Everything you NEED to know!
Context Clues – Warm up
 1. Some species of monkeys are semiarboreal, coming
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down from the treetops fairly often in the course of the day.
2. Kim’s old neighborhood is experiencing an amazing
renaissance, with new homes, shops, and businesses
popping up everywhere.
3. Chris’s brother was disappointed that no one noticed his
new mustache, but it was so wispy that the change in his
appearance was imperceptible.
4. After getting hired at Burger Hut, Justin’s schedule
became burdensome as he struggled under the weight of
his homework, chores and job commitments.
5. Libertyville is celebrating its centennial with a parade
featuring 100 floats, one for each year of the town’s
existence.
Context Clues – Definitions
 Semiarboreal: living only part of the time in
trees.
 Renaissance: a renewal; act of being reborn or
being given new life.
 Imperceptible: unnoticeable, slight.
 Burdensome: overwhelming, heavy
 Centennial: one hundred-year anniversary.
Context Clues – Warm up
 1. In my theater class, Mrs. Grant would not allow us to
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make disparaging remarks about another student’s
performance; we could give only encouraging feedback.
2. Life in antebellum Georgia was much different from life
there after the war.
3. Lolita was the most loquacious girl I had ever met, but
it was impossible to get more than two words out of her
brother Mario.
4. Bill and his neighbor settled their disagreement in an
amicable manner, without exchanging a single unpleasant
word.
5. Sam’s jubilation at winning the football championship
tuned to sadness when he learned that the quarterback on
the opposing team had been seriously injured.
Context Clues – Definitions
 Disparaging: insulting, sharply critical.
 Antebellum: before war.
 Loquacious: talkative, chatty.
 Amicable: friendly, pleasant.
 Jubilation: happiness, delight.
Context Clues – Warm up
 1. If I skip breakfast, I start getting hungry by about
ten o’clock, and by noon, I’m really ravenous.
 2. When training your dog, avoid ambiguous
commands that are unclear in meaning.
 3. Phoebe loathed camping and all of her sisters
hated it, too.
 4. Many people think the maxim “Know thyself” is
a good rule to live by.
 5. The timorous deer that visited the birdfeeder
each night were frightened by the slightest noise.
Context Clues – Definitions
 Ravenous: extremely hungry.
 Ambiguous: unclear, open to interpretation.
 Loathed: hated, disliked intensely.
 Maxim: guiding rule, saying.
 Timorous: timid, scared, frightened.
Words with Multiple Meanings
 The antique dresser was in excellent condition.
 A. My uncle was diagnosed with a heart
condition.
 B. The buyers were impressed by the condition of
the house.
 C. She began jogging to condition her leg
muscles for skiing.
 D. Tourists may visit the archaeological site on
the condition that they not touch anything.
 B. State of being.
Words with Multiple Meanings
 He used his voice mail to screen all of his calls.
 A. The flies came in through a hole in the screen.
 B. The defensive linebacker was able to screen
the pass.
 C. His mom used tropical plants to screen the
view of her home office.
 D. Some companies screen job applicants by
checking out their social networking sites.
 D. To examine critically.
Words with Multiple Meanings
 The car was an unusual shade of blue.
 A. She used her hand to shade her eyes from the sun.
 B. The carpet was a darker shade than the one
ordered.
 C. The poem has a different shade of meaning
depending on the reader.
 D. The memorial park bench was placed in the shade
of an old oak tree.
 B. Degree of color
Key Concepts: Prefixes, Suffixes
 Prefix: A prefix is a word part added to the beginning
of a word to create a new word.
 (Examples: semi + arboreal = semiarboral; im +
perceptible = imperceptible; sub + merge = submerge;
pro + pel = propel.)
 Definitions;
 Semiarboreal: living only part of the time in trees.
 Imperceptible: unnoticeable, slight.
 Submerge: to go under.
 Propel: move forward, go forward.
Key Concepts: Prefixes, Suffixes
 Suffixes: A suffix is a word part added at the end of a
word to create a new word.
 (Examples: disagree + ment = disagreement; computer
+ ize = computerize.)
 Definitions;
 Disagreement: to have different opinions on a
subject.
 Computerize: provide with computers.
Practice – Choosing a Puppy
 Yes! After weeks and weeks of incessant nagging, morning, noon,
and night, you have finally succeeded in convincing your parents
that you need a dog. But, of the hundreds of breeds of dogs out
here, how do you know which is right for you? You might think
that the basset hound is the most adorable creature of four paws,
but did you know that they are notorious for heavy drooling?
That’s not what I’d like to be famous for! Are you hoping to find an
attentive dog who will hang on to every word and obey your
commands? Then don’ts get a bulldog puppy as bulldogs are very
bullheaded. So , before you dash out and by the first puppy you
see, do some homework to find out the positive and negative
characteristics of the breed you’re considering. Also, think about
your own personality: Do you have the tendency to spend
weekends sprawled on the couch watching sports? Then be sure to
get a dog who has similar couch potato personality, rather than one
who’d rather be out there engaged in a game of catch himself than
watching people chase a ball around a football field on TV. And be
ready to make room on the couch for him!
Practice Questions
 1. Read the following sentence from the passage.
 After weeks and weeks of incessant nagging,
morning, noon, and night, you have finally
convinced your parents that you need a dog.
 What does the word incessant mean as used in the
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sentence above?
A. annoying
B. intelligent
C. nonstop
D. thoughtful
Practice Questions
 2. Which pair of words from the passage is most
similar in meaning?
 F. notorious, famous
 G. sprawled, engaged
 H. adorable, attentive
 I. nagging, convincing
Practice Questions
 1. Read the following sentence from the passage.
 So, before you dash out and buy the first puppy you see, do
some homework to find out the positive and negative
characteristic of the breed you’re considering.
 In which sentence does dash have the same meaning as used in
the sentence above?
 A. In Morse code, the letter “t” is represented by a dash.
 B. A dash of hot sauce can spice up a boring bowl of tomato
soup.
 C. He agreed to watch his sister so their mom could dash to the
store.
 D. An animal allergy may dash your dream of owning a puppy.
Key Concepts
 Main Idea: the most important point an author
makes.
 Details: points made by an author that support his
or her main idea(s).
 Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions:
combining information in the text with your own
knowledge and experience to understand what
the author is suggestion but not saying directly.
 Paraphrasing: a way to read actively by restating
an author’s words in your own words.
 Summarizing: a way to check your understand of
what you have read by summing up the author’s
main idea.
Main Idea – Factual Details
 Factual details are often used to explain or
clarify points about a topic and can be
proved, or verified by using an outside
source, like and encyclopedia or the
internet.
 Factual details answer questions such as
who? What? When? Where? or how? And
are useful in explaining or clarifying points
about a particular topic.
Main Idea – Sensory Details
 Sensory details give readers a vivid idea
about how something looks, feels, sounds,
smells, or tastes. Writers often use sensory
details in fiction and nonfiction to give life
to the people and places they write about.
Read the passage…
My mother’s bakeshop was located on, coincidentally enough,
Bakers Street. The small, old fashioned brick building was
nestled between the new bank and an insurance company-an
oasis of warmth and hominess.
Every morning, on my way to school, I would drop by for a cup of
hot chocolate as I finished my homework. Sitting at my favorite
old wooden table by the front window, I would back in the
sunlight streaming in, soak up the aroma of cinnamon rolls and
fresh-brewed coffee, and half-listen to the old-time country
music playing on the radio in the kitchen.
Lingering as long as I dared, I would gather up my books at the
last possible minute. Then, with a farewell hug from my mother,
I was off to school, ready to face whatever the day might bring.
Questions for Comprehension
 Factual details (Who? What? What? Where Why?
How?)_______________________________________
 Sensory details (How did the bakeshop look? What
sounds are heard? How does it feel to be there? What
tastes and smells does the narrator experience?)
_____________________________________________
 What is the topic of this passage?
_____________________________________________
 Based on the factual and the sensory details, what do
you think is the main idea of the passage?
_____________________________________________
Key Concepts
 Authors Purpose: All writing has a purpose.
Usually it is to persuade, inform/explain, or
entertain.
 Author’s Perspective: A writer’s experiences and
beliefs influence the way he or she writes about a
topic.
 Organizational Patterns: Ways of organizing
information. Organizational patterns support an
author’s purpose and perspective.
Authors Purpose
 Three Basic Purposes for Writing:
 Persuade: writing that tries to convince, change
someone’s mind; or get someone to do
something.
 Inform/Explain: writing that teacher, give facts,
and shares information with the readers.
 Entertain: writing that is meant to be enjoyed.
The Eagle – by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
 He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
 Close to the sun in lonely lands,
 Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.
 The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
 He watched from his mountain walls,
 And like a thunderbolt he falls.
 What would you say the purpose of this poem is?
Does it try to teach us something about eagles?
Does it try to make us feel a certain way about this
particular eagle?
Answer
 The author creatively uses vivid phrases like “crooked
hands” and “azure world” to paint an image in the
reader’s mind of a perched eagled that suddenly dives
off a mountain cliff like a “thunderbolt.” The rhythm
of the poem and the rhyming words at the ends of
each stanza make the poem fun to read.
 The poem was meant to entertain by giving the reader
the enjoyable experience of “seeing” the eagle through
the poet’s words.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – by Robert Frost
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Whose woods these are I think I know. 1. What is most likely the author’s purpose for
writing this poem?
His house is in the village, though;
A. to persuade the reader to take the
He will not see me stopping here
time to enjoy nature.
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
B. to express his frustration at having
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My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year
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He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
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The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep
so many promises to keep
C. to explain that is it easier to enjoy
nature when you are by yourself
D. to explain how he felt while caught
up by the beauty of the woods in
winter.
2. Why does the author describe his
horse’s reaction to his stopping in
the woods
F. to show the close bond between
him and his horse.
G. to show how cold it was in the
snowy woods that evening.
H. to show how horses are able to
communicate their feelings to people.
I. to show that stopping there at that
time of night was an unusual thing to do.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – by Robert Frost
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Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
1.
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My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year
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He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
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The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep
Why does the author repeat the last line,
“And miles to go before I sleep”?
A. to stress how far he still has to go on his
journey.
B. to show that he is determined to make
his destination that evening.
C. to suggest that he is falling asleep under
the magic spell of the woods.
D. to reveal that he does not want to
continue this journey.
Patterns of Organization
 Authors use many different methods to organize
information. They choose the pattern of organization
that best supports their purpose for writing. For
example, if an author is writing an autobiography, he
or she will likely choose time order as the
organizational patter, telling the events of his or her
life in the order in which they occurred. Another
author, writing tips for making your house “greener,”
would probably use cause and effect order to show the
effect that small changes in your homes can have on
the environment.
 If you know which organization pattern the author is
using, you will better understand the information you
read. Here are four common methods of organization.
Cause and Effect
 In a passage that is organized according to cause and
effect, the author tells what happened (effect) and why
it happened (cause).
 Several causes might be given for one effect, or the
passage might describe several effect of one cause.
Cause and Effect
 Words that signal a cause
Effect
Due to
Thank to
Cause (noun)
Cause (verb)
In order to
As a result of
Reason (noun)
 What are the signal words in the following sentences and
what are the causes.
 1. “We, the People of the United States, in order to form a
more perfect union…”
 2. “Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy?
I don’t know and I don’t care.”
 3. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is
dressed in overalls and looks like work.
 4. “There are no accidents in my philosophy…The past is
the cause of the present, and the present will be the cause
of the future.
Cause and Effect
 Words that signal an effect
Effect
Lead to
Consequently
So
Cause (verb)
Result
Therefore
Make
 What are the signal words in the following sentences and
what are the effects.
 1. Drinking too much coffee can lead to insomnia.
 2. Loss of polar bear habitat is one effect of global warming.
 3. Braking too fast on icy roads can result in an accident.
 4. Randi forgot to set the timer; consequently, the pizza was
burnt.
Comparison and Contrast
 A passage of comparison and contrast focuses on how two or
more things are alike and different. Sometimes an author
compares a familiar item with something that is less well
known.
 Use a comparison table to map the differences and
similarities in challenging stories – so that you can better
understand what is being addressed.
 Words that signal a comparison
As
Like
Likewise
similar
Just like
Same
Also
Alike
Resembles
Just as
Equally
Both
 Words that signal a contrast.
However
In contrast
Instead
Different from
Although
Yet
Unlike
On the other hand
Whereas
Differs from
On the contrary
Spatial Order
 An author uses spatial order when he or she describes
something in a logical order. For example, he might
describe a tall building from bottom to top, a painting
from left to right. Or a thanksgiving buffet from nearby to
far away. Imagine that an author wants to describe a barn.
If she first talks about the chickens in front of the barn,
then describes the hay inside the bar, then jumps back
outside to talk about the color of the barn and then goes
back inside the barn to describe the horses’ stable, you’ll
be in for a confusing ride.
 A better approach would be to describe everything outside
the barn that she wants to discuss, and then to venture
inside the barn to describe the hayloft and the stable. The
details should be given in some logical spatial order, so
that its easy for the reader to follow.
Chronological Order
 Chronological order is perhaps the most common way
to organize information. This type of organization
arranges events in the order in which they occur.
Some important words that signal chronological order
(also called time order), in a piece are; first, second,
next, last, finally, then, later, after, earlier, and before.
Additional Organizational Patterns
 In addition to the methods described on the previous
pages, authors frequently organize their writing in the
following ways;
 Flashback: The author starts with a situation and then
“flashes back” to earlier events.
 Remember in Hurt Go Happy when Joey was being
chased by the homeless man… she then has a flashback
to when her biological father chased her and beat her,
resulting in her loss of hearing.
Additional Organizational Patterns
 In addition to the methods described on the previous
pages, authors frequently organize their writing in the
following ways;
 Question/Answer: The author asks a question in the
first paragraph or two and then goes on to answer it.
 Remember when we read “What Do You Know About
Sharks.” That article was organized by
questions/answers. The questions where presented in
the subheadings (text features), and the answer to the
question was found in the following paragraph.
Additional Organizational Patterns
 In addition to the methods described on the previous
pages, authors frequently organize their writing in the
following ways;
 Argument/Support: The author takes a stand on an
issue an then supports it with details.
 All of you did this when you wrote the letters to Mark
Biottini from Barnes and Noble. You took a stand on
something and you gave reasons to support your
position.
Figurative Language - Tone
 Tone is the author’s attitude, style, or manner that is
expressed mostly by word choice.
 The character’s actions may also give readers a sense of
tone. The tone of a story can be described as joyful,
bitter, amazed, serious, respectful, sad, loving, bitter,
hopeful, sarcastic, thoughtful, annoyed, or boastful.
 Compare the following sentences…
Figurative Language - Tone
 It seemed as if all sense of time had disappeared, as the
students worked quietly and studiously on their
assignment in the slanting rays of sunlight falling
across the classroom.
 It seemed as if time had slowed to a halt, as the
students stifled yawns and nodded, trying helplessly
to stay awake in the hot and stuffy classroom.
 In the first sentence, the tone is one of peacefulness; in
the second sentence, the tone is one of boredom and
sleepiness.
Figurative Language - Mood
 Mood is the way the author wants the reader to feel.
Does the author want the reader to be frightened or
sad, or does the story make the reader laugh and feel
happy?
 To figure our mood, pay attention to how you feel while
reading the story. See if you can pinpoint which words,
phrase, and descriptions make you feel a certain way.
 Mood is often conveyed by the story’s setting.
Figurative Language - Alliteration
 Alliteration is when writers repeat a letter or
a sound to add a special effect to their
writing. In the following sentence,
repeating the letter s adds a sneaky and
somewhat scary effect that echoes the
hissing sound associated with snakes:
 The snake slithered slowly through the
grass.
Figurative Language - Onomatopoeia
 Crack, buzz, vroom…! These are examples of
onomatopoeia, descriptive words that help you “hear”
what you are reading. In the two sentences that follow,
which one helps you hear how the geese sounded?
 The geese flew away, making a lot of noise.
 The geese flew away, honking loudly.
Figurative Language – Simile/Metaphor
 A simile is a comparison that uses the words “like” or
“as.”
 The reporters crowded around like a pack of hungry
wolves, eager for information.
 Like a simile, a metaphor compares two things. But
unlike a simile, a metaphor doesn’t say something is
like another thing, it says that it is another thing.
 A good book is a looking-glass through which you can
escape, like Alice, to an infinites number of
wonderlands.
Figurative Language - Symbolism
 A symbol is anything that
represents, or stand for, an idea,
person, event, or object. Symbols are
everywhere. A rose is a symbol of
love. A cloverleaf is a symbol of luck.
 When an author uses a symbol, he or
she doesn’t come right out and say
that one thing is another.
 Instead, the author hints that
something is a symbol. It is up to
the reader to determine what a
symbol stands for.
Figurative Language - Personification
 Personification is when an author gives a nonhuman
animal or an object human qualities or abilities.
 Think of the poem “Four Skinny Trees.” Remember
how the author mentions that the trees have “hairy
toes,” or “pointy elbows.”
 We know that a tree does not have these
characteristics, since a tree is not human. However,
the author is personifying the tree so that we as
readers can see the connection between the speaker
and the characteristics the tree has.
Figurative Language - Theme
 The last element of a story, but certainly not the least
important, is theme. Theme is a general statement
about life or people expressed in a complete sentence.
To discover the theme of a story, think big.
 What big message is the author trying to say about the
world in which we live?
 In Four skinny trees what is the theme.
 That we must always continue to try and be better
versions of ourselves. The author notes that she wants
to be persistent like the trees who “keep on keeping,”
who keep on trying to grow. So the general message is
one of persistence.