Plotting the Plot
This is the central problem or struggle between opposing forces that drives a story's action forward.
What is the conflict?
If an article explains how a historical event happened and the results that followed, it is using this specific text structure.
What is cause and effect?
Giving human characteristics to non-human things—such as "the wind whispered through the trees"—is this type of figurative language.
What is personification?
To avoid a run-on sentence, you can join two independent clauses using a comma and one of these coordinating conjunctions, remembered by the acronym FANBOYS.
What is a conjunction?
This is the primary reason an author writes a text, usually falling into one of three main categories: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain.
What is the author's purpose?
This specific structural element occurs at the very beginning of a story, introducing the characters, setting, and basic situation.
What is the exposition?
This text feature is a list of chapters or sections found at the front of a book, along with their starting page numbers.
What is the table of contents?
An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor, such as "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," is known as this.
What is a hyperbole?
In the sentence, "She completely forgot her homework," the italicized word is this part of speech, which modifies a verb.
What is an adverb?
This term describes the author’s attitude toward their subject matter or audience, which is revealed through their specific choice of words.
What is tone?
This is the turning point of highest tension or drama in a narrative, usually occurring near the end.
Answer: What is the climax?
An author writing an article about global warming who presents a dilemma and then offers ways to fix it is using this text structure.
What is problem and solution?
If the Latin root aud means "to hear," this 8-letter word refers to the group of spectators gathered to hear and watch a performance.
What is an audience?
This punctuation mark is used to separate items in a series if those items already contain commas, or to link two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.
What is a semicolon?
While tone is the author's attitude, this term describes the overall feeling, atmosphere, or emotional vibe that the reader experiences while reading.
What is mood?
Often confused with the conflict itself, this is the specific "spark" or initiating event that disrupts the status quo and triggers the rising action.
What is the inciting incident? (Also accept: initiating event)
This specific text feature is found at the very back of a book and provides an alphabetical list of important words alongside definitions.
What is a glossary?
Based on your knowledge of word relationships, these are words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings.
What are antonyms?
This error occurs when a singular subject is paired with a plural verb, or vice versa, violating a core rule of sentence mechanics.
What is a subject-verb agreement error?
This is the perspective or lens through which a creator looks at a topic, which can be influenced by their personal background, beliefs, and experiences.
What is viewpoint? (Also accept: perspective)
This term describes a character who undergoes a significant internal change, growth, or shift in perspective throughout a story.
What is a dynamic character?
When an author organizes an entire text by detailing the similarities and differences between two political systems, they are using this structure.
What is compare and contrast?
Knowing that the Greek root path means "feeling" or "suffering," and the prefix a- means "without," this word means a total lack of interest, emotion, or concern.
What is apathy?
Unlike its partner verb "set" (which needs a direct object), this frequently confused, intransitive verb means to assume a seated position. (e.g., "Please ____ down.")
What is sit?
Authors use this 6-letter literary device—which refers to vivid, descriptive language that appeals to the five senses—to help readers imagine a scene.
What is imagery?