Show:
Literary Elements
Reading Comprehension
Important words in MCAS questions
Writing Open Response and Literary Analysis
Common Types of MCAS questions
100
A comparison using like or as Example: Her eyes gleamed like stars.
What is simile?
100
The central idea, lesson, or point of a work, the main focus or underlying meaning.
What is theme?
100
Convey: “What message does the second stanza convey?”
What is "to pass on or send information"
100
➢ According to X, "_____________________________." ➢ X states, “____________________________.” ➢ X himself says, “____________________________.”
What are ways to introduce evidence from the text?
100
What kind of question is this: Based on the poem, which of the following best describes the poet’s tone?
What is analyze details
200
The atmosphere or feeling of a work. For example, the __________ of a poem may be joyful, gloomy, or suspenseful.
What is mood?
200
This comprehension strategy asks you to mark up the text by summarizing, clarifying, inferring, questioning, and predicting.
What is annotating?
200
Emphasize: “What do the lines emphasize?”
What is "give importance to, stress"
200
➢ Basically, X is saying ________________________. ➢ X is suggesting that ________________________. ➢ The essence of X’s argument is that ____________. ➢ In other words, X’s point is that __________________. ➢ Ultimately this shows that _____________________.
What are ways to introduce analysis (or explain quotes)?
200
What kind of question is this: In paragraph 3, what is the most likely reason the author states, “cables are the vines of the city”?
What is author's purpose or analyze details?
300
The attitude or viewpoint that an author shows toward his or her subject. For example, ____________ may be serious, sympathetic, optimistic, or angry.
What is tone?
300
This comprehension strategy requires you to go back and re-read the sentences directly around the unfamiliar word or phrase.
What is context clues?
300
Demonstrate: “Select a character who demonstrates responsibility.”
What is "to show by reasoning, prove"
300
Three good transitions for introducing your first, second and third evidence in a claim paragraph
What is "first of all," "in addition," "furthermore," "moreover," "also," "lastly," "finally"
300
What type of question is this: "What do lines 42-46 mainly emphasize?"
What is main idea?
400
The suggestion of events to come. For example, gray clouds at the beginning of a story may ___________ a storm that occurs later
What is foreshadowing?
400
A reading strategy where you make an educated assumption or guess based on evidence from the text.
What is making an inference?
400
Characterize: “Which term best characterizes the author’s tone?”
What is "describe the qualities of"
400
A good thesis for this open response question: Based on the excerpt "Rats" by Robert Sullivan, explain why brown rats have been able to thrive in urban areas. Support your answer with relevant and specific information from the excerpt.
What is: In the excerpt "Rats" by Robert Sullivan, we learn why brown rats have been able to thrive in urban areas.
400
What type of question is this: Read the sentence from paragraph 8 in the box below. "I deeply envied Bobby his selfcontrol and tried my best to emulate him, even as I suspected I’d never master the trick." Based on the sentence, what does the word emulate mean?
What is vocabulary?
500
A situation or event that is the opposite of what someone might expect. For example, a lifeguard who had to be saved from drowning.
What is irony?
500
What two things should you "pre-read" before starting to read an MCAS passage?
What are the directions in italics AND the questions?
500
Indicate: “The experiences reported in paragraph one most likely indicates which of the following?"
What is "point out, show"
500
A good thesis for this literary analysis prompt: Often in works of literature, characters have a mixture of positive and negative traits. From a work of literature you have read in or out of school, select a character who blends positive and negative traits. In a well-developed composition, identify the character, describe how the character demonstrates both positive and negative traits, and explain how the character’s traits are important to the work of literature.
What is: In the novel ___________ by ___________, the character ______________ demonstrates both positive and negative traits.
500
What type of question is this: In the selection, why is the term “Chalk Marl” capitalized?
What is structure/diction?