wolf had savagely attacked Jordan, for he had foolishly wandered off the clearly marked trail."
Verb
Second Step
Skim for the central idea or theme.
How was death characterized?
In a pleasant, friendly, or civil tone.
What was the theme?
Heed your elders.
Adjectives.
What part of speech is in italics in the sentence below?
"The wolf had savagely attacked Jordan, for he had foolishly wandered off the clearly marked trail."
Verb, specifically a linking verb
Third Step
Read the questions.
What was one of the things the speaker and Death passed as they rode along?
A school, a field of grain, a setting sun.
What was tragic about this story?
A father losing his son.
All the following are examples of this part of speech: is, are, was, were, will be
Verbs
What part of speech is in italics in the sentence below?
"Even though my dad constantly told me to learn how to fix the family car myself, he hypocritically had the local mechanic fix the car's engine."
Pronoun, specifically a reflexive pronoun
Fourth Step
Keylight/highlight what the question is really asking.
What was the theme of the poem?
Mortality.
How was Icarus characterized?
Careless, inattentive, reckless.
What is the function or purpose of a pronoun?
To replace a noun.
List all the pronouns in the following sentence, in order.
"Even though my dad constantly told me to learn how to fix the family car myself, he hypocritically had the local mechanic fix the car's engine."
Fifth Step
Go back to the text and use process of elimination.
Describe the tone of the poem.
Upbeat, light, friendly.
The adverb (in italics) in the following sentence modifies what part of speech?
"Daniel ate his pizza somewhat hastily."
Adverb