The gist of a passage, central thought; the chief topic of a passage expressed or implied in a word or phrase; a statement in sentence form which gives the stated or implied major topic.
What is a main idea?
100
The reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of indirect evidence and prior conclusions rather than direct evidence from the text.
What is an inference?
100
A figure of speech comparing two unlike things usually using like or as.
What is a simile?
100
A struggle within the plot between opposing forces.
What is a conflict?
100
The quality or condition of being unlike or dissimilar.
What is difference?
200
A topic; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work. The theme may be stated or implied; clues to the theme may be made concrete through the images, characterization, and action of the text.
What is a theme?
200
To foresee what might happen in a text based on a reader’s background knowledge or schema.
What is predict?
200
A figure of speech that compares two things without using the word like or as and is used in place of a more literal description.
What is a metaphor?
200
To examine in order to observe or discover similarities or differences.
What is compare?
200
A comparison of two pairs that have the same relationship. The key is to discover the relationship between the first pair, so you can choose the correct second pair.
What is analogy?
300
A synthesis of the important ideas in a text presented in a condensed form to determine what is important in the text. Summaries do not include students’ opinion of the reading.
What is a summary?
300
Techniques used to covey or enhance an author’s message or voice.
What is a literary device?
300
A figure of speech in which nonhuman objects such as ideas, objects or animals, are given human characteristics.
What is personification?
300
To show differences when compared.
What is contrast?
300
A remark used to “make fun of” or “put down” someone or something. The remark is not sincere and is actually intended to hurt someone’s feelings.
What is sarcasm?
400
Statements or thoughts taken to be true without proof.
What is an assumption?
400
Word images and figures of speech used to enrich language. Common figures of speech are simile, metaphor, and alliteration.
What is figurative language?
400
Language that appeals to the senses. Descriptions of people or objects stated in terms of our senses and convey emotions and moods through their verbal pictures.
What is imagery?
400
Not important Not to the point; not relating to the subject.
What is irrelevant?
400
A term used to describe words whose pronunciations suggest their meaning and mimic their sound.
What is onomatopoeia?
500
To understand something not directly stated in the text by using past experience and knowledge combined with the text.
What is infer?
500
The repetition of the same sound, usually of a consonant, at the beginning of two or more words of a sentence or line of poetry.
What is an alliteration?
500
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning: the words say one thing, but mean another.
What is irony?
500
The state or quality of being similar; resemblance or likeness.
What is similarity?
500
A title, sub-title or topic at the top or beginning of a section of text.