English I: Literature &
Composition
MID-TERM REVIEW
Unit I
CHARACTER / INTRODUCTION TO
LITERATURE / 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY
I.
Character
 Character: the sum of moral and ethical qualities
which defines an individual’s nature
Introduction to Literature
 Know these key terms:
 Exposition
 Rising Action
 Climax
 Falling Action
 Resolution
 Theme
 Autobiography
 Novel
 Plot
 Protagonist
 Memory Play
Introduction to Literature
Be able to distinguish:
Literary Devices
Foreshadowing
 Allusion
 Symbolism
 Metaphor
 Motif

Purposes of Literature
 Edification: the instruction or improvement of a
person morally or intellectually
 Education: the process of receiving or giving
systematic instruction, esp. at a school or university
 Entertainment: the action of providing or being
provided with amusement or enjoyment

Education seeks to impart knowledge to the reader; Edification seeks
to impart wisdom, uplifting the moral and/or intellectual character
of a person.
5-Paragraph Essay
 Be able to fill in an outline demonstrating the format
for a 5-paragraph essay.
Unit II
PARTS OF SPEECH / PHRASES & CLAUSES /
INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH
Noun: names a person, place, thing, or idea
 Proper- names specific people, places, or things (first




letter is always capitalized)
Common- names general groups, places, people, or
things
Concrete- names things experienced through the
senses
Abstract- names things not knowable through the
senses
Collective- names groups
Nouns: examples
Common Nouns
Proper Nouns
woman
Mary, Queen Isabella, Princess Kate
nation
United States, Italy, Switzerland
event
French Revolution, Boston Tea Party
language
English, Spanish, French
holiday
Concrete Nouns
Fourth of July, Christmas, Easter
water, gum, towel, shoe, Melissa,
The Spanish Steps
Abstract Nouns
peace, honor, rebellion, dedication,
determination, Manifest Destiny
Collective Nouns
jury, band, family, class, team
Pronouns: Take the place of nouns
(Personal Pronouns)
Singular
Plural
First Person
I, me, my, mine
we, us, our, ours
Second Person
you, your, yours
you, your yours
Third Person
he, him, his, she, her,
hers, it, its
they, them, their, theirs
I told her that I would see him this afternoon.
(Reflexive/Intensive
Pronouns)
Singular
Plural
First Person
myself
ourselves
Second Person
yourself
yourselves
Third Person
himself, herself, itself
themselves
Mary excused herself from the table. (reflexive)
William Shakespeare himself wrote the script. (intensive)
Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns
this that these those
These are the cupcakes I brought for Susan’s birthday.
Is this the book I need for class?
Interrogative Pronouns
who whom which what whose
What is the next step in getting my driver’s license?
Whose turn is it?
Relative Pronouns
that which who whom whose
The college that I went to is in college.
The girl who looks like my sister is my best friend.
Indefinite all another any anybody anyone anything both each
Pronouns either everybody everyone everything few many more
most much neither nobody none no one nothing one
other several some somebody someone something such
All of the vegetables were washed. (antecedent = vegetables)
Did everyone decide to go to the movie? (no antecedent)
Possessive Pronoun vs. Possessive Adjective
 If the pronoun takes the place of a noun, it is a
possessive pronoun.

Sally took mine from the library to the car.
 If the pronoun modifies a noun, it is a possessive
adjective.

My backpack is filled with research materials from the library.
Verb: expresses action, occurrence, or state of being
 (Hint: If you’re unsure if a word in a sentence is a
verb, try replacing it for a different tense of the word.
If the sentence still makes sense, the word is a verb.)
Adjective: modifies a noun or pronoun; includes
articles a, an, and the
What Kind?
red buttons, fragrant perfume, delicious meal, elegant
gown
Which One?
this class, those papers, last chance, next step
How Many?
two cupcakes, several days, both parents, many voters
How Much?
some sugar, more money, enough effort, less butter
Adverb: modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb
 Descriptive adverbs- show levels of intensity,
usually by adding more (or less) and most (or
least)
 Relative adverbs- words such as where, why, and
when. Used to introduce adjective clauses
 Conjunctive adverbs- describe or limit by creating
logical connections to give words meaning.

Also, furthermore, moreover, besides, however, still,
nevertheless, conversely, nonetheless, instead, otherwise,
similarly, likewise, therefore, thus, consequently,
accordingly, hence, then, next, meanwhile, finally, indeed,
certainly
Preposition: shows relationship between a noun or
pronoun and another word in a sentence
 About, according to, after, along, among, above,
across, against, along with, apart from, around, as,
by, by means of, behind, below, beneath, beside,
except, in addition to….
 A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and
the words it modifies.
Conjunction: connects words, phrases, or clauses
 Coordinating conjunction- connects two or more
grammatically equal words, phrases, or clauses
 Subordinating conjunction- two conjunctions that
work as a pair

Both and…not only, but also…
Linking Verbs
 A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject
with a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective that
describes or identifies the subject.
 Common Linking Verbs
am, is, are, was, were, being, be, can be, may be, might
be, must be, shall be, will be, could be, should be,
would be, has been, have been, had been, shall have
been, will have been, could have been, should have
been, would have been
 appear, become, feel grow, look, remain, seem, smell,
sound, stay, taste, turn

Predicate nominative
 A predicate nominative is a noun or a pronoun that
follows a linking verb and refers to the same
person or thing as the subject of a verb.

William Shakespeare is my favorite writer. [Writer refers to
the subject, William Shakespeare.]
Predicate Adjective
 A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a
linking verb and modifies the subject of the
verb.

Your ‘Merica Monday ensemble is festive. [The adjective
festive modifies the subject ensemble.]
Direct Object: a noun or a pronoun that receives the
action of the verb or shows the result of the action.
 A direct object tells whom or what after an action
verb.
 Examples:

Sister Anne Catherine uses the Gospel to lead us in
morning prayer.
Indirect Object: a noun or a pronoun that comes
between an action verb and a direct object.
 Indirect objects tell to whom or to what the action
of the verb is done.
 Examples:


The Swedish Academy awarded Octavio Paz the 1990
Nobel Prize in literature. [Awarded the prize to whom?]
Julie’s part-time work experience landed her a full-time
position. [Landed the position for whom?]
Phrases
Review Phrases Slide Show from the Exam Review
page on my website!
 Prepositional Phrases
 Appositive, Gerund, Infinitive, and Participial
Phrases
 What makes a group of sentences a phrase rather
than a clause?
Verbals & Verbal Phrases Overview
Verbals
Verb forms used as…
Participle
adjective
Gerund
noun
Infinitive
Noun, adjective, or
adverb
Phrase vs. Clause
 Phrases do not contain both a subject and its verb.
 Clauses do contain both a subject and its verb, but
still function as part of a sentence.
Clauses
 Review Clauses PowerPoint on my website!
 Phrase vs. Clause
 Independent Clause vs. Subordinate Clause
 (How do you tell the difference?)
 Subordinate Clauses:
 Noun Clause, Adjective Clause, Adverb Clause
 How do you tell which type of subordinate clause a group of
words is?
Noun, Adjective and Adverb Clauses
 An adverb clause tells how, how much, when, where,
why, to what extent, or under what conditions.
 A noun clause may be used as a subject, a predicate
nominative, a direct object, an indirect object, or an
object of a preposition.
 An adjective clause always follows the word or words
it modifies and tells which kind or which one.
Unit III
SENTENCES AND COMMON SENTENCE
ERRORS
Sentences and Common Sentence Errors
 Review The Sentence PowerPoint to review the parts of
sentences.

Every sentence must have…
 Review the Common Sentence Errors Test and
PowerPoint!

Comma Splices, Run-on Sentences, Fragments, Lists & Examples,
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers, Split Infinitives, Shifts in
Number/Subject/Voice/Tense/Discourse, Hanging Pronouns, Using
Pronouns Effectively
 Review the methods of revising sentences:



Vary the rhythm by alternating long and short sentences.
Vary the beginnings of sentences.
Review Writing Workshop
Unit IV
12-SENTENCE PARAGRAPH AND SHORT
STORIES
12-Sentence Paragraph
 Use the outline you were given in class, along with
the 12 sentence paragraph format handout on my
website to review.
 You will be asked to write a 12-sentence paragraph
on the exam, and your grade will reflect your ability
to:




Follow the 12-sentence format
Vary sentence openings
Vary sentence lengths
Support your topic sentence
Short Stories
 Review the Short Stories PowerPoint.
 You may be tested on:
 The history of the genre (19th century beginnings, Edgar Allan
Poe, O’Henry)
 Plot
 Conflict: Internal and External
 Elements of the Short Story: Point of View (1st person, 3rd
person), Theme (Implied and Stated), Tone, Mood
 Figurative Language (Review from Unit I Intro to Literature):
Simile, Metaphor, Personification
 Literary Devices (Also a review from Unit I): Dialogue,
foreshadowing, conflict, irony
Test-Taking Skills
EXPECTATIONS, SKILLS, TIPS
Test-Taking
 Use the Process of Elimination (P.O.E.)
 Pace yourself. Remember there will be a 12 sentence
paragraph to complete. Start this while you still have
at least 30 minutes left in the exam period.
 Sometimes, you will feel that there is more than one
possible answer. If this is the case in a multiple
choice question, remember that you are being asked
to choose the BEST possible answer. If this is the
case in a short answer or essay question, choose one
answer and support it fully!
Test-Taking
 Circle questions that you’re unsure of and come back
to them later. Do not get stuck and waste time!
 Trust your first answer. Unless you have a strong
reason to change your answer, trust your first one.
 Focus on one exam at a time. The next exam will
have its own time.
 Write your name on the test AND on the Scantron.
Answering Short Answer Questions
 When answering short answer questions on
academic tests, always include part of the question in
your answer.

Example: Q: Why are autobiographies inherently anecdotal?

A: Autobiographies are inherently anecdotal because they do not
feature carefully planned plotlines.
 Write in complete sentences!
 Answer the question being asked.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore
I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat
or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds
of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And
which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And
why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass
of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will
he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be
anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What
shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be
anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
 Hakuna Matata 
