Literary Terms & Author's Purpose
Characters
Genres
Elements of a Story
Figurative Language
100

Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.

Foreshadowing

100

This term is used to describe if a character is happy, sad, angry, or mean.

Mood

100

This genre has books that will have you guessing who did it

Mystery

100

The underlying message or the central idea the author wants to convey.


Theme

100

When something nonhuman is given human characteristics, this is known as what literary term?

personification

200

When an author's writing is trying to get the reader to do something or think a certain way. What is the author's purpose?

To persuade

200

The main character or hero of the story 

The Protagonist

200

Stories that explore futuristic concepts, advanced technology, or space exploration.

Science Fiction

200

The sequence of events that drive the narrative forward, showing "what" happens and "why" it happens. It's more than just a list of events; it establishes cause-and-effect relationships between them.


Plot

200

She sells seashells by the seashore is known as what literary term?

alliteration

300

This is a type of literature, or artistic writing, that can cause feelings of emotion in the reader. This style of writing uses language, sound, and rhyming.

 

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Poetry

300

The people, animals, or beings depicted in a story, play, or other written work.  

The Characters

300

This genre has books that will make you laugh

Humor

300

The time and place where the story unfolds. It encompasses the environment, both physical and social, that surrounds the characters and influences the plot. It shapes the mood, characters, and conflict of the story.

Setting

300

I am so hungry, I could eat a horse is an example of what literary term?

hyperbole

400

When an author writes to give the reader information, what is the author's purpose? 

To inform

400

This character is a mischievous and playful character. He wears a distinctive striped hat and is known for causing chaos and excitement wherever he goes.

The Cat in the Hat

400

This genre has brief, simplistic tales that teaches the reader a moral or lesson about how to behave in the world. The characters are often animals, but sometimes they are also inanimate objects. Some examples are the Ant and the Grasshopper and the Lion and the Mouse.

Fables

400

The story is told from the perspective of a character within the story, using pronouns like "I," "me," "my," "we," "us," and "our". The narrator's thoughts, feelings, and interpretations of events are shared directly with the reader.


First Person Point of View

400

Austin's words were sharp daggers, cutting John down to size is an example of what literary term

metaphor

500

The author's attitude toward the subject of the story.

Tone

500

The character who opposes the main character or hero is called?

The Antagonist

500

Stories that often involve magical elements, mythical creatures, and fantastical settings. Some examples are Harry Potter, Alice and Wonderland, Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

Fantasy

500

The crucial element of a story, creating tension and driving the plot forward. It can be internal (character vs. self) or external (character vs. another character, nature, society, etc.).


Conflict

500

They thought the box was heavy, but it was as light as a feather is an example of what literary term?

simile