The Test
What STAAR tests do you take as a Sophomore?
English II
What type of writing is required on the STAAR?
A response to a piece of literature.
What is the difference between mood and tone?
Mood is how the reader feels/reacts to a story. The tone is the attitude and emotion the author has.
What is a proper noun? How is it written?
The name of a person, place, or thing. It is always capitalized. (She went to Paris to visit Aunt Tessie.)
Can you use scratch paper on the test?
Yes
What is the most important sentence of your essay?
The THESIS!
What is a theme?
The moral, lesson that the reader should take away from the story.
What is a verb? Give an example in a sentence.
A verb is an action word that shows what the noun is doing or has done.
What should you do if you are stuck on a question?
Flag it for review, and give your best answer.
When answering the short constructed response question, what strategy should you use?
ERACES
What is an inference?
An educated guess based on observations and prior knowledge.
A compound sentence is made of what parts?
Independent clause, comma, coordinating conjunction, independent clause.
What three subjects do you get tested on for the English II STAAR?
Reading, Writing, Editing
"She flew like butterflies on a breeze." What is this an example of? What does that term mean?
Simile - comparison of two things using “like or as”
How do you find author's purpose?
Think about what they are trying to convey to the audience. (Persuade? Facts? Entertain? -- What is their main point?)
What is an adjective? Give an example in a sentence
A word that modifies an noun. The tall boy ran to class. Adjective is “tall”.
What tools do you have available on the online platform?
Guideline, dictionary, highlight, notes, flag for review.
Why do authors use imagery?
To help the reader understand and make sense of what is occurring in the story.
In poetry, what is a shift?
A moment in the poem where something changes. Can be tone, mood, subject, setting.
When writing a complex sentence, when do you use a comma?
When the dependent clause comes before the independent.