Name: _____________________

Unit #1 Vocabulary

Personification When a writer describes an object as if it were a person, he or she is using

personification; for example, The trees sighed in the afternoon breeze. The trees
cannot really sigh but seemed to as they moved gently in the breeze.

Figurative language you need to distinguish between literal and figurative meanings of words and
phrases. Literal refers to the actual meaning of a word or phrase. For example, if
someone tells you to open the door, you can open a physical door. If someone tells
you to open the door to your heart, you are not expected to find a door in your
chest. Instead, you open up your feelings and emotions

Propel the action Propelling the action occurs when particular lines of dialogue or specific incidents
in a story cause something to happen. For example, if a character has a change of
mind, a change of heart, or makes a decision, the plot can move forward.

Incident An incident is something that occurs in a story. Like dialogue, an incident can
reveal aspects of characters, advance the plot, or provoke a decision in a story.

Dialogue Dialogue refers to the exact words the characters are saying. Generally, dialogue is
set off from the rest of the text with quotation marks and commas. Each time a new
character speaks, a new paragraph begins. Dialogue can reveal new information
about characters, propel the action in a story, or provoke a character’s decision

Resolution In most stories, there is a conflict or problem. The resolution is the solution to the
problem or the end of the main dramatic conflict.

Plot The specific order of a series of events that form a story is known as the plot.

Setting Setting refers to where and when a story takes place, including the time of day, the
season, or the location.

Characterization Characterization refers to the way an author develops a character over the course of
a text

Objective Summary An objective summary is an overview of a passage that captures the main points
but does not give every detail and does not include opinions.

Central Idea The central idea is the most important point or idea that the author is making in a
passage. The central idea is also known as the main idea.

Theme The theme of a literary passage is its lesson or message. For example, a story could
be about two friends who like to do things together and the theme might be the
importance of friendship.
Literary Texts Literary texts are passages that are stories, dramas, or poems.

Inference To infer means to come to a reasonable conclusion based on evidence found in the
text. By contrast, an explicit idea or message is fully stated or revealed by the
author

Idiom An idiom is a quirky expression or saying that is specific to a language. I’ve been
on cloud nine all day! is an expression used in the English language to express that
someone is having a great day.

Alliteration Alliteration is the use of the same sound to start several words in a row; for
example, The beautiful butterfly blew by the bay. Literary devices such as
alliteration can have a big impact on poems, stories, and dramas

Allusion An allusion is an indirect reference to something. When a writer refers to

something without mentioning it explicitly, it is an allusion; for example, He didn’t
want to give gifts to anyone at Christmas; he was being a scrooge. In this sentence,
the writer is alluding to Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas
Carol.

Tone The tone found in writing is the attitude of an author about a subject or an
audience. The author will choose words and language to create a tone and express a
viewpoint in a text.

Analogy An analogy is a comparison between two things that helps to express the
relationship or connection between the words. For example, Moon is to night as
sun is to day

Chronological Chronological order is the order in which a series of events happened. A text that is
Order arranged in order of time from the beginning to the end is in chronological order

Cause and Effect This is a relationship in which one thing causes another thing to happen

Compare/Contrast The structure of compare and contrast analyzes the relationships between ideas in
a text. Comparing analyzes the similarities, while contrasting analyzes the
differences.

Flashbacks Flashbacks are shifts in the storyline to give readers important information to help
them understand the story better

Foreshadowing Foreshadowing refers to hints in the narrative of what is to come in the plot in the
future.

POV The perspective from which a story is told is called the point of view. The point of
view depends on who the narrator is and how much he or she knows. The point of
view could be first person (I went to the store), second person (You went to the
store), or third person (He went to the store).

Dramatic Irony Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something that the characters do not
know.

Genre A genre is the category of a text, such as fiction or nonfiction. Each genre has a
particular style, form, and content. The genre of fiction can be divided into more
specific categories. For example, a myth is a specific type of fiction that tells a
traditional story using supernatural characters and events.
 Unit #2 Vocabulary

Informational Text Informational texts are passages that explain or inform.

Inference To infer means to come to a reasonable conclusion based on evidence found in the
passage.

Central Idea The central idea is the most important point or idea that the author is making in a
passage. The central idea is also known as the main idea.

Objective Summary An objective summary is an overview of a passage. It captures the main points but
does not give every detail and does not include opinions.

Fact vs. Opinion A fact is a statement that can be proven. An opinion is a statement that cannot be
proven, as it states an author’s belief or judgment about something.

Distinction Distinction refers to the act of noticing differences or contrasts between similar things
or people.

Analogy An analogy is a comparison between two things that helps to express the relationship
or connection between the things. For example, Looking for my favorite pencil in my
backpack is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Figurative Meaning Literal meaning refers to the actual meaning of a word or phrase. By contrast,
figurative meaning refers to the symbolic meaning of words or phrases and uses
figurative language such as personification

Connotative Meaning A meaning beyond the explicit meaning of a word is known as connotative meaning.
For example, the word childlike connotes innocence. Connotations are meanings
inferred from certain words.

Denotative Meaning The explicit meaning of a word is the denotative meaning. For example, helpful has
only one meaning and denotation, which is to be of service or assistance.

Technical Meaning The meaning of a word as it relates to a specific subject or process is the technical
meaning. For example, the term run-on sentence in the study of English grammar has
a technical meaning that refers to two complete thoughts joined incorrectly.

Tone The tone found in writing is the attitude of an author about a subject or an audience.
The author will choose words and language to create a tone and express a viewpoint in
a text.

Chronological Order Chronological order is the order in which a series of events happened. A passage that
is arranged in order of time from the beginning to the end is in chronological order.

Cause and Effect This is a relationship in which one thing causes another thing to happen.

Compare/Contrast The structure of compare and contrast analyzes the relationships between ideas in a
passage. Comparing analyzes the similarities, while contrasting analyzes the
differences.

Order of Importance Order of importance organizes text by listing supporting details from most important
to least important, or by least important to most important.

Problem/Solution Text that is organized by problem and solution identifies a problem and proposes one
or more solutions. An author may use a problem and solution to try to persuade
readers about a certain topic or course of action.

Textual Features Within a passage, an author may use features such as a topic sentence, an
 introduction, body paragraphs, headings, footnotes, or graphics to further organize
the text. These features are known as textual features.

Author’s Purpose The author’s purpose is the author’s intention for his or her writing. All passages have
a purpose, whether it is to persuade, inform, explain, or entertain.

Author’s POV The opinion of the author is known as the author’s point of view. Your opinion may
differ from the opinion of the author of a passage.

Evidence Something that proves or demonstrates the truth of something else is known as
evidence. Informational texts may contain evidence to prove that the information they
are providing is correct.

Claim A claim is the main argument made by the author. A strong claim will be supported by
reasons and evidence.

Counterclaim A reasonable argument that opposes or disagrees with another claim is called a
counterclaim. A strong counterclaim is supported by evidence and sound reasoning.
Sometimes the author of a persuasive text will include a counterclaim and the reasons
it is weak or wrong in order to strengthen his or her own claim. (RI8)

Bias When an author holds a strong opinion or belief about his or her topic, the writing
may contain forms of bias. Bias within passages can appear as statements that favor
one opinion or idea over another, sometimes creating an unfair or unsound argument
by the author. (RI8)

Sound Sound refers to reasoning that makes sense and follows some sort of logic. Sound
reasoning means the same as logical reasoning. (RI8)

Relevant To be considered relevant, the facts, details, or other information within a text must
be related to the topic. Relevant information helps support the author’s opinion,
claim, and reasoning. (RI8)

Unit #3 Vocabulary

Adaptation the act of changing something or changing your behavior to make it suitable for a
new purpose or situation

Argument A type of oral or written communication that develops or debates a topic in a

logical or persuasive way

Bias The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach toward a topic.

Characterization the process by which a writer reveals the personality of a character.

●​ Direct: the author shares the character’s personality trait(s)

●​ Indirect: the character’s thoughts, actions, speech, etc. reveal personality

Claim An arguable statement

Collaborative involving two or more people working together for a special purpose
Compare/Contrast a text structure in which ideas are related to one another on the basis of similarities
and differences

Counterclaim A reasonable argument that opposes or disagrees with another claim is called a
counterclaim

Credible worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy

Delineate To describe or outline with precision

Direct Quotes when you take another person's words and place them in your own document.
These must always be placed inside quotation marks and given appropriate
attribution (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc).

Evaluate To make judgments about the value of ideas, purposes, or claims of a text based on
criteria and standards

Evidence Facts, figures, details, quotations, or other sources of data and information that
provide support for claims or an analysis of the text and that can be evaluated by
others

Fact A piece of information provided objectively and presented as true.

Irrelevant Not relating to an issue or that which does not support an issue.

Hook Attention grabber usually at the beginning of an essay

Objective Not influenced by personal feelings or interpretations; unbiased; based on facts.

Opinion A personal view, attitude, or appraisal

POV the way in which an author reveals a viewpoint or perspective through characters,
ideas, events, and/or narration.
●​ First person: the narrator uses first-person pronouns such as I, me, and
my to tell the story.
●​ Second person: the narrator uses second-person pronouns such as you,
your, and yours to tell the story.
●​ Third person limited: the narrator uses third-person pronouns such as
they, she, and he to tell the story from one character’s perspective.
●​ Third person omniscient: the narrator uses third-person pronouns
such as they, she, and he to tell the story from two or more characters’
perspectives.

Protagonist the central character of a literary work.

Antagonist the character who opposes the protagonist or main character of a literary work; not
necessarily a villain

Primary Source a firsthand account of an event or a time period written or created during that time
period (e.g., Diary of Anne Frank, Dorothea Lange’s photographs, newspaper
article about Hurricane Katrina

Reason The basis for a position expressed in a text; a statement expressed to justify or
 explain a belief

Rebuttal a refutation or contradiction

Salient Most noticeable or important

Secondary Source an interpretation or analysis of a primary source (e.g., a book about diaries kept
during the Holocaust, a book about Great Depression photography, an op-ed from
a later date about how New Orleans handled the Hurricane Katrina aftermath)

Subjective relates to personal viewpoints, experiences, or perspectives

Sufficient Evidence that is adequate to support.

Valid (of an argument or point) having a sound basis in logic or fact; reasonable

Morality principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad
behavior.

Nomination When someone is officially recommended as a contender