Compare/Contras
Identify one clear similarity and one clear difference between how any two passages develop their central idea.
Answers will vary. Does not have to be same topic
Ex: Similarity — Both passages present a central idea about student responsibility. Difference — Passage A uses statistical evidence to support claims, while Passage B relies on personal anecdotes and examples.
Name two common text structures used in nonfiction
cause/effect, chronological/ sequence, compare/contrast, problem/solution
What are three possible author purposes
What is a simile? Provide a short definition
A simile compares two unlike things using "like" or "as" (e.g., "busy as a bee") to create a vivid image.
Given two short paragraphs about school uniforms and student choice, write one sentence that explains which text uses stronger supporting details and why.
Answers will vary
Ex: The paragraph that cites specific data and expert sources (e.g., percentages from a study or quotes from school officials) uses stronger supporting details because those facts make the claims verifiable and less reliant on opinion.
Identify the structure used in a paragraph that lists historical events in the order they happened. Explain your choice in one sentence.
Chronological/sequence.
Explanation: Listing events in the order they occurred is the defining feature of chronological structure.
A paragraph gives balanced reasons for and against a policy, then states the author's preferred choice. What purpose does this likely show, and how does acknowledging counterarguments affect credibility?
Persuade. Acknowledging counterarguments increases credibility because it shows the author considered other views and can address or refute them.
Identify the figurative device in this sentence: "The classroom was a beehive of activity." Name the device and explain its effect on meaning.
Device: Metaphor.
Effect: It compares the classroom directly to a beehive, suggesting busy, energetic, and organized activity; it helps readers visualize the lively scene.
Read two provided topic sentences (teacher will display). Explain which sentence promises an analytical compare/contrast essay and which promises a summary. Give one reason for each choice.
A-"This essay will compare how traditional homework and project-based learning affect student engagement by evaluating evidence of academic outcomes and classroom behavior."
B- "This essay explains what traditional homework and project-based learning are and describes typical classroom practices for each."
A- Reason: Uses evaluation language ("compare," "evaluating evidence") and signals analysis of differences and effects, promising a discussion that weighs and contrasts two approaches.
B- Reason: Uses descriptive language ("explains," "describes") and signals an overview rather than evaluation, promising summary information about each approach rather than a comparative analysis.
A nonfiction passage begins with a question, gives background, presents evidence, and ends with a call to action. Which structure does this most closely match, and how does that structure serve the author's purpose?
Structure: Problem/solution or persuasive (argument) structure.
How it serves purpose: It moves the reader from curiosity to understanding and then to action by framing an issue, supplying reasons, and urging a response.
Identify two ways an author might respond to conflicting evidence in a persuasive article. Provide a brief example of each response type.
Ex: Response 1: Qualify the conflicting evidence (e.g., "Some studies with small samples show X, but larger studies show Y"), which reduces the conflict’s weight.
Response 2: Reconcile or contextualize (e.g., "Although A seems to conflict with B, both may apply in different contexts"), which maintains credibility.
Read a short stanza (teacher provides). Explain how a specific metaphor or symbol contributes to the stanza’s overall meaning; cite the line you use as evidence.
The river swallowed the town whole,
With a muddy, relentless, surging toll.
Past the steeple and the steeple-chase,
It left no footprint or familiar trace,
Just a silent, deep, and watery place.
The metaphor "the river swallowed the town" suggests unstoppable change consuming the community; the line "the river swallowed the town" shows that change is depicted as overpowering and destructive, emphasizing themes of loss and inevitability.
Two authors present views on community service: Author A organizes points by cause/effect and Author B uses a problem/solution structure. Explain how those different structures affect the reader’s understanding of which side is stronger.
Cause/effect (Author A) shows logical links between actions and outcomes, helping readers see why certain consequences follow and making the argument feel systematic. Problem/solution (Author B) focuses attention on fixes and feasibility, making the argument practical. Thus Author A highlights reasons for outcomes, while Author B emphasizes actionable responses—each shaping what the reader finds convincing.
Explain how headings, subheadings, and bullet lists help a reader track the development of an author's argument in a long article. Give two specific functions these features serve.
Function 1: They signal organization and main ideas, making it easier to follow the argument’s structure.
Function 2: They allow quick scanning to locate evidence or claims, supporting comprehension and efficient referencing.
Given a paragraph that uses strong anecdote and emotional language but limited data, analyze whether the author’s purpose is more to persuade or to inform. Explain your reasoning using the text features.
More likely to persuade.
Reasoning: Heavy use of anecdote and emotional language aims to influence feelings and opinions, while limited data suggests the text is not primarily focused on objective information.
Distinguish between symbolism and literal description using an example: explain why a recurring image of a locked door in a story might be symbolic rather than literal.
Literal Description: A locked door physically prevents entry.
Symbolism: If the locked door recurs in dreams, memories, and character reactions and connects to themes like isolation or missed chances, it represents emotional barriers or secrecy rather than just a physical object.
Given two full-length texts with different tones and evidence types (one uses statistics, one uses personal narrative), analyze how each author’s choice of evidence influences credibility and which author better supports a central claim. Include at least two specific examples of evidence and a brief judgment about effectiveness.
Ex: "A national survey found 72% support"
This increases perceived credibility and generalizability. Personal narrative example: "A student described how volunteering changed their life" This adds emotional impact and relatability.
Judgment: For an academic audience, the statistics text better supports the central claim because it offers generalizable data; its effectiveness could improve by adding a representative anecdote. For a community audience, the narrative may be more persuasive emotionally but less generalizable.
Analyze a supplied essay’s paragraph arrangement and explain how rearranging one supporting paragraph to earlier in the essay would change the development of the central idea. Include the likely effect on reader understanding and on the argument’s persuasiveness.
Ex: Moving the strongest statistical support earlier would foreground evidence and make the central idea seem more immediately credible, likely increasing persuasiveness for readers who value data. Moving a counterargument earlier could reduce immediate persuasive force but increase credibility by showing the author considered objections.
"Many animals live in a pond. You can find fish, frogs, and lots of bugs in a pond. The water from the pond is fresh, not salty like the ocean."
The rhetoric being used is...
Inform
Read the paragraph below. Identify at least three different figurative devices used (name each device and quote the phrase), then analyze how the combined use of these devices shapes the paragraph’s tone and deepens its central idea.
"The old theater sighed as the curtain rose, its velvet seats remembering nights of laughter. A single lamp stood like a soldier guarding the aisle, its light a thin ribbon leading the way. I felt my heart drum a slow, unsure rhythm; the room, a patient animal, waited with me. Time here tasted faintly of dust and lemon; memories clung to the air like moths to a lampshade."