Vocab
What is the feeling or association connected to a word?
Connotation
What do we call a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning?
Inference
What do we call the details or quotations that support an answer?
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
Which is stronger evidence: a personal guess or a relevant detail from the text?
A RELEVANT TEXT DETAIL
What is the difference between a topic and a theme?
TOPIC = SUBJECT; THEME = MESSAGE ABOUT IT
What do we call language used beyond its literal meaning?
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
What is the main point an informational text develops?
Central Idea
What is one way an author can develop a theme?
CHARACTERS, EVENTS, OR DETAILS
What should you do after choosing evidence for an answer?
EXPLAIN HOW IT SUPPORTS YOUR ANSWER
A student says, 'The theme is war.' What is missing from this answer?
A MESSAGE ABOUT WAR OR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
What is the author's attitude toward the subject?
Tone
What is a message or insight about life that a story communicates?
Theme
If an author uses facts and statistics to explain an issue, what purpose might that serve?
TO INFORM OR EXPLAIN
A character says, 'I smiled, but my hands shook.' What might you infer?
THE CHARACTER MAY BE NERVOUS OR AFRAID
Which answer is better supported: one that repeats the question or one that uses a text detail and explains it?
THE ANSWER WITH EVIDENCE AND EXPLANATION
What is the reason an author writes a text?
Author's Purpose
What should you use to support an inference about a text?
Textual Evidence
How can an author's word choice affect a passage?
IT CAN SHAPE TONE AND MEANING
A passage repeats words such as 'crumbling,' 'empty,' and 'silent.' What might those details help establish?
A TONE OR MOOD OF DESOLATION
What is the best strategy when two answer choices seem correct on a test?
RETURN TO THE QUESTION AND TEXT; ELIMINATE UNSUPPORTED CHOICES
A character describes a room as “sterile” instead of “clean.” What does the word sterile suggest about the room’s atmosphere?
It feels cold, plain, or lacking warmth.
A character repeatedly sacrifices personal comfort to help others. What is the strongest inference you can make about the character?
The character is selfless and values others’ needs.
An author describes a storm as “angry” and “relentless.” How does this figurative language affect the reader’s understanding of the storm?
It makes the storm seem powerful and threatening.
A student claims that a character becomes more independent. Which evidence would best support this claim: the character’s physical description, an event where the character makes a difficult decision alone, or a description of the weather?
The event where the character makes a difficult decision alone.
A nonfiction passage includes statistics, expert opinions, and examples to support the claim that excessive screen time affects sleep. What is the author primarily doing, and how do these details support the central idea?
The author is supporting a claim with evidence; the statistics, expert opinions, and examples help show how screen time affects sleep.