What Does It Mean?
Main Idea
What the story/article is mostly about
Plot
Order of events
Sequence of events
The team was elated because they just found out they placed in the championship.
excited
happy
Antonym: New
Old
Fred was driving in a 35MPH zone very fast. He was going 70 MPH, when all of a sudden he got pulled over and the police officer gave him a speeding ticket.
Effect: Fred got a speeding ticket
Cause: Fred was speeding/Fred went 70MPH in a 35MPH zone.
Sequence of events
The order of events in the story
Central Message
Theme
Lesson
During the basketball game, a skirmish broke out so the teachers ran over to calm everything down and figure out what was happening.
fight
argument
Synonym: Brave
Courageous
Confident
Daring
Fearless
The electricity went out during the day. When the boys ran to their freezer they were saddened that their ice cream had melted.
Effect: Ice cream melted
Cause: The electricity went out during the day.
Theme
The lesson or moral learned in the story
Transitions when describing cause and effect relationships
Due to
Because of
If...then...
So...
Because...
Something in the refrigerator is so putrid, a wave of odor hit us when we opened the door.
rotten
Antonym: Sharp
Dull
Blunt
The girl forgot to set her alarm. In the morning the alarm never went off, so she woke up late. She ran to school, but was late and missed her specials.
Effect: Girl was late to school and missed her specials.
Cause: The girl forgot to set her alarm and it never went off.
Point of View
How someone thinks or feels about something or someone else
Convey...
ex: How does the author convey their point of view?
Explain
Communicate
It's no surprise he bellowed in pain after hitting his thumb with the hammer.
screamed
yelled
Dangerous
Unsafe
The boy was teasing the girl during reading class. His teacher caught him making fun of her and the boy lost his recess for the week.
Effect: The boy lost his recess for the week.
Cause: The teacher caught the boy making fun of the girl during reading class.
Cause and effect
Cause: Why something happens
Effect: What happens
Essay
Paragraph/Written Response
The girl was so lethargic it took her a long time to get out of bed. Finally, she rolled out of bed and staggered to her bathroom to get ready.
tired
sleepy
Synonym & Antonym for:
Grin
Synonym: Smile
Antonym: Frown
The boy woke up and saw snow had covered the entire road. He turned on the TV and school was closed for the day!
Effect: School was closed for the day.
Cause: It snowed/The streets were covered with snow.