Literary Devices
Identify the literary device: "The wind whispered secrets through the trees."
Personification
What is a central idea? State the central idea of this short passage:
"Teen volunteers cleaned the park every Saturday. Over time, more neighbors joined. The park became a place families enjoyed together."
Central idea — Community volunteer efforts improved the park and increased neighbor involvement.
Correct the sentence:
"Me and Jake went to the library after school."
"Jake and I went to the library after school."
What is a counterclaim? Give a one-sentence example related to school uniforms.
A counterclaim is an opposing argument to the main claim.
Example: "Uniforms limit students' self-expression."
Define connotative meaning and give the connotation of the word "childlike."
Connotative meaning is the emotional or cultural association beyond a word's literal definition.
"Childlike" denotation — like a child
Connotations — positive: innocent, pure; negative: naive, immature (context determines which).
What is the difference between metaphor and simile?
Metaphor makes a direct comparison without using "like" or "as" ("Time is a thief.")
Simile uses "like" or "as" ("Brave as a lion").
Identify the author's purpose (persuade, inform, express, etc.):
"A news article that explains the benefits of sleep for teenagers"
What is the likely primary purpose and one secondary purpose?
Primary purpose — to inform/explain
Secondary purpose — to persuade teens/parents to prioritize sleep or raise awareness.
Which punctuation mark joins two independent clauses when used with a conjunctive adverb?
Use a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma after it.
Example: "The test was difficult; however, Maria finished early."
Define ethos, pathos, and logos. Provide a one-sentence example of each in the context of a public service announcement about healthy eating.
Ethos — appeal to credibility (e.g., "As a registered dietitian, I recommend...").
Pathos — appeal to emotion (e.g., "Imagine a child missing out on play because of poor nutrition").
Logos — appeal to logic/data (e.g., "Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily reduces disease risk by X percent").
Using context, determine the meaning of this sentence's italicized word:
"The scientist's obscure reference made the article hard to follow."
Choose the best meaning from: famous, unclear, interesting.
Unclear
Define irony and identify which type (verbal, situational, or dramatic): A fire station burns down while firefighters are out on a call.
Definition: the outcome contradicts expectations
Situational irony
Given a paragraph that presents two causes and one effect, describe how to identify the effect and the supporting details that show causation.
The effect is the outcome sentence (look for result markers: therefore, thus, as a result).
Supporting details include cause indicators (because, due to, since) and facts/examples linking causes to the outcome.
Define parallel structure and revise this sentence to be parallel:
"The coach told the players to run fast, that they must be focused, and giving effort."
Parallel structure keeps grammatical forms consistent.
Revised: "The coach told the players to run fast, to stay focused, and to give effort."
Or
"The coach told the players run fast, stay focused, and give effort.")
Identify the claim and two types of evidence in this prompt: "A city council proposes adding bike lanes to reduce traffic and pollution."
Claim — adding bike lanes will reduce traffic and pollution.
Evidence types — statistical traffic studies (vehicle counts/traffic models) and environmental data/studies measuring emissions; expert testimony or case studies from other cities are additional acceptable types.
Explain how to use context clues to infer the meaning of an academic word in a passage. Show with the word "ambiguous" used in a sentence and three clue types that help define it.
Read surrounding sentences for definitions, examples, contrasts, or cause-effect signals.
Example sentence: "The politician's reply was ambiguous, leaving reporters unsure of his true stance." Clue types: explanation ("leaving reporters unsure"), contrast (contrasts with clear statements), example (multiple possible interpretations shown).
Explain how symbolism functions in a short story.
Symbolism uses an object, action, or image to represent a larger idea.
Example: "She untied the kite's string and watched it rise; at last, the knot of her grief loosened." (kite symbolizes freedom).
Read this thesis sentence:
"Technology in classrooms improves student engagement but may widen equity gaps."
List two types/pieces of textual evidence you would look for in an article to support that claim.
(1) Data/surveys showing increased student engagement or test scores after technology use.
(2) Statistics on device/internet access or demographic data showing unequal access.
Identify the error and correct it: "Each of the students have submitted their essays on time."
Subject-verb agreement and pronoun number.
Correct: "Each of the students has submitted his or her essay on time."
Or
"All of the students have submitted their essays on time."
Explain how an author can acknowledge and refute a counterargument in a persuasive essay. Provide a two-sentence model.
Acknowledge the opposing view, then refute it with evidence or reasoning.
Example: "Some residents worry that bike lanes will remove parking and hurt businesses. However, studies from similar cities show that bike lanes can increase foot traffic and overall business revenue, offsetting parking losses."
Differentiate denotation and connotation for the word "discipline." Provide one denotation and one connotation.
Denotation — training that corrects or molds behavior
Example: "the practice of training people to obey rules"
Connotation — could be positive (self-control, structure) or negative (strict punishment) depending on context.
Example: "harsh punishment" (negative) or "self-discipline" (positive).
Analyze how foreshadowing and flashback can work together to build tension in a narrative.
Foreshadowing drops hints about future events
Ex) An eerie creak is heard while the character walks the old hall.
Flashback reveals past events that explain character motives, increasing stakes when hinted events occur.
Ex) Later, a brief memory shows the character hiding a critical secret as a child. Returning to the present, the creak aligns with the buried secret being discovered, heightening tension.
Compare and contrast the tone of excerpts A and B. Name one word or phrase in each excerpt that signals tone.
Excerpt A
The sun slipped quietly below the horizon, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink. A gentle breeze moved through the trees, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers. Everything felt calm, as if the world itself had decided to pause and rest.
Excerpt B
The sun dropped behind the buildings like a curtain falling too fast. The air was thick and unmoving, pressing down with an uncomfortable weight. Even the trees stood still, their silence feeling more eerie than peaceful.
Excerpt A has a calm, peaceful, and soothing tone.
Words/phrases: “quietly,” “gentle breeze,” “soft shades,” “calm”
Excerpt B has a tense, uncomfortable, and slightly ominous tone.
Words/phrases: “dropped… too fast,” “thick and unmoving,” and “uncomfortable weight”
Explain how to integrate a direct quotation into an analytic paragraph. Provide a short example sentence that includes a quote and commentary.
Introduce context, include the quotation with proper punctuation, then explain its relevance.
Example: The author asserts that "climate change is accelerating" (Smith 45), which supports the claim that immediate policy action is necessary because the quote links observed trends to urgency.
Should Schools Replace Textbooks with Tablets?
Many schools are considering replacing traditional textbooks with tablets, and the evidence clearly shows this is the best choice. A study conducted in 2012 found that students using tablets scored slightly higher on reading quizzes than those using printed books. This proves that digital learning is more effective for all students.
In addition, tablets are more engaging because students enjoy using technology. When students are interested, they naturally perform better in school. Therefore, switching to tablets will lead to higher achievement across all subjects.
Some people argue that screens can be distracting, but this concern is exaggerated. Most students already use devices daily, so adding tablets to the classroom will not make a difference. Schools should move forward with replacing textbooks as soon as possible.
Given this brief editorial, evaluate whether the reasoning is logical and whether evidence is sufficient. Provide two specific critiques you would include in your written analysis.
Sample critiques:
(1) "The author relies on a single, outdated study from 2012 to support a broad claim about all students, which is not enough evidence and may not apply to current classrooms. "
(2) "The argument assumes that because students using tablets scored slightly higher, the tablets caused the improvement, without considering other possible factors (such as teaching methods or student differences)."
Teach a strategy for determining the meaning of a specialized vocabulary word in an informational text that includes a graph or chart. Outline steps a student should take.
Strategy steps:
(1) Read the sentence with the term and the surrounding sentences for context clues.
(2) Examine the graph/chart captions, axis labels, and legend for definitions or examples.
(3) Relate the term to the data pattern (trend, units) shown.
(4) If unclear, check the text's glossary or a credible academic source.
(5) Re-read with new understanding to confirm the inferred meaning.