Themes & Summaries
The theme is the central idea; look for repeated ideas and key details.
What is the theme of a text and how do you identify it?
The emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word beyond its dictionary definition.
What is connotation?
Direct quotes or paraphrased details from the text to support analysis.
What is textual evidence?
One with multiple or conflicting motivations.
What is a complex character?
Correct answer should include commas and end punctuation.
Fix this sentence with proper punctuation.
A summary should state only the main points without opinions.
Summarize the main idea of a passage objectively.
Answers may vary: simile, metaphor, personification, etc.
Identify figurative language in this passage.
Students should point to a specific line supporting their inference.
Cite evidence for an inference from a passage.
E.g., A character who wants revenge but also loves the person.
Give an example of conflicting motivations.
E.g., 'Running quickly, she caught the bus.'
Add a participial phrase to this sentence.
Specific events and descriptions reveal and refine the theme.
Explain how details shape a theme.
Word choice influences whether tone feels formal, informal, serious, or playful.
How does diction affect tone?
It is specific, directly relevant, and clearly supports the claim.
What makes evidence strong and thorough?
Their choices drive events and conflicts forward.
Explain how characters advance the plot.
Correct nouns, beginnings of sentences, and spelling errors.
Correct the capitalization and spelling.
Themes emerge early and evolve through conflicts and resolutions.
Analyze how a theme develops over a text.
Descriptive words create an atmosphere, like eerie or joyful.
Explain how word choice sets a mood.
Explicit = stated facts; implicit = what is implied.
Find evidence for both explicit and implicit meaning.
Relationships highlight themes like loyalty, betrayal, or love.
How do character interactions develop theme?
Independent = full sentence; Dependent = incomplete thought.
Identify an independent vs. dependent clause.
E.g., 'The danger of unchecked ambition' in Macbeth.
Give an example of a refined theme in literature.
Dialect or descriptive language can indicate time and place.
Analyze how word choice reveals setting.
Example: 'She wept bitterly' shows sadness.
Use a direct quote to prove your claim.
Show how the character changes from beginning to end.
Analyze a character’s growth over time.
E.g., 'In the morning, we left for school.'
Revise the sentence to add variety using a prepositional phrase.