(Student Name)
This packet contains knowledge you need to know to survive high school English.
Keep this with your English materials, and bring it to class everyday.
DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME DO NOT LOSE ME

Standard Paper Format ..................................................................................... 3-4
Grammar/Parts of Speech ................................................................................. 5
Comma Rules .................................................................................................... 6
Writing .............................................................................................................. 7
Leads ................................................................................................................. 8-9
Thesis Statements .............................................................................................. 10-11
Introductions ..................................................................................................... 12-13
Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 14
Topic Sentences ................................................................................................ 15
Tone Words ....................................................................................................... 16-17
Short Answer Questions (STAAR) ................................................................... 18-19
Annotation Guidelines ...................................................................................... 20
Foreign Words ................................................................................................... 21
NON-Linear Plots vs. Linear Plots ................................................................... 21
Level Questioning ............................................................................................. 22-23
Elements of a Story ........................................................................................... 24
Literary Terms & Figurative Language ............................................................ 25-29
2

Lake Travis High School
Follow these style guidelines on all written assignments. Read the below instructions carefully.
Work in any other format will not be accepted.
Requirements for TYPED assignments:

Do not make a title page for your paper.

All typed papers should be DOUBLE-SPACED .

Do not fully justify your paper. Your paper should be left justified only (except page numbers).

Press the tab key once to indent each new paragraph.

Heading should be DOUBLE-SPACED and LEFT justified.

Heading should consist of NAME, TEACHER, PERIOD, and DATE (see format of date in the sample below).

Begin heading one-inch from the top of the page. Since all margins should be set at one inch, begin typing heading on the first line. Heading should be LEFT-JUSTIFIED .

Center your title on the first line after your heading. Do not skip a line.

Do not bold, italicize, enlarge, change the font, or use all capitals for your title.

DO NOT SKIP LINES BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS . . . EVER!

All papers should be typed in TIMES NEW ROMAN 12-POINT FONT.

Margins should be 1 INCH on all sides of your document. The only exception to this is page numbers that should be typed in a header with margins of one-half inch.

PAGE NUMBERS begin of the second page and should contain your last name and the number (Smith 2). They should be RIGHT-JUSTIFIED .
Example:
Mark Twain
Mrs. Smith
A-1
22 August 2011
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly -- Tom's Aunt Polly, she is
3

This is how your numbering should look from the second page on→
Twain 2
For HANDWRITTEN assignments, follow the following guidelines:

NO SPIRAL NOTEBOOK PAPER WILL BE ACCEPTED!
Use loose-leaf notebook filler paper.

Write your heading at the top left of the page: NAME, TEACHER, PERIOD, and
DATE.

Center the title at the top of the notebook paper. Every assignment should have a title. If it is an essay, the essay should have a title other than the name of the assignment.

Skip one line after the title and begin writing.

Write in blue or black ink only, not pencil.

Write neatly. MESSY, ILLEGIBLE HANDWRITING WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Never skip lines between paragraphs.
Example:
4

RAMMAR
ARTS OF
PEECH
1. Noun: names a person, place, thing, or idea; can be abstract or concrete.
2. Pronoun: replaces a noun in a sentence.
Antecedent: The noun the pronoun refers to or replaces.
Ex. Joe bought himself a new video game.
Himself is the pronoun.
Joe is now called an antecedent.
3. Verbs: done by something or someone; they express action ex.
ran read paints
Linking Verbs: Link subject to something in the predicate that describes or tells more about the subject.
Ex: John is a runner. He is fast. ( is serves as the linking verb)
Helping Verbs: they help the main verb express the time something happens/happened by forming various tenses.
Most common forms are be and have . ex.
I should be leaving.
Should and be are the helping verbs
4. Adverbs: a word that modifies an adverb , adjective, or verb . They also answer the questions when? how?
and to what exten t? They usually end in (-ly) , but not always. Some other examples of adverbs are very, too, almost, sometimes, often, seldom, etc.
ex. Never swim alone.
Never is the adverb
He has seldom complained
Seldom is the adverb
The movie was very scary and too long.
Very and too are the adverbs.
5. Adjectives: a word that modifies (describes) a noun or a pronoun . An adjective tells what kind, which one, how many, or how much . Articles are also adjectives. The most common types of articles are a , an , and the . ex.
Red barn that notebook cracked pitcher a ring an hour
6. Prepositions: word that shows the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence

Examples: about, by, during, before, on, under, from, behind, beside, beneath, in, over, around

The students with the best grades went to the store.
7. Conjunction: connects words or groups of words
8. Interjection: word or phrase that expresses an emotion or strong feeling; a strong interjection is followed by exclamation point; a mild interjection is followed by a comma
Examples: oh, well, yippee, wow
5

Comma Rules
1 Use a comma to separate the elements in a series (three or more things), including the last two. ex.
He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base.
2 Use a comma + a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so) to connect two independent clauses ex.
He hit the ball well, but he ran toward third base.
3 Use a comma to set off introductory elements ex.
Running toward third base, he suddenly realized how stupid he looked.
4 Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements ex.
The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, is falling down.
Appositives are almost always treated as parenthetical elements.

Calhoun's ambition, to become a goalie in professional soccer, is within his reach.

Eleanor, his wife of thirty years, suddenly decided to open her own business.
5 Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives . You could think of this as "That tall, distinguished, good looking fellow" rule (as opposed to "the little old lady"). If you can put an and or a but between the adjectives, a comma will probably belong there.
6 Use a comma to set off quoted elements . ex.
Summing up this argument, Peter Coveney writes, "The purpose and strength of the romantic image of the child
had been above all to establish a relation between childhood and adult consciousness."
If an attribution of a quoted element comes in the middle of the quotation, two commas will be required. But be careful not to create a comma splice in so doing.

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many things."

"I should like to buy an egg, please," she said timidly .
"How do you sell them?"
7 Use commas to set off phrases that express contrast . ex.
Some say the world will end in ice, not fire. .
8 USE COMMAS WITH CAUTION
6

W RITING
Sentence Purpose within Paragraphs
In order for the transmission of ideas through writing to be strong, clear, logical, and moving, it is important to understand that sentences have general purposes within the structure of a paragraph. I have identified and broken purposes down into 10 sentence purpose types:
1.
Thesis statement (TH) – this is a sentence that introduces some point that you hope to advance throughout an essay.
2.
Topic sentence (TS) – this sentence introduces the main topic to be discussed within a paragraph and must support the thesis
3.
Detail sentence (D) – this sentence contains some piece of evidence from the text that supports the TS, as well as the TH. A detail is preferably presented as a quote, but it can also be a paraphrase of a specific event.
4.
Elaboration (E) – this sentence supports a D sentence by fully explaining the detail for the reader. Many times, this will complete the following: “In other words, ______ . . .”
5.
Contextual elaboration (CE) – this form of elaboration actually requires a bit of paraphrasing of plot surrounding an event introduced by a D sentence.
6.
Commentary (C) – this sentence reveals the effect or meaning of what is discussed in the D or E sentence(s). Commentary captures the effect of the detail on the reader or applies it in terms of its greater implications in the world at large. Many times, this might complete the following: “This is meaningful because ____________ . . .”
7.
Summarization (S) – a lengthy paraphrasing of plot; there is no C present. This is a no-no.
8.
Fluff (Fl) – this is filler. It is extraneous pontificating, so it really doesn’t add much to the point. Many times, it is not only irrelevant, but it is completely off topic.
9.
Paragraph transition ( | | TR) – this reader-friendly sentence eases the reader from one paragraph into the next. These may open a paragraph (as a TS combo sentence), and they may also wrap up a paragraph’s topic discussion.
10.
Internal transition (ITR) – this sentence serves to ease and guide the reader through the various discussions presented throughout a paragraph.
The problem that plagues paragraph structures boils down to a lack of analysis of these sentence purposes, and how they work in conjunction with each other. Here are the rules:
1.
Paragraph begins with a topic sentence or TR/TS combo.
2.
Support discussions are constructed to buttress the TS. Each discussion, or chunk (CH), consists of D, E, and C. In the beginning, I require three of these chunks in each paragraph as support for the topic.
3.
Basic paragraph structure:
TS / TR
(CH1): D, E, and C
(CH 2): D, E, and C
(CH 3): D, E, and C
7

A well-organized paragraph has a definite beginning, middle and end. In order to engage your reader long enough to want to read until the end, you must have a great lead!
• A Lead is the first sentence or first few sentences of an essay.
• A
Lead is the place where you win or lose the reader.
• A
Lead grabs the reader's attention by being creative and/or informative.
• A Lead introduces the topic being discussed.
Below are some intriguing leads from short stories/novels. What is it about the openings/leads that entice you to read on?
"I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be."
A Lesson Before Dying
"I am the Vampire Lestat. I'm immortal. More or less. The light of the sun, the sustain heat of an intense fire-these things might destroy me. But then again, they may not. "
The Vampire Lestat
"Throughout the long summer before my mother's trial began, and then during those crisp days in the fall when her life was paraded publicly before the country-her character lynched, her wisdom impugned-I overheard much more than my parents realized, and I understood more than they would have liked."
Midwives
"From the moment the early fog had begun to lift, they sensed they were being watched."
Meg
"My name is Salmon, like the fish, first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on
December 6, 1973."
The Lovely Bones
"Zoe Ridgeway smelled it, felt it the instant she crossed the threshold of the imposing Swiss mansion. She tried to convince herself that she was imagining things. But even the long-lost
Rembrandt hanging casually in the entryway couldn't distract her thoughts from the conviction that death lived here.”
Daughter of God
8

If you have a ... high lead content high
4 content low
3 content high
2 low lead
When writing literary analysis or any formal styled writing, you still need to have an interesting lead. Here are some examples of low leads turned into strong leads.
1.
In this piece I will tell you about Florida panthers.
Can the Florida Panther be tamed? Could the wild need for survival ever be taken out of this panther? No. The Florida panther is a beast of the Outback, a survivor of the jungle.
(The Question)
2.
In this piece, you will learn some interesting things about Australia.
Kangaroos! Koala bears! The Great Barrier Reefs! Crocodile Dundee and the Outback. All of
these attract thousands of visitors to Australia every year. (Startling Statement or Fact)
1
3.
I am going to tell you three reasons why I would like to visit Australia.
The Crocodile Hunter says, "The Great Barrier Reef has some of the most beautiful coral in the world. " He ought to know-he lives in Australia, The Land Down Under. (Quote)
4.
In the Outback of Australia, there is a lot of wild life and beautiful creatures.
She raises her head quickly at the sound of approaching feet. The grass sways around her hind legs as her arms lower slowly toward her pouch which carries her precious young ones. As she senses she is not alone, she leaves her grazing and hops quickly away. Kangaroos are perhaps
the most sought after animals down under. (In the middle of action/imagery)
9

What is your topic?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What background information does the reader need to know before you state your thesis?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What is your working thesis statement?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Test your thesis statement. Does your thesis statement…
 Make a claim that a reader can agree or disagree with?

Reflect knowledge of the source material?

Pick out an idea that can be defended in the space allowed?
 Limit the kinds of evidence you can use to defend it?
What evidence, examples, or arguments will you use to support the working thesis?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Once you've written a draft, rewrite your thesis statement to improve it:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10

Thesis Statements Illustrated
Shakespeare was the world's greatest playwright.
The last scene in "Midsummer Night's Dream" showcases
Shakespeare's ability to manipulate subtle linguistic differences among his characters for comic effect.
This essay will show that the North American Free
Trade agreement was a disaster for the furniture industry of Canada.
Neither neo-protectionism nor post-industrial theory explains the downswing of the Canadian furniture industry in 1988-1994. Data on productivity and profits, however, can be closely correlated with provisions of the North
American Free Trade Agreement that took effect in the same period.
The Dutch example shows that having an official policy on euthanasia just causes problems.
Recent cases show that Dutch laws on euthanasia have not been able to deal adequately with issues involving technological interventions and unconscious patients.
Michael Dukakis lost the 1988 presidential election because he did not work hard enough after the
Democratic National Convention.
While Dukakis' "soft-on-crime" image hurt his chances in the 1988 election, his failure to campaign coast to coast after the Democratic National Convention was more significant in his eventual defeat.
The occurrence of measles in medical settings is higher than nosocomial infections, rubella, pertussis, influenza, and nosocomial hepatitis 8 according to a survey of hospital records .
In recent years, transmission of measles in hospitals has been described only rarely. New data suggest that the spread of measles in hospitals is more frequent than previously recognized. trite, not defensible intriguing, has an edge emotional, vague gives context, reflects research, shows intent sweeping, minimizes opposition focused, promises facts and analysis simplistic, lacks detail anticipates reader reaction, promises debate distracting detail, hard to follow, no context shows purpose and context, promises new information of consequence
11

Introductions capture the reader's attention and focus it on the subject. Conclusions may summarize main points or speculate about the subject: they should always create a satisfying sense of ending. Introductions and conclusions "frame" the essay's content, giving it a context and tying it together into a unified whole. All papers, regardless of type, need good introductions and conclusions, just as they need intriguing and appropriate titles.
Effective introductions consist of the following features:

Honesty.
The introduction is a contract with the readers and must provide them with a sufficient understanding of what direction the writer is taking.

Simplicity.
The writer tries to make the meaning clear without lengthy elaboration. Don't summarize your paper in the introduction. Save your supporting points for the body of the paper.

Immediacy.
Get to the heart of the matter with as little delay as possible. This is your opportunity to "hook" your readers' interest.

Information.
Introductions should provide the readers with information about the topic that makes them want to read on and gives the background needed to understand what you are talking about.

Voice.
Establish the tone to create a relationship with the subject for the audience. Readers want to hear the writer's voice and to have the illusion of a private conversation with him or her.

Appropriateness.
The introduction gives the reader a clear idea of the topic and, in many cases, leads up and includes the thesis of the paper. The introduction, then, must tie in naturally with the thesis and the rest of the paper.

Framing Generalization

Corrective Assertion

Framing Question

Providing Background
General statement which includes the information to be presented, builds a context for it, and says something about its significance.
Calls attention to some popular misconception or erroneous opinion about a subject, and then sets the record straight.
Confronts the reader directly with the question or set of questions that the essay is designed to answer and arouses and focuses the reader's interest. In general, questions that begin "Have you ever ..." are not real questions to be answered
Provides reader with some historical background and development of the subject. Builds context for the essay.
12


Focusing Event

Framing Quotation

Surprising Statement

Definition

Important Fact

Personal Experience

The News

Dialogue

Description

Beginning Too Far
Back

Apology or Complaint

Broad Generalizations

Self-Evident Statements
Explains or narrates a particular event or circumstance that illustrates some aspect of the essay's subject.
Usually gathered from some authority or key individual mentioned in the text and should be pertinent to your subject.
Catch the reader with some astonishing fact or outrageous sounding generalization, yet make sure it relates to and leads to the thesis and rest of the paper.
If subject is open to definition, open the essay with your understanding of how the topic should be defined.
A statement that will lead to the general topic that will interest or intrigue the reader. May be a statistic, a revealing detail, an action , or a behavior.
Anecdotes are extremely effective in involving the reader in the story, but they must fit the purpose of the paper.
Immediately relate what is new about the subject. Usually includes the journalist' s questions: Who, Where , When, Why,
How?
Conflict or action in a piece of writing can be observed immediately. Drama is built on conflict, and the reader should see these forces in action early in the story.
Description should be packed with visual details. and will be richer if it includes details that attract the senses of hearing, tasting, touching, smelling and seeing
If background or historical information is used as an opener, begin at a reasonable place. Essays that begin "Since the beginning of time..." are an instant turnoff.
Statements that apologize, whine or complain are discouraging to most readers.
Sweeping or cosmic generalizations are rarely interesting, accurate, or supportable.
Resist the temptation to open with some commonplace observations that give no hint of the subject.
13

What is left to do after the information has been presented? When writers fail to find a satisfactory way to conclude-a way that provides closure for the reader, the essay ends too abruptly or limps along as the author gropes for something that sounds like an ending. The following are some strategies for concluding an essay on a positive and sound note.

Concluding
Generalization
Briefly summarize the main points and say something about the significance of the information. However, don't summarize the entire essay.

Reflection Discuss the implications of the material found in the essay, especially what questions are suggested or what questions are answered.

Lesson Learned States the lesson learned from the essay, yet avoid unjustified extreme or controversial conclusions.

Evaluation

Concluding
Example or
Evaluate the situation presented or some aspect of it.
Illustrate the main point of the essay memorably.
Quotation

Climatic Closure

Call to Action

Closure
Final paragraph is the culmination of the ideas developed in the essay.
In some persuasive essays, the conclusion contains the thesis of the paper.
Makes clear how the action will address the main points.
Repeat the opening idea in different words. Useful in longer essay to remind reader of the main idea and to give main point more emphasis.
Gives the reader a sense of a circle neatly closing.

Summary of the
Essay

Apology
 Qualifying Remarks
 Afterthoughts
 Anemic
Conclusions
 "In conclusion…”
This technique is sometimes taught in high schools but is rarely used by professional writers because it is redundant rather than enlightening.
Ending a paper with an apology for its shortcomings only serves to emphasize them. Never say,
“Of course, this is only my opinion…," as this caveat highlights a weak tone.
If a qualifier is needed, make it early in the essay so as to avoid weakening the position taken in the paper.
Only include details that are developed as part of the major points of the essay.
The ending of the essay should leave the reader with a definite sense of conclusion.
A strong, well-developed conclusion does not need to be prefaced with all-purpose phrases such as "in conclusion, in summary, to summarize!”
14

Topic Sentences

Each body paragraph must be about one main idea, and every detail in the paragraph must be connected to that one main idea.

Every paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that lets your reader know what the main idea is.

The paragraph must contain unity which means adding details that tell more about one main idea.
Practice: Cross out the two details that don't fit the main idea.
1. We all know that smoking is bad for our health.
2. TV ads are always warning us not to smoke.
3. Many new brands of cigarettes come on the market each year.
4. It has been shown that smoking cigarettes can cause serious heart and lung diseases.
5. Hot ashes often burn hole s in clothes and furniture.
6, The best thing is never to start, but if you do smoke, the next best thing is to stop right now!

The topic sentence is the first sentence in your paragraph. It tells the reader exactly what the whole paragraph is going to be about. The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph.
Topic Sentence
Detail Detail Detail
Practice: Select the best topic sentence from the choices given.
___ Older brothers and sisters usually tease the youngest one. What's worse, the little one wants to be grown up, but is always treated like a baby. This often happens with parents who don't won’t to let go of their youngest child. In addition, the "baby" often feels left out of things that the rest of the family may be doing.
A. The youngest child usually grows up fast.
B. Being the youngest child in a family is tough.
C. Parents often spoil the youngest child.

17

Follow this formula to answer the STAAR short answer questions correctly and efficiently each time.
You do not have to follow the formula exactly, but stick as closely as possible to get the understanding of the process. Each step should only be one complete sentence. Be concise but thorough. Read the selection carefully.
to answer the question.

Rephrase the question into a statement.

The most important part of the sentence...Include your stance or way you will answer the question (claim).
for your answer.

Your proof for your answer should be a quote directly taken from the text. The proof must prove or back up your answer or stance. It can be an entire quote or a quote fragment, which is woven in with the Elaboration step.

Always start the sentence with who said the quote...The person's name, not he or she said.
Make sure you are very clear about who is talking. You need to always introduce your quote.

Don't forget to put the quote in quotation marks.
that explains your proof.



***If you follow all three of those steps correctly, you will have a score of a 2. To receive a 3 your short answer must be insightful, which will happen if you are a more advanced writer.
(Short Answer questions are scored 0-3, with 3 being the highest.)
18

- a point of focus with claim value
2.
- detailed proof of your answer with commentary
an embedded quote.
your proof (makes it clear): add insight/additional commentary.
19

NNOTATION
UIDELINES
HOW TO
A LITERARY SELECTION

Make brief notes at the top of the page or on sticky note to mark important plot events.

Circle or highlight words that are unfamiliar or unusual. Try to figure what the words mean through the way they are used; supplement your guesses by discussing the words with a teacher or by consulting a dictionary.

When new characters are introduced, highlight phrases that describe them.

Highlight words, images, and details that seem to form a pattern throughout the text (a motif).

Highlight passages you think might be symbolic.

Mark key ideas and note briefly your reflections about them.

Highlight passages in which figurative language appears.

When you get an idea while reading the text, note it in a brief form in the margin. You may never think of this idea again unless you write it down.

If you have a question about something in the book, write it on the page when it first occurred to you.

While listening to a lecture or participating in a discussion about the book, write down insights you hear or discover. Writing these notes directly in the text assures you that you will be able to reference the exact passage that triggered the ideas. Also, it is less likely that you will lose track of the notes.

Do not mark too much. If you mark everything, nothing will stand out.

Use brackets, checks, stars, bullets, or asterisks to mark very important items or things you want to come back to later.
20

th
bon appetit
(boh nah-pay-TEE]) A French phrase with any of various meanings related to having a good
( bon ) appetite ( appétit
) such as "have a good meal," (I wish you a) "hearty appetite" or "enjoy your meal." caveat emptor
(kav'ee-ot emp'tor) [Lat.]: let the buyer beware. “Before you leap at that real estate deal, caveat emptor!
” carte blanche
(kart blonsh') [Fr.]: unrestricted power to act on one's own. “I may have carte blanche around the office, but at home I'm a slave to my family's demands.” pas de deux
[Fr.]: A dance for two, especially a dance in ballet consisting of an entrée and adagio, a variation for each dancer, and a coda.
A close relationship between two people or things, as during an activity.
quid pro quo
(kwid' pro kwoh') [Lat.]: something for something; an equal exchange. “She vowed that when she had the means, she would return his favors quid pro quo.
” tete a tete
[Fr.]: A private conversation between two persons; head to head.
Non-linear narrative in storytelling is a process of revealing the story, not by showing the events happening chronologically but by revealing events in a way that carefully controls the information that the audience receives.
Examples of Non-Linear Plots:
 Flashback
 Foreshadowing
 Sub-plots

Parallel plot
Linear narrative follows the development of a story from beginning, through the middle, to the end, in chronological order, in other words as time passes so the story moves inexorably forward.
21

These questions can be answered by facts contained in the text. You can put your finger on the answer on the page.
Ex.
These questions deal with the text and require analysis and interpretation of specific parts of the text.
Ex.
These questions are much more open-ended and go beyond the text.
You can actually answer these questions without having read the text itself; however you can utilize the thematic foundation of the text in order to provide an example that would coincide with your answer.
Ex.
22

-can be answered by facts contained in the document or text or by information accessible in other resources; generally short answers.
- have answers that are implied by the text; requiring analysis and interpretation of specific parts of the document or text being examined
much more open-ended and go beyond the document or text being examined. They are intended to provide a discussion of an abstract idea or issue.
Here are possible terms to use in developing different levels of questions:
When/Where did an event take place? Who was...? What information is given? What does ____mean? List the evidence for. ..?
Explain the concept of. .. Explain how you calculate... Give an example of... Why do you think that ____happened? In what order...? How do your conclusions support your hypothesis? What was the main idea?
What do you think will happen in the future? WHY? Do you think that
____is ethical? Imagine you were a part of ____; what would you have done?
What would happen to___ if ___was changed? Do you think your results are biased/reasonable? WHY?
23

LEMENTS OF A
TORY
Plot: the series of happenings in a literary work arranged by the author, the framework (what’s happening in the story?)

Non-linear Plot VS. Linear Plot
Exposition: background information
Rising Action: leads through a series of events of increasing interest and power. Begins with an inciting moment, an action, or event that sets a conflict.
Climax: the moment of highest intensity and interest. Also, the turning point
Falling Action: the conflict is resolved, all questions are answered, loose ends are tied up
Resolution: the resolving of the conflict and complication. May be elaborate or swift. The END!
Character: a person in a literary work. The center of the plot is the hero or protagonist usually an admirable figure. Then the antagonist is a character in conflict with the hero, the villain.

Dynamic Character – change significantly; Static Character – unchanging

Flat Character – 1 or 2 traits that don’t change; Round Character – well-developed character
Setting: Where the story takes place; time and place.
Theme: the central or dominating idea, the message that is seldom stated directly, usually an abstract concept.
Overall message of the story.
Point of View: the stance from which the story is told (Who is telling the story?)

First Person – the use of I

Second Person- the use of YOU

Third Person – the use of he, she, they
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Omniscient: a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters
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Limited/Objective: the narrator is outside the story and tells the story from one point of view
Mood: the prevailing emotion/attitude in a literary work toward a subject or theme. How the author wants you as the reader to feel.
Tone: the reflection in a work of the author’s attitude toward the subject. (Author’s attitude)
Conflict: the problem in the story (ex: man vs. man; man vs. himself, man vs. nature, man vs. society)
Internal vs. External
Author’s purpose:
1. to inform 2. to entertain 3. to persuade 4. to tell or explain
Climax
Rising Action
Falling Action
Exposition Plot
Resolution
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ITERARY
ERMS
IGURATIVE
ANGUAGE
ERMS
Alliteration - repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words ( e.g. “
P eter P iper p icked a p eck of p ickled p eppers.”)
Allusion - cross reference to another work of art, piece of literature, historic event, landmark, etc. e.g. “Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself.”
(Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird)
Anadiplosis - figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase e.g. “The love of wicked men converts to fear .
That fear to hate , and hate turns one or both
To worthy danger and deserved death.”
(Shakespeare, Richard II)
Analogy - a point-by-point comparison between two things that are alike in some way; usually used to explain something unfamiliar in familiar terms e.g. hot : cold :: tall : short
Anaphora - repetition of the initial word(s) over successive phrases or clauses e.g. “This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,” (Shakespeare, Richard II)
Anticlimax - a drop, often sudden and unexpected, from a dignified or important idea or situation to one that is trivial or humorous
Antithesis - two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed; a contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences e.g. "Serenity now; insanity later." ( Seinfeld )
Apostrophe - a figure of speech in which someone absent or dead OR something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present e.g. (to a clock) “Why aren’t you moving fast?”
Assonance - repeated vowel sounds e.g. “Hear the m e llow w e dding b e lls” (Edgar Allen Poe, “The Bells”)
Asyndeton - a string of words not separated by normally occurring conjunctions e.g. “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (Julius Caesar)
Cacophony
– harsh sounding words
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Characterization – the way a writer creates and develops characters’ personalities; can be direct or indirect
Connotation
– the emotions or associations that a word or phrase may arouse e.g. Budget sportswear has a different connotation than cheap clothes.
Consonance
– the repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words e.g. lonely afternoon
Denotation – the dictionary definition of a word
Dialect
– a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group e.g. Cajun dialect for Louisiana
Dialogue
– a conversation between two characters
Diction
– word choice; the vocabulary a writer chooses to use; the way words are arranged
Dramatic Irony - when a character unwittingly makes a remark and the audiences knows the truth
Epanalepsis - beginning and ending a phrase or clause with the same word or words e.g. “To each the boulders that have fallen to each.” (Robert Frost, “Mending Wall”)
Epic Hero – a larger-than-life figure who possesses the ideal qualities of a nation or race e.g. Odysseus in The Odyssey
Epiphany
– a sudden understanding or realization which prior to this was not thought of or understood
Epithet - an adjective or adjective phrase to a person or thing to emphasize a characteristic
quality or attribute e.g. “the lord of high noon” ( The Odyssey , referring to Helios)
Euphemism - substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener e.g. “let go” to replace fired
Euphony – words and sounds that blend together pleasantly
Flashback- interrupts a story to relate an event that occurred in the past
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Foreshadowing an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story e.g. “
O God, I have an ill-divining soul!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb:
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale.” (Juliet Act III, Scene V in Romeo & Juliet )
Homeric (or Epic) Simile - an extended, elaborated, ornate simile developed in a lengthy
descriptive passage e.g. “He eats in bird-like quantities, accepting tiny portions at fleeting intervals, as the sparrow perched above the rose bush snatches the small green aphids from the dewy leaf.”
Hubris - from the Greek word for pride or insolence, it is exaggerated self pride or self- confidence (overbearing pride), often resulting in fatal retribution
Hyperbole - an extreme exaggeration to emphasize or show humor e.g. “If I hear another sound in this room I’ll burn up everybody in it.”
(Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird )
Imagery – descriptive words and phrases used in literature which appeal to one or more of the five senses and create word pictures in the mind of the reader e.g. “The fire was snapping, crackling, and dancing.”
“Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square.” (Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird )
Implied Metaphor
– does not directly state that one thing is another e.g. Homer says, that the dawn has “fingertips of rose.” ( The Odyssey )
Inference
– the reader uses clues, hints, or suggestions made by the writer to draw a conclusion.
In medias res - from Latin meaning “in the middle of things.” The narrative practice of starting a story in the middle of the action to involve the reader, and then using one or more flashbacks
Invocation at the beginning of an Epic for an appeal to a god or goddess for inspiration e.g. “Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy.” (Homer,
The Odyssey )
Irony (Situational) –an incongruity between the intended meaning of an action and the actual or perceived meaning of an action
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Juxtaposition -the act of placing ideas, images, etc. together or side by side for comparison or contrast e.g. “…and swiftly ran through all his evening chores. Then he caught two more men and feasted on them,” (juxtaposition of the mundane chores with the heinous) Homer, The Odyssey
Metaphor - comparing two things e.g. “All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;” (Shakespeare , As You Like It)
Metonymy - a figure of language in which a thing is not designated by its own name, but by the name of the thing resembling it or closely related to it. e.g. Cross is for Christianity or Star of David for Judaism
Motif - recurring element that has symbolic significance in the story; a repeated symbol
Onomatopoeia - words that sound like what they are e.g. “click,” “buck,” “bang,” “buzz”
Oxymoron - contradictory word pair e.g. "And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true " (Tennyson, Idylls of the King )
Paradox - something that seems to contradict itself e.g. Water and fire working together to create land
Parallel Structure - successive words, phrases, clauses with the same or very similar grammatical structure.
e.g. “All she knew was that presently a wave seemed to lift them and carry them swiftly on and then, retreating, leave them on something solid and motionless.” (Edith Hamilton)
Personification - giving humanlike characteristics to an inanimate object e.g. “…tall pecan trees shook their fruit into the schoolyard”
(Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird )
Polysyndeton - the deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses e.g. “When you are old and gray and full of sleep, / And nodding by the fire, take down this book.” (Yeats)
Pun - play on words e.g.
A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two tired.
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Repetition - rhetorical strategy for producing emphasis, clarity, amplification, or emotional effect e.g. “…government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
(Abraham Lincoln)
Rhetorical Question - figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than to receive an answer e.g. When your mother asks, “Do you think I’m stupid?”
Satire - a work that seeks to point out flaws and/or ridicule something in society to promote change
Simile - comparing two things using the words like, as, resembles, than e.g. “They were people, but lived like animals.” (Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird )
Symbolism - something that represents something beyond itself e.g. a heart represents love
Synecdoche
– a form of a metaphor in which a part of something is used to stand for the whole thing e.g. “threads” for clothes or “wheels” for car
Syntax
– sentence structure or sentence patterns; the style in which the words are used
Tragic Hero
– a hero who has a defect or a flaw in character which contributes to his/her downfall e.g. Romeo & Juliet (flaw = rashness)
Understatement
–intentionally downplaying or lack of emphasis or expression for effect e.g. The Lake Travis football team has won a few games.
Verbal Irony (Sarcasm) a contrast between what is said and what is actually meant e.g. If you fail a test and the student next to you says, “nice going.”
Voice
– a writer’s unique use of language that allows the reader to “hear” the writer’s personality
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