Context Clues
There were five pies to choose from on the table. It was hard to decide which DELECTABLE pie to eat.
A. FRESHLY BAKED
B. NASTY
C. DELICIOUS
C. DELICIOUS
Break a leg!
Good luck (often used before a performance).
This type of figurative language uses the words "like" or "as" to make a direct comparison between two unlike things.
SIMILE
These are the people, animals, or creatures in a play who perform the action and speak the lines.
CHARACTERS
This structure presents events or steps in the order they happen using clue words like "first," "next," and "finally."
CHRONOLOGIAL ORDER
John OVERINDULGED on Thanksgiving foods and ended up with a stomach ache.
A. HE SAMPLED EVERTHING
B. HE ATE TOO MUCH
C. HE THREW UP
B. HE ATE TOO MUCH
Bite the bullet
To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.
The use of words that imitate the sounds they describe, such as "buzz," "hiss," or "crash."
ONOMATOPEIA
The time and place where the action of the play takes place, which can be simple or very detailed.
SETTING
This structure introduces an issue and then presents one or more ways it can be solved.
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION
The AROMA of turkey and stuffing fresh from the oven filled every room of Grandma’s house.
A. TASTE
B. SIGHT
C. SMELL
C. SMELL
The ball is in your court
It is your turn to take action or make a decision.
A figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or for dramatic effect, like saying, "I've told you a million times!"
HYPERBOLE
This is the written conversation between two or more characters in a play.
DIALOGUE
This structure explains how two or more things are alike and different using clue words like "similarly," "both," and "however."
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
I am so FAMISHED right now! I think I could devour that entire turkey by myself in five minutes!
A. HUNGRY
B. TIRED
C. COLD
A. HUNGRY
Hit the nail on the head
To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
Giving human qualities or characteristics to objects, animals, or ideas, such as saying, "The wind whispered secrets through the trees."
PERSONIFICATION
The central message, moral, or lesson about life that the play is trying to communicate to the audience.
THEME
This structure explains why something happened and describes the results of those actions or events.
CAUSE AND EFFECT
I could probably DEVOUR the whole pie by myself.
A. CUT WITH A KNIFE
B. BAKE IN THE OVEN
C. EAT IT VERY FAST
C. EAT IT VERY FAST
Speak of the devil
The person you were just talking about shows up unexpectedly.
This is a phrase that cannot be understood by simply knowing the dictionary definitions of the individual words; for example, "piece of cake" or "under the weather."
IDIOM
These are instructions in the script that tell the actors how to move or speak their lines, and describe the costumes and scenery.
STAGE DIRECTIONS
This structure uses headings, subheadings, and bold words to give many details about a single topic without focusing on time or comparison.
DESCRIPTION