Name: __________________________________________
Period: _________
8th Grade PSSA Vocabulary
1. affix - one or more letters that are attached to the beginning or end of a word
2. alliteration - the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words
3. allusion - a reference in literature to a familiar person, place, event or other artistic or literary work
4. analyze/analysis - to examine in detail and then explain those details
5. antagonist - the bad/evil character that is against the protagonist in a story
6. antonym - a word that is the opposite of another word
7. appositive - also called apposition; a grammatical construction in which two usually adjacent nouns
having the same reference stand next to one another; often separated by commas
8. author’s purpose - the author’s intent either to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain
people, or to persuade or convince their audience to do or not do something
9. autobiography - the story of a person’s life written by himself or herself
10. bandwagon - tries to persuade the reader to do, think or buy something because it is popular or because
“everyone” is doing it
11. bias - a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc. are better than others that usually results in
treating some people unfairly
12. bibliography - a list of sources found at the end of a written piece where other people’s work or ideas
were used
13. biography - the story of a person’s life written by someone else
14. cause/effect - cause statements stem from actions and events, and effects are from what happened as a
result of the action or event
15. characterization - the method an author uses to reveal characters and their various personalities
16. climax - the turning point in a story when the conflict is at its most intense
17. compare - placing together characters, situations or ideas to show common or differing features in literary
selections
18. compound word - a word composed of two or more smaller words
19. conclusion - the ending of the story or the summarization of ideas or closing argument in nonfictional
texts
20. conflict/problem - a struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions in a story
21. context clues - information from the reading that identifies a word or group of words
22. contrast - to compare or show differences
23. counterargument - an argument offered in opposition to another argument
24. define - to give the meaning of a word in a sentence or essay form
25. describe - to tell about something using words; to create a picture with words in an essay
26. descriptive text - allows the reader to picture the scene or setting in which the action of a story takes
place
27. dialogue - the conversation between two people in a literary work
28. differentiate - to tell about and recognize the differences between two or more items
29. dynamic character - a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a
change in personality or attitude
30. editorials - a newspaper or magazine article that gives the opinions of the editors or publishers
31. enumerate - to list: to name one by one in an essay
32. emotional appeal - tries to persuade the reader by using words that appeal to the reader’s emotions
instead of his logic or reason
33. epic - a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero of great historic or legendary importance
34. evaluate - to give good points and bad points in an essay
35. explain - to make clear by telling “how” or “why” within an essay
36. explicit - referring to specific text that is included in the reading passage or in the directions
37. exposition - the beginning part of plot where the reader learns about the characters and setting of a story
38. expository text - text written to explain and convey information about a specific topic
39. fable - a story in which animals or inanimate objects are given human characteristics in order to convey a
moral
40. fairytale - short stories featuring mythical beings such as fairies, elves, and sprites
41. falling action - the events that occur after the climax in a story
42. fiction - a made up story rather than documented fact
43. figurative language - language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect
or feeling
44. flashback - a device used in literature to present action that occurred before the beginning of the story
45. fluency - the clear, easy, written or spoken expression of words typically in oral reading
46. folktales - a type of story that is based on historical figures and events and which is orally retold
47. foreshadowing - a device used in literature to give the reader a clue to something that will happen later in
a story
48. free verse - poetry that lacks regular metrical and rhyme patterns but that tries to capture the cadences of
everyday speech
49. generalization - a conclusion, drawn from specific information, that is used to make a broad statement
about a topic or person
50. genre - a category used to classify literary works
51. graphic organizer - a diagram or pictorial device that shows relationships
52. homophone - one of two or more words pronounced alike, but different in spelling and meaning
53. hyperbole - an exaggeration or overstatement
54. idiom - an expression that cannot be understood if taken literally
55. illustrate - to make an answer clear using pictures, charts, or diagrams within an essay
56. imagery - a word or group of words in a literary work which appeals to one or more of the senses
57. implicit - meanings which, though unexpressed in the literal text, may be understood by the reader;
implied
58. inference - a conclusion based on facts or circumstances; understandings gained by “reading between the
lines”
59. informational text - it is nonfiction, written primarily to convey factual information
60. interpret - to give your ideas about something in an essay
61. irony - the use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or usual meaning
62. legends - a story about a mythical or supernatural being or events, often not true
63. limerick - a light of humorous verse form of five lines
64. limited view - when the speaker in a story is unable to know what is in any character’s mind but his or her
own mind
65. literary devices - tools used by the author to enliven and provide voice to writing
66. literary elements - the essential parts that make up literature
67. literary nonfiction - stories or texts that are true about people, places, or events
68. main idea - the author’s central thought; the chief topic of a text expressed or implied in a word or phrase;
the topic sentence of a paragraph
69. metaphor - a figure of speech that compares two unlike things not using like or as
70. meter - the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry
71. mood - the emotions of a work or of the author in his/her creation of the work
72. multiple-meaning words - words that have several meanings depending upon how they are used in a
sentence
73. name-calling - an attack on a person instead of an issue
74. narrative - a type of text that tells a story
75. nonfiction - a type of writing that is not fictional and is designed to explain, argue, instruct, or describe
76. omniscient - the narrative point of view from which a literary work is presented to the reader from a
“godlike” perspective; the omniscient view can see actions and look into the minds of the characters
77. onomatopoeia - the use of words whose sounds express or suggest their meaning
78. paraphrase - restate text or passage in other words, often to clarify meaning or show understanding
79. personification - an object or abstract idea given human qualities or human form
80. plagiarism - to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and to pass them off as one’s own work
81. plot - the structure and sequence of events in a story
82. poetry - a type of writing that gives ideas and which causes the reader to experience emotion through the
use of figurative language
83. point of view - the vantage point from which a story is told
84. prefix - a group of letters that can be placed before a word to change its meaning
85. primary source - text and/or artifacts that tell or show a first-hand account of an event; original works
used when researching (letters, journals, etc.)
86. problem/solution - a type of organizational structure in nonfictional texts, where the author typically
presents a problem and possible solutions to it
87. propaganda - a tactic used to influence people to believe, buy, or do something
88. protagonist - the good/positive character in a story
89. repetition - attempts to persuade the reader by repeating a message over and over again
90. research - a inquiry into a subject or problem in order to discover, verify or revise relevant facts or
principles having to do with that subject or problem
91. resolution - the end part of a story where the conflict is resolved
92. retell - recounting in a reader’s own words a story or article that has just been read
93. rhyme - identical or very similar recurring final sounds in words usually at the end of lines of a poem
94. rhythm - the pattern or beat of a poem
95. rising action - the part of a story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated, leads to the climax
96. root word - a word to which prefixes and suffixes can be added to form different words
97. satire - a literary work using wit or sarcasm to make fun of something
98. secondary source - text and/or artifacts, used when researching and which are derived from something
original (biographies, magazine articles, research papers)
99. setting - the time and place in which a story unfolds
100. simile - a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using like or as
101. sonnet - a lyric poem of fourteen lines whose rhyme scheme is fixed
102. static character - a literary or dramatic character who undergoes little or no inner change; a character
who does not grow or develop
103. stereotyping/sweeping generalizations - makes an oversimplified statement about a group based on
limited information
104. style - how an author writes; an author’s use of language
105. suffix - a group of letters that can be placed after a word to change its meaning
106. summarize - to briefly state the main idea and the major details in an essay
107. symbolism - a device in literature where an object represents an idea
108. synonym - one of two or more words in a language that have highly similar meanings
109. syntax - the pattern or structure of word order in sentences, clauses, and phrases
110. testimonial - attempts to persuade the reader by using famous people to endorse a product or idea
111. text structure - the author’s method of organizing a text
112. theme - a topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary
work
113. tone - the attitude of the author toward the audience and characters
114. Venn diagram - a diagram made up of two or more overlapping circles that is used to show similarities
and differences in characters, stories, poems, events, or major ideas between two texts
115. voice - the fluency, rhythm, and liveliness in writing that make it unique to the writer