Non-fiction
Fiction
Drama
Poetry
ELA Key Words
100

Elements of any text that give you information about the text, such as title, subheading, graphs, photographs, maps

Text Features

100

The message or lesson the author wants the reader to learn from the story.

Theme

100

Person telling the story

Narrator

100

a group of lines that form a unit within a poem; the "paragraph" of a poem

Stanza

100

a logical guess or conclusion based on observation, prior knowledge, or text evidence 

inference

200

The most important point the author makes; other word for main idea

Central Idea

200

The events in a story: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. 

Plot

200

Conversation between the characters

Dialogue

200

Language that should not be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling

Figurative Language

200

a scene in a movie or novel set in a time earlier than what is currently going on; it gives the reader background information.

Flashback

300

These are facts or details that support the central idea

Supporting Details

300

The problem that the protagonist faces; it can be internal or external 

Conflict

300

instructions in the play indicate movement, tone of voice, and/or sound effects. [Usually in brackets]

Stage Directions

300

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Imagery

300

To give special attention to something, to highlight or stress a key idea

emphasize

400

A sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph; usually at the beginning of the paragraph.

Topic Sentence

400

The narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character

3rd Person Limited

400

The author of a play

Playwright

400

a writer's or speaker's attitude toward a subject 

Tone

400

to communicate or make known; a fancier word for "show"

Convey

500

The logical structure of a text, such as sequence, compare and contrast, problem/solution, or cause and effect.

Organizational Pattern

500

The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

3rd Person Omniscient 

500

a division of an act in a play into smaller parts

Scene

500

How the reader feels about the poem based on the speaker's tone

Mood

500

To express indirectly

Imply