Inferences
The room was a mess! Pots and pans were piled in the sink. Drawers and cabinets were flung open. Chocolate chips dotted the floor and empty cartons were on a sticky counter, but the smell was delicious.
Why was the room a mess?
Someone was making cookies
Words that have the SAME or almost the same MEANINGS
Synonyms
Floor mats were made from strips of BARK.What does the word BARK mean in this context?
The outside part of a tree
Jill had a picture of her class. Everyone was in the picture, The teacher looked happy, The boys and girls looked happy. It was a nice picture to have.
What is the main idea?
Jill has a nice picture.
Her face is like a sunbeam.
simile
Which text structure?
Cats are North America’s most popular pets: there are 73 million cats compared to 63 million dogs. Over 30% of households in North America own a cat.
description
The children looked up at the twinkling lights. The background was pitch black. Although the air was a bit cool they didn’t mind. They were busy looking at shapes, designs, and even some streaking lights.
Where were the children?
Words that have OPPOSITE MEANINGS
Antonyms
People started to STUFF material to resemble bears. What does the word STUFF mean in this sentence?
Working dogs are amazing animals specially trained to protect people and to make life easier for them. Some working dogs act as eyes for blind people, ears for the hearing impaired, and helpers for the physically challenged. Others help ranchers protect and move sheep and cattle from place to place. Police dogs help officers catch criminals, find illegal drugs and weapons. Search dogs are trained to find disaster victims and missing people.
What is the Main Idea?
There are many types of working dogs.
The tropical storm slept for days.
personification
Which text structure?
Every day, the British drink 165 million cups of tea, which is over 20 times more than the average American. Unlike American tea, England’s tea is not served cold over ice. It is hot, served black, and served in a mug.
compare and contrast
The waves crashed against the beach. Thunder cracked and lightning lit the sky. The wind howled and bent trees over sideways. People put shutters on their windows, bought supplies, and were ready.
What were the people expecting?
A hurricane or storm
Scientists think Lucy walked upright like we do, but others OBJECT. What does OBJECT mean in this sentence?
disagree
What is the THEME of these song lyrics?
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter,
dancing through the fire, cause I am a
champion, and you’re gonna hear my
roar!
Be courageous and stand up for yourself.
The fireworks went "bam!" as they exploded across the sky.
onomatopoeia
Which text structure?
Because dolphins cannot swim backward, it makes it difficult for them to escape fishing nets. If they can’t get to the surface, they can drown in a matter of minutes.
cause and effect
The girl saved all her money. It was exactly what she wanted. She imagined gliding down the road pedaling effortlessly. She finally had enough money to make her dream come true.
What was her dream?
To purchase a bike
An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.
What is connotation?
What does the word parched mean in the following sentence?
I was so parched , I drank an entire glass of water in one gulp.
thirsty
What is the THEME of these song lyrics?
“The scars of your love remind me
of us
They keep me thinking that we almost
had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me
breathless
I can’t help feeling
We could have had it all”
People can forgive but they may never forget.
Love can last forever.
He was a library of information about baseball.
metaphor
What is the author's purpose for writing this?
Every president except George Washington has lived in the White House. However, Washington did help design the building.
inform
What is the poet describing?
A small speckled visitor
Wearing a crimson cape,
Brighter than a cherry,
Smaller than a grape.
A polka-dotted someone
Walking on my wall,
A black-hooded lady
In a scarlet shawl
a lady bug
Which word has a negative connotation?
messy or cluttered
messy
What does the word conspicuous mean in the following sentence?
The conspicuous man wore a purple wig and large sunglasses.
easily noticed
Create a THEME statement for The Giver.
Memories are important.
Differences should never be hidden.
Individuality is more important than safety.
There is no freedom without choice.
I had so much homework, I needed a pickup truck to carry all my books.
hyperbole
What is the author's purpose for writing this?
Good citizens donate old clothes to charity. It may be hard to give up a favorite outgrown sweater, but we have needy people in our community. Why not let your old sweater keep another kid warm?
persuade