Structure & Time
This term names a scene that interrupts the chronological flow to show an earlier event.
What is a flashback?
A short statement at the top of a section that tells you what the section is about.
What is a heading?
This story component increases tension by presenting complications that make the conflict more intense.
What is the rising action?
When a writer refers to “a storm of emotions,” readers must recognize this figure of speech to understand the intensity being described.
What is a metaphor?
When the reader knows information that a character does not, creating tension or humor, this is called ____ irony.
What is dramatic irony?
This text structure organizes events by when they happened, often using words like “first,” “next,” and “finally.”
What is chronological?
These features often appear at the end of a book and define difficult words found in the text.
What is a glossary?
This narrative feature reveals character traits and advances the plot through spoken words between characters.
What is dialogue?
Choosing the word “youthful” instead of “childish” shows the author’s deliberate use of this to shape the reader’s perception.
What is connotation?
When a character walks outside into a hurricane and says, “What beautiful weather we’re having,” they’re using this type of irony.
What is verbal irony?
This structure often includes signal words like “as a result,” “therefore,” and “consequently,” guiding readers to understand relationships between events.
What is cause & effect?
This feature lists sources used and allows readers to verify facts and follow up.
What is a bibliography or works cited?
Readers identifying how tensions begin to unwind after the turning point are analyzing this stage, which reveals the consequences of critical choices.
What is the falling action?
An author using the phrase “the heart of the matter” relies on this device, which expresses a meaning not literally true but understood culturally.
What is an idiom?
A student studies all night for a test but accidentally oversleeps and misses it entirely. The twist in events demonstrates this type of irony.
What is situational irony?
A paragraph that explains how volcanic eruptions occur step by step is using this structure.
What is procedural or sequential order?
If you want to quickly locate every page in a book that mentions “Newton’s laws,” this alphabetical list at the back will help you.
What is the index?
This narrative element can shift subtly throughout a story, such as moving from a peaceful village to a war-torn landscape, symbolizing a character’s internal transformation.
What is the setting?
A joke based on a word with two meanings—like "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"—is an example of this figure of speech.
What is a pun?
When an environmental activist drives the most gas-guzzling car in town, the contrast between belief and behavior creates this form of irony.
What is situational irony?
In a short story, the author repeatedly describes the wind “whispering warnings” before the main character makes a risky decision. Recognizing this technique helps readers anticipate future danger and understand the text’s growing tension.
What is foreshadowing?
If a textbook mentions that a detailed map of ancient Rome can be found at the back of the book, this is the section you would check.
What is the appendix?
When evaluating how a story wraps up loose ends, readers may notice that this part of the plot can sometimes subvert expectations, offering ambiguity rather than closure.
What is the resolution?
When a character is labeled “a modern-day Einstein,” the author is using this type of figurative language to emphasize and make connections.
What is allusion?
In a story, a villain sarcastically says to the hero, “You’re such a genius,” after the hero makes a huge mistake. Identifying this type of irony helps clarify the villain’s mocking tone.
What is verbal irony?