Literacy Terms
The main character in a story.
What is a protagonist?
A story written to be performed by actors.
What is a play?
A comparison using "like" or "as."
What is a simile?
The message or lesson of a story.
What is theme?
The main point or idea of a text.
What is central idea?
The struggle between opposing forces in a story.
What is conflict?
The written instructions in a play that describe actions and settings.
What are stage directions?
A comparison without using "like" or "as."
What is a metaphor?
A theme about the importance of friends helping each other.
What is friendship?
Details that explain or support the main idea.
What are supporting details?
The perspective from which a story is told.
What is point of view?
A long speech by one character alone on stage revealing thoughts.
What is a soliloquy?
Giving human qualities to non-human things.
What is personification?
A theme showing good overcoming evil.
What is triumph?
The process of figuring out a central idea from evidence.
What is inference?
A contrast between expectation and reality.
What is irony?
A conversation between two or more characters.
What is dialogue?
An extreme exaggeration for effect.
What is hyperbole?
A theme that explores how power can corrupt people.
What is power leads to corruption?
A summary should include this and leave out minor details.
What are key details?
A reference to another text, person, or event.
What is an allusion?
A character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist.
What is a betrayal?
A phrase whose meaning is not literal (ex-"break the ice").
What is an idiom?
A theme about learning from mistakes.
What is growth?
The development of a central idea over the course of a text.
What is central idea evolving?