WTNY Vocabulary
Types of Nonfiction
Literary Terms
Author's Purpose
Identify the Tone
100
Use the word "diligently" correctly in a sentence that exemplifies your knowledge of the meaning.
DILIGENTLY: constant in effort to accomplish something “Mostly, however, I stayed at my post, diligently recording each inning so that, when my father returned from his job as bank examiner for the State of New York, I could ?re-create for him the game he had missed.” (P.14)
100
________________________ is a writer's account of another person's life.
BIOGRAPHY
100
Define nonfiction.
Nonfiction is a genre of writing that focuses on real people, places, and events.
100
Define what an "author's purpose" is.
An author's purpose is the reason why they wrote something. What was their motive for it.
100
Describe what a formal tone is.
Formal: tightly structured and written in an impersonal style (news articles, encyclopedias, textbooks, some biographies)
200
Define the word "tedious"
TEDIOUS: tiresome because of length or dullness
200
Give three examples of works that are considered personal narratives.
diaries, journals, letters, speeches, personal essays
200
What is sensory imagery?
Sensory imagery is when a writer uses words to connect to a reader's sense of smell, sight, touch, taste, smell, or hearing.
200
What does P.I.E. stand for?
Persuade, Inform, Entertain. These are the three most common purposes when writing.
200
Describe what an informal tone is?
Informal: looser structure, more personal style, uses more conversational language. (memoirs, personal narratives, opinion pieces) The author could achieve this by including lots of figurative language, sensory language, addressing the reader casually.
300
Define cajoling. Use this quote to assist you: “I tried to make a bargain, whispering and cajoling while Pee Wee Reese or Duke Snider stepped into the batter’s box: “Please, please, get a hit. If you get a hit now, I’ll make my bed every day for a week.” (P.14)
CAJOLING: persuading someone to do something using flattery or coaxing (bribery)
300
All of the following are types of nonfiction except for which two in the list below: Interview, Profile, Transcript, Personal Narrative, Realistic Fiction, Documentary, Novella
Novella & Realistic Fiction are not considered nonfiction. They are fiction.
300
Provide an example of a metaphor.
A metaphor is a comparison made without using like or as. She was a fireball; full of energy and always taking charge.
300
True or false. An author's purpose has to stay the same throughout an entire piece of writing.
False. Think about Wait Till Next Year - the author's purpose is sometimes to entertain (sharing stories about her childhood) and at other times to inform (infusion of baseball history).
300
Identify the tone of the personal essay we read in class, "With Help From a Friend" and explain your reasoning.
Informal - Author uses common, conversational language - "cool", "What?!", "C,mon!" - Addresses the reader: "Oops! I gotta run. Kathleen and I are meeting for dinner and a movie." - lots of sensory language - feelings, vivid descriptions
400
Use the word "elaborate" correctly in a sentence that exemplies your understanding of the word.
ELABORATE: made or done with great care or detail “If I had scored carefully, using the elaborate system he had taught me, I would know the answers.” (P.16)
400
Give one example of how memoirs and autobiographies are similar, and one example of how they are different.
Both are written by the author about themselves. Both are nonfiction. Both contain events from the author's life. Autobiographies usually cover the author's life from birth to present, whereas memoirs may just cover one specific time period, or a collection of memories from the author's life. Memoirs are usually written with more vivid language (sensory language) to create a sense of place, time, and feeling.
400
What literary device is being used below: The sun shone warmly on her face; it was like the comfort of an old friend coming to visit after along time apart.
What is a simile? A simile is a device used to make a comparison by using "like" or "as"
400
True or False. Author's Purpose only matters when we are discussing nonfiction.
False. All writing has a purpose. Historical fiction can be both to entertain but also to inform readers of issues that existed in the past (Secret Life of Bees).
400
Identify the tone of the following quote. Support your decision with evidence from the quote. “We have some of the healthiest trash cans in the nation,” he laughed. Behind the joke, frustration simmers. Kramer and other critics of the federal standards for healthy school lunches say the rules, imposed in 2012, are too costly and restrictive, and that Congress should loosen them. Kramer wants to serve healthy food, but points out that it does not do any good unless students actually eat it.
What is a formal tone. Short sentences, factual, elevated language.
500
A EUPHEMISM is a mild or pleasant word that is used in place of one that is unpleasant or offensive. Come up with a euphemism for a tornado.
examples: passing storm, unwelcome weather, unpleasant force of nature “After these ‘spells’ as we euphemistically called them, she would quickly resume her household routine, allowing us to imagine that all was well again.” (P.21)
500
Name two of three different types of essays.
Expository: present or explain information or ideas Persuasive: present arguments & try to convince reader Personal: express writer's thoughts and feelings about a subject
500
Wait Till Next Year is a nostalgic memoir. What is nostalgia? Provide an example of soemthing Doris has nostalgia for in the memoir.
Nostalgia is a longing for the past; especially for times, or things for which you have happy or positive personal associations.
500
Provide two "action" words (verbs) that you can use when you are writing about an author's purpose?
compare, contrast, criticize, describe/illustrate, explain, identify/list, suggest
500
Identify the tone: formal or informal: "As we talked about the past, she seemed to forget her pains. Her eyes brightened, and when she smiled, the creases at her mouth turned upward, giving her face alook of relaxation and warmth it did not usually have."
What is informal. Author is letting us in on personal details from her past, using sensory language, and showing personal connection - warmth.
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