Test-Taking Strategies
This is what you should do first when you begin answering Multiple Choice questions.
Identify key words within the question
This is what you should do to answer a main idea/textual evidence type of question.
Make sure your main idea has no details, encompasses the information in the whole passage and includes any relevant names ( if related to the main idea).
Make sure your textual evidence choice of an answer is the strongest and most direct one.
This is the term for an object that represents a larger idea or concept such as a dove representing peace, a heart representing love, etc.
Symbol/symbolism
This is two different things being compared using "like" or "as" such as the following:
a. Her toxic boyfriend watched her like a hawk all of the time.
b. I snuck into the house late just as a cat steps on silent padded paws.
A simile
This is the first thing you should do in either the Narrative Essay or the RST Essay.
Understand the essay prompt or question especially if it's multipart.
This is the process you should use to greatly increase your chances of getting the right answer.
The Process of Elimination
In an "inferencing/suggesting/drawing conclusion/implying" type of question, you should do this to get the best answer.
Choose the answer by figuring something important out from the passage, not something directly told in it.
This is the deeper, underlying moral lesson or universal truth a literary piece teaches.
A theme
This is a comparison of 2 different things NOT using "like" or "as", or something that cannot be taken literally such as the following:
a. The stars were sprinkled diamonds on the velvety blue sky
b. My memories were riding on the wings of the wind of time.
Metaphor
a. For the Narrative Essay, this is what you should do if you are asked to write an original narrative.
b. For the Narrative Essay, this is what you should do if you are asked to write a narrative from a different point of view.
c. For the Narrative Essay this is what you should do if you are asked to rewrite the ending.
a. Create your own story using your imagination
b. Consider that character's traits when portraying him or her along with the actions he or she might take
c. Consider what has already happened, all of the characters' traits and write a plausible and logical ending.
After you have narrowed down to 2 top answers, you should do this.
Either locate answer in text or revisit text to double check you are choosing the best possible answer.
A "summarizing" type of question differs from a "main/central idea" one since it does this.
Captures what happens in the whole passage with an infusion of deeper understanding why.
This is a hint at later events in a story such as the ominous dream Romeo had right before attending the Capulet party which eventually led to his secret marriage and then demise, or Jacqueline's sister praising her writing ability in BGD before she became a writer.
Foreshadowing
This is giving an inanimate object human qualities such as the followingL
a. The ominously dark and angry clouds sent flashes of lightning
b. He was struck by Love's arrow and fell head over heels for the beautiful young girl
Personification
This is what you must do to avoid writing a summary instead of a narrative.
Show, not tell.....and build suspense by develop the dialogue and description before the climax of the story. You must also include the Elements of the Plot such as setting, characters, driving conflict, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.
In a vocabulary inferencing question, you should use these two methods to check for the best answer.
Either use context clues from the sentence/paragraph or plug in the answer choice into the sentence to see what fits best/makes the most sense.
In a "theme" type of question, you should do this.
Extract the moral lesson, universal truth or deeper underlying lesson the passage teaches.
This is the opposite of what we expect to happen in a situation or event.
This is what happens when we say something innocently or as a joke, but then it comes true--a case of "be careful what you say bc it might just happen."
This is when the audience knows more than the characters on stage during a play.
Situational irony
Verbal irony
Dramatic irony
This is a contradiction of ideas or idea opposites such as "Love can make you and Love can break you"
This is two opposite words juxtaposed such as
Cruel Love. or Beautiful pain
Paradox
Oxymoron
This is the RST Essay Organization.
Introduction--Hook, Lead-in and Thesis/Claim ( if argumentative)
2-3 Body Paragraphs--Point, Evidence +Explanation, Evidence + Explanation and Link. ( if argumentative, you must address both sides of the issue and overcome opposing argument with your stronger logic)
Conclusion--Summary Statement with Lasting Thought.
In a multi-part question with part A and part B, you should do this to ensure you get both answers right.
Make sure you get the answer to part A right since part B depends on part A, especially if it a "textual evidence" question, but not only those.
In an "author's purpose" question, you should do this to get the best answer.
Look at the deeper, underlying reason the author wrote the passage such as to instruct, to inform, to persuade, to compare/contrast, to describe or to explain/to detail something.
These are examples of an external conflict in a literary piece.
These are examples of an internal conflict in a literary piece.
External conflicts include character vs. character, character vs. a group, character vs. society, character vs. nature, character vs. unknown
Internal conflicts include a struggle to make a decision, a fear that needs to be overcome to achieve a goal, struggle between what your head and heart tell you if different
This is an exaggeration such as the following:
"I will be back in one second" or " I'll die if he doesn't call me"
This is a polite way to say something to avoid hurting someone's feelings such as "letting one go" instead of "firing" them from a job.
hyperbole
euphemism
These are the Steps in the Process of the RST Essay.
a. Understand the Essay Prompt
b. Read each article, highlight only relevant information and take representative notes as to the deeper meaning of information
c. Classify notes for each article into 3 main components of Thesis
d. Formulate Thesis by restating essay prompt, including the 3 components from notes and listing the 3 sources of information
e. Follow the RST Organization to write the essay.