Central Idea
This is the key idea or message an author develops about a subject throughout an informational text.
What is Central Idea?
This means WHY an author or speaker created a text.
What is Author's purpose?
This persuasive appeal uses feelings, values, or emotional experiences to influence an audience.
What is Pathos?
This is the voice or person presenting a poem. You should NOT automatically assume it is the poet.
What is the speaker?
When comparing two texts, you should first identify each text's central idea, tone, purpose, and this.
What is the position/perspective?
A passage explains that democracy depends on informed citizens who participate in government. Which statement best expresses its central idea?
A. Citizens should read newspapers.
B. Elections occur regularly.
C. Democracy requires informed and active citizens?
D. Government has many responsibilities.
What is C: Democracy requires informed and active citizens?
An author uses words such as urgent, injustice, sacrifice, and must act. What aspect of the text are these words most likely helping establish?
What is Tone?
"Imagine losing the home where your family has created memories for generations."
What persuasive technique is being used?
What is appeal to emotion/pathos?
Language that creates a sensory picture or mental image is called this.
What is imagery?
Text A argues that citizens should participate in government. Text B explains how citizens historically fought for the right to participate.
How are the ideas connected?
Text B extends/supports the idea in Text A.
A question asks you to identify the central idea and select the strongest supporting evidence. What should you determine first?
What is the central idea developed throughout the text?
An author argues that citizens should protect their right to participate in government. The author provides historical examples and facts to support the position. What is the author's claim?
What is the position the author wants readers to accept?
"We deserve freedom. We deserve justice. We deserve a voice."
What technique is being used?
What is repetition?
A poem repeatedly describes sunlight, growth, and new beginnings. What should a reader consider when determining the poem's theme?
What is the repeated imagery and ideas and what larger message they suggest?
Text A argues that government power should be limited. Text B argues that a strong central government is necessary.
What kind of relationship do these texts have?
They present different or contrasting perspectives.
A text explains how imagination allows people to challenge existing conditions, envision new possibilities, and create change. State a central idea the author develops.
What is imagination enables people to envision possibilities and create change?
Identify the tone:
"We cannot stand by while our neighbors lose the freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect. We must act now."
What is passionate/impassioned?
"One's home is their castle."
This idiom is used in a discussion of property rights. What does the expression help communicate?
It emphasizes that a person's home is valuable, personal, and deserving of protection.
During a documentary, the narrator suddenly raises their voice when discussing a critical moment in history. What does the change in volume most likely do?
It emphasizes the importance of the idea or moment.
Two authors discuss freedom. One focuses on individual rights, while the other focuses on the responsibility that comes with freedom.
What should you do to fully answer a comparison question?
Identify the similarities/differences AND explain how the authors develop different ideas about freedom using evidence.
A student selects an answer that accurately describes one paragraph but does not represent the author's overall message. What mistake did the student make?
What is choosing a supporting detail instead of a central idea developed throughout the text?
An argument contains a claim, several facts, and an explanation connecting those facts to the claim. Which part explains HOW the evidence supports the claim?
What is reasoning?
"The speaker repeats the phrase 'we have a responsibility' throughout the speech."
Complete the analysis:
The repetition emphasizes ______ and helps the audience understand ______.
A response explaining that the repetition emphasizes the speaker's central message/call to action and reinforces the audience's responsibility.
A documentary includes historical background sounds while the narrator explains an important event. What should you analyze?
What is the effect the audio adds to the meaning, atmosphere, emphasis, or impact of the words?
Complete this test-taking formula:
Choice → ______ → Effect
What is Evidence?