Test Terms
What is the meaning of the term "convey" in an ELA test question?
show
to get an idea across to readers
In ELA, what is central idea (main idea)?
The big, main focus of the text.
What the text is mainly/mostly about.
Define Alter: Grandpa didn’t know that Suzie was coming along on the fishing trip, and now he had to alter his plans.
Change
In ELA, what are the two types of writing (essays) you might be asked to write on the state test?
Argumentative & Informative
What is theme?
The lesson or moral of a story
What is the meaning of the term "elaborate" in an ELA test question?
to give more details
to explain further
In ELA, what is theme?
A life lesson, a moral lesson
The lesson learned in a story that can be applied to the lives of others.
Define Remorse: As Tommy walked home with the money from the church he had stolen in his pocket, powerful feelings of remorse bubbled in his stomach.
Regret
What type of sentence states the central idea in an essay?
(What do you call this sentence that the entire essay is about?)
Thesis
Georgia decided to take a sewing class, but felt very frustrated when she couldn’t sew a straight line on the first day. “This looks so easy, but it’s not! Clearly I’m just terrible at sewing!” she complained. Even though she felt frustrated, she continued to go to class week after week. Each week, her sewing instructor helped her. By the last week of class, Georgia finally completed a project all by herself! She created a rectangular pillow for her bed… with four mostly perfect straight lines.
Practice makes perfect
What is the meaning of the term "illustrate" in an ELA test question?
to show
In ELA, what is a summary?
The short version of a story made up of only the most important details of a text.
Define Earnest: Jeremiah joked around so much that when he told the others about the accident that had occurred, they didn’t believe that he was being earnest.
Honest/ sincere
What does R.A.C.E stand for?
Restate, Answer, Cite, Evidence
One minute we were goofing around and having fun and the next thing I knew, Hank’s body soared over the top of the patio and suddenly his life was in danger. With fingers grasped tightly on the railing, he desperately cried for help. I watched his grip slowly slip away and knew that a 40-foot plunge to the ground could be disastrous. Without stopping to consider my own safety, I jumped into action. My heart pounded through my chest and fear pulsed through my veins as I clutched his hands and pulled up as hard as I could.
Courage is important in times of distress
What is the meaning of the term "emphasize" in an ELA test question?
To stress
To show the importance of something
In ELA, what is an inference?
An educated guess based on details in the text and prior knowledge.
Define Jovial: Unlike Bob, who treated others rudely and kept to himself, Bobby was jovial, friendly, and outgoing.
cheerful, polite
What 3 things belong in an introductory paragraph of an essay?
1. Hook
2. Background
3. Thesis
Even though Greg had been looking forward to his best friend’s party for over a month, he knew his grandma would really love to see him. “It’s your choice, Greg. Grandma is really sick, but I know you’ve been very excited about this party,” said his mom. Most of his class was planning on going to the party and he knew it would be so much fun! After some thought, though, Greg knew exactly what he was going to do. “It’s not like this is the last party that I’ll ever be invited to and grandma would be so sad if I didn’t come,” said Greg. “Plus, I always like making her smile.”
Family comes before fun
What is the meaning of the word "contribute" in an ELA test question?
To help
To give something
In ELA, what is tone AND mood?
Tone is the speaker's, narrator's, or character's attitude toward something.
Mood is the way that the READER is intended to feel while reading part of the text.
Define Demeanor: My grandma’s demeanor was such that people often thought she was being rude when she was just being honest.
attitude or appearance
What is the paragraph called where you acknowledge the opposing opinion?
Counterargument
“I don’t want a new baby brother!” whined Kim. “Honey, you don’t have a choice. He will be here next month,” mom said rubbing her big belly. Kim couldn’t believe that she would have to be around a loud, slobbery baby. Plus, the thought of sharing anything, especially attention from her mom and dad, with a new baby didn’t sound fun at all! “You will be one of the most important people in his life!” mom exclaimed. “He will need you to look out for him and to teach him new things!” “Hmm, I guess that’s true. I will be showing him a lot of new things. Maybe it won’t be all that terrible having a little rugrat running around here,” Kim replied with a sigh. “Just don’t expect me to change his diapers!
Change can be a good thing