Words With Meaning
Denotation is a word's ______ meaning; connotation is the ______ or association connected to it.
literal/dictionary; feeling or association
Theme is the ______ or lesson about life developed through a text.
message
First-person point of view commonly uses which pronouns?
I, me, and my. We, us, and our can also signal first person.
Our structure analysis tool is:
______ → ______ → ______.
PART → JOB → EFFECT
A narrator says, “I told everyone I wasn't nervous, but my hands would not stop shaking.” What can you infer?
The narrator is nervous even though they say they are not.
Which word has the most positive connotation: stubborn, determined, or bossy? Explain.
determined — it suggests positive persistence
Our summary tool is:
______ → ______ → ______.
WHO/WHAT → KEY IDEAS → OUTCOME
“I shoved the map into my pocket. The trail split in two. My brother asked, ‘You do know where we're going, right?’ I nodded, even though I wasn't sure.” What point of view is used? Give one clue.
First person. The narrator uses I/my and reveals a private thought.
A poem repeats “come home” at the end of three stanzas. What structural choice is being used?
Repetition (or refrain)
What evidence best supports that inference?
“my hands would not stop shaking”
In “After the loss, Jamal's confidence sank,” what does sank suggest about his confidence?
His confidence decreased or weakened.
Maya makes a mistake during rehearsal and wants to quit. A friend reminds her how much she has improved. Maya practices the hard section and performs it correctly the next day. What theme is best supported?
Perseverance can help people overcome setbacks or mistakes.
Using the trail mini-text, what does the reader know that the brother may not know?
The reader knows that the narrator is unsure where they are going.
What effect could repeating “come home” create?
It can emphasize longing or urgency and create rhythm.
A character hides a classmate's lost notebook, sees the classmate upset, then returns it and apologizes. Give a possible theme.
Taking responsibility can help repair harm.
OR: People can learn from their mistakes.
In “The hallway was a beehive after the bell,” identify the figurative language and explain its meaning.
Metaphor — the hallway was crowded, busy, and/or noisy.
Using the Maya mini-text, what detail is the strongest evidence for that theme? Explain.
Maya practices the difficult section after wanting to quit. This shows that she persists after a setback.
How would the trail passage likely change if the brother narrated it?
Readers would learn the brother's thoughts and perspective instead of automatically knowing the current narrator's private thoughts.
An author writes: “The door opened. Silence.” Why might “Silence.” stand alone?
The short sentence forces a pause and emphasizes the sudden silence, which can increase tension.
Which event most strongly develops that theme, and why?
Returning the notebook and apologizing, because the character takes responsibility for the harm they caused.
In “The old house groaned as the wind pushed against it,” how does groaned affect the mood?
It makes the house seem human and creates an eerie or uneasy mood.
Using the Maya mini-text, write a one-sentence objective summary.
After nearly quitting because of a rehearsal mistake, Maya practices with encouragement and successfully performs the difficult section the next day.
Why can a limited point of view create suspense?
It limits what readers know, creating uncertainty about other characters or events.
How can the order of events help develop a story's meaning or tension?
Authors can arrange events so problems or information build step by step, increasing tension or emphasizing cause and effect.
Complete the analysis:
PART: repeated short lines
JOB: slow the reader and add emphasis
EFFECT: ______
The short lines emphasize an important idea or feeling and can create tension, longing, or reflection.