Figurative Language
Identify the figurative device used: "The classroom was a zoo."
Metaphor
Correct the sentence punctuation and capitalization: "mrs. evans taught us; grammar today"
"Mrs. Evans taught us grammar today." (Capitalize, remove semicolon, add period.)
What is the exposition of a story? Name two elements usually introduced there.
Exposition introduces setting and main characters (and often tone/backstory).
Define first-person point of view and give one pronoun commonly used in it.
First-person uses "I," "we.
A character type that appears in many stories
Archetype
Explain the difference between simile and metaphor and give a original example of each.
Simile uses "like" or "as" (e.g., "Her laugh was like bells."); metaphor states one thing is another (e.g., "Her laugh was bells.").
Choose the correct form: "Each of the students (has / have) a novel to read." Explain your choice.
"has" — "Each" is singular; subject is singular.
On a standard plot diagram, where does the climax occur relative to rising action and falling action?
Climax occurs at the peak after rising action and before falling action.
Identify the narrative perspective: "She watched the parade from the balcony and wondered if anyone would notice her."
Third-person limited (uses "she" and shows her perspective).
A problem in the story- often introduced in the exposition
Conflict
Name and analyze the effect of this device in a line: "The wind whispered secrets through the trees."
Personification (wind given the human action "whispered"); effect: creates intimacy/mystery.
Identify the clause type (independent, dependent) and label its function: "Although he studied all night, he still felt unprepared."
"Although he studied all night" = dependent clause (subordinate); "he still felt unprepared" = independent clause. Dependent clause functions as concession/contrast.
Given a brief scenario, identify the conflict type (person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. society, person vs. nature): "A student chooses whether to report a friend who cheated."
Person vs. person (student vs. friend) or person vs. self (if internal moral dilemma); teacher should accept justified reasoning.
Compare third-person limited and third-person omniscient — what can the omniscient narrator do that the limited narrator cannot?
Omniscient narrator can know thoughts and feelings of multiple characters; limited only knows one character's internal state.
The voice that tells the story?
Narrator
Define personification and rewrite this sentence to include personification: "Time passed quickly during the exam."
Personification example: "Time tapped its foot impatiently during the exam."
Combine the following two sentences into one using a semicolon correctly: "The bell rang. The students cheered."
"The bell rang; the students cheered."
Explain how foreshadowing and flashback differ and give a one-sentence example of each.
Foreshadowing hints future events (e.g., "He kept glancing at the locked trunk" hinting at later reveal). Flashback shows past events interrupting present narrative (e.g., "She remembered the summer they left home").
Rewrite this line in third-person objective (report only observable actions, no thoughts): "I knew he was lying when his hands trembled."
Third-person objective: "He watched him from the balcony. He didn't speak or react, but his shoulders were rigid." (No internal thought.)
The message or lesson the author wants you to take away
Theme
Identify and analyze two different figurative devices in this sentence and explain how they contribute to tone: "Her smile was lightning — bright, sudden, and dangerous."
Possible answers: "smile was lightning" = metaphor; "bright, sudden, and dangerous" uses imagery and perhaps oxymoron depending on analysis; contributes urgency, danger, and intensity to tone.
Edit for parallel structure: Revise this list to be parallel — "She enjoys hiking, to swim, and biking."
Parallel: "She enjoys hiking, swimming, and biking." (All gerunds.)
Read this synopsis: "A young inventor faces repeated failures, discovers a hidden prototype that changes everything, then must decide whether to publicize it despite personal risk." Map the synopsis to exposition, inciting incident, rising action (two beats), climax, falling action, and resolution.
Exposition: young inventor introduced; inciting incident: repeated failures lead to discovery of hidden prototype; rising action beats: discovery of prototype, debate over publicity/risk; climax: decision to publicize or not; falling action: consequences unfold; resolution: outcome of decision and reflection.
Explain how shifting point of view within a scene can affect readers' understanding of character motivation and provide a brief example (2–3 sentences) showing a justified POV shift.
Shifting POV can reveal contrast between outward action and inner thought, create dramatic irony, or deepen empathy; example: Start scene in third-person limited on Character A, then shift to Character B's first-person confession to reveal motives the reader didn't suspect — used sparingly and clearly signaled.
The smallest differences in meaning and feeling?
Nuance