Figurative Language
The wind whispered through the dark trees during the storm.
What is personification?
A character yells, "Get out of my room right now!" This STEAL element reveals their anger through what they say.
What is Speech?
A marriage counselor files for divorce.
What is situational irony?
This is a direct, one-sentence answer to a question that does not start with "yes" or "no."
What is a claim?
This young protagonist and narrator wishes for a house of her own and writes stories to cope with her life in Chicago.
Who is Esperanza?
This comparison states that one thing is another, such as "Our lives are paths a judge has decided."
What is a metaphor?
When a story reveals that Sarah is secretly terrified of the upcoming exam despite smiling, the author is using this STEAL element.
What are Thoughts?
In a horror movie, the audience sees the monster hiding in the closet, but the main character walks right inside anyway.
What is dramatic irony?
This component of CER consists of facts, data, or direct quotes gathered from a reliable source.
What is evidence?
This young girl walks eight hours every day just to fetch water for her family in Southern Sudan.
Who is Nya?
This part of speech modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, often ending in "-ly."
What is an adverb?
If everyone in the room suddenly goes quiet and smiles when Julian walks in, the author is using this letter of the STEAL acronym to characterize Julian.
What is Effect on others?
After stepping directly into a massive, muddy puddle on her way to school, Sarah looks at her ruined shoes and says, "Well, my day is off to a perfect start."
What is verbal irony?
This term refers to the main point or the overarching message that an author wants the reader to understand about a topic.
What is the central idea?
A Long Walk to Water uses this narrative structure to tell Salva's and Nya's stories side-by-side before they intersect.
What is a parallel narrative?
This type of figurative language compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."
What is a simile?
Instead of explicitly telling the reader that Sarah is generous, an author uses this STEAL element when writing that Sarah gave her last dollar to a classmate.
What is Actions?
The famous line from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink."
What is situational irony?
Authors use these specific facts, examples, and statistics to prove and build up the central idea.
What are supporting details?
This is the shared African country where Salva wanders as a "Lost Boy" and where Nya's story takes place.
What is Sudan?
In the sentence "The hyperbole exploded in his face," this specific word serves as the subject.
What is hyperbole?
A character’s posture, facial expressions, and choice of clothing fall under this specific category of the STEAL acronym.
What is Looks?
A crown prince plans to eliminate his rival, unaware that the rival is actually his own long-lost brother.
What is dramatic irony?
This part of CER connects your data to your claim by explaining the scientific or logical principles behind it.
What is reasoning?
In the sentence "Salva ran swiftly away from the gunfire," this specific word functions as the adverb.
What is swiftly?