Fiction Terms to Know
1. Fiction- stories largely drawn from imagination and invention
2. Plot- the structure of a story
3. Conflict- the central problem of the story (internal conflict- man vs. self; external conflict- man
vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. fate)
4. Exposition/Introduction- basic information you must know in order to understand the rest of
the story
5. Rising action- all of the events that lead up to the point of highest tension
6. Climax/turning point- the point of highest tension
7. Falling action- all of the events that happen AFTER the climax but before the resolution
8. Denouement/resolution- the main conflict is resolved and loose ends are tied up
9. Direct characterization- when the author tells you directly what a character is like as a person
10. Indirect characterization- when the author expects you to draw conclusions about a character
based on their appearance, speech, actions, effect on others, etc.
11. Antagonist- a character or force that opposes the main character in the story
12. Protagonist- the main character in the story
13. Flat character- a character that only has one or two personality traits, boring and uninteresting
14. Round character- a character that has many personality traits and seems like a real person
15. Static character- a character who stays the same throughout the story and isn’t changed by
events in the story
16. Dynamic character- a character who is changed by the events of the story, may become a
“different person” mentally, spiritually, and/or physically
17. Setting- the time and place in which the story takes place
18. Theme- the large idea about life and about what it means to be human that the story attempts
to communicate
19. Symbol- an object that represents itself but also stands for a larger idea
Drama Terms to Know
1. Stage directions-
instructions that serve as a guide for directors, actors, and designers working on
the set, lighting, sound, etc.
2. Cast of characters- list of parts in the play and sometimes the names of people who will play them
3. Dialogueconversation between two or more characters in the play
4. Dramatic ironywhen the audience knows something will happen but the characters don’t
5. Ironya contrast between appearance and reality, usually where the reality is the
opposite of what is expected, normal, or seen
6. Situational irony- a contrast between what the reader or audience expects and what really
happens
Poetry Terms to Know
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Line- basic unit of poetry
Stanza- a section of poetry made up of two or more lines
Rhyme- two or more words with the same or similar ending sound
Assonance- two or more words that contain the EXACT SAME vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u)
Rhyme Scheme- pattern of rhyme in a poem labeled alphabetically at the end of each line
Alliteration- two or more words that have the EXACT SAME consonant sound at the
beginning (b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,t,v,w,x,y,z)
Onomatopoeia- words that imitate sounds
Consonance- two or more words that contain the EXACT SAME consonant sound but NOT
the same vowel sounds
End Rhyme- words at the end of lines that rhyme with one another
Internal Rhyme- words in the middles of lines that rhyme with one another
Internal Rhyme- words in the middles of lines that rhyme with one another
Personification- giving living qualities to something not living
Figurative Language- language that is not meant to be taken literally; makes an imaginative
comparison
Metaphor- compares two unlike things WITHOUT using like or as
Simile- compares two unlike things USING like or as
Extended Metaphor- a metaphor that continues through several lines of a poem or through
an entire poem
Allusion- reference made to a well-known literary character or event
Hyperbole- extreme exaggeration
End Stopped Lines- lines of a poem that contain a complete thought or idea or use
punctuation to tell you that the rest of the thought or idea is on the next line.
Enjambment- lines of a poem that don’t make sense because the rest of the thought
continues on the next line; does NOT use punctuation to tell you that the rest of the thought
is on the next line.
Meter- a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem.
Imagery- language that appeals to the senses
Couplet- two consecutive lines that rhyme with one another and have the same or similar
meter
Sonnet- 14 lined poem that follows a specific rhyme scheme
Repetition- using the same word or phrase over and over again for emphasis
Theme- the lesson or bigger idea about life or humanity that the poem is trying to
communicate
Nonfiction Terms to Know (Set 1)
1. Author’s Perspective- combination of beliefs, values, and feelings that influence how a writer
looks at a subject
2. Author’s Purpose- an author’s reason for crafting a particular work
Types:
To inform
To persuade
To entertain
To express thoughts or feelings
3. Main Idea- the central or most important idea about a topic that the writer conveys
4. Tone- the author’s attitude towards the subject
5. Subject- the person, place, thing, or idea being discussed
Types of text organization:
6. Cause and Effect- a cause is an event that directly results in another event; an effect is what
happens after a cause
7. Chronological Order- events are organized in the order in which they happened in real life
8. Classification- organizes objects, ideas, or information into groups based on common
characteristics
9. Compare and Contrast- events are organized in the order in which they happened in real life
Nonfiction Terms to Know (Set 2)
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Argument/Claim- writer’s position on a problem or an issue
Support/Evidence- reasons that justify the claim
Objection- the views that the opposing side will express
Counterargument/Rebuttal- an explanation of why the other side’s objections are wrong
Types of persuasive techniques:
5. Emotional Appeals- persuasive techniques that uses strong feelings, rather than facts and
evidence, to persuade.
Examples:
appeal to pity, appeal to fear, appeal to vanity, appeal to humor, appeal
to desire, appeal to pride
6. Appeals by Association- persuasive techniques that try to get people to relate their idea or
product with another image or idea
Examples:
bandwagon (taps into people’s desire to belong to a group), “plain
folks” Appeal (suggests that ordinary people agree with us or that a
candidate is a regular person), testimonial (relies on endorsement and
support of celebrities or satisfied customers), and transfer (connects a
product, candidate or cause with a positive image)
7. Appeal to Values- taps into people’s values or moral standards
8. Loaded Language- words with positive or negative connotations used to stir people’s emotions
Open-ended Prompt Practice
**Here are some typical open-ended prompt types and how to get points in your answers:
1. Explain what the author’s purpose is for the passage. Use information from the passage to
support your explanation.
a. 1 point for showing the author’s purpose (to persuade, to entertain, to inform, to
share thoughts and feelings)
b. 1 point for giving 1-2 examples from the passage to support your explanation
c. 1 point for giving more than 2 examples from the passage to support your
explanation. QUOTE THE PASSAGE!!! PULL SPECIFIC WORDS AND PHRASES THAT
THE AUTHOR WROTE! DO NOT SIMPLY SUMMARIZE!
2. Read the statement from the passage: “…silence was the only speech among splendors.”
Explain the significance of this statement to the passage. Use information from the passage
to support your explanation.
a. 1 point for explaining what the quote means and how it’s related to the passage
b. 1 point for 1-2 examples to support your explanation
c. 1 point for giving more than 2 examples from the passage to support your
explanation. QUOTE THE PASSAGE!!! PULL SPECIFIC WORDS AND PHRASES THAT
THE AUTHOR WROTE! DO NOT SIMPLY SUMMARIZE!
3. Analyze how the author constructs an argument in the passage. Use examples from the
passage to support your analysis.
a. 1 point for explaining how the author constructs his/her argument (using facts,
opinions, propaganda techniques, tone, etc.)
b. 1 point for 1-2 examples to support your explanation
c. 1 point for giving more than 2 examples from the passage to support your
explanation. QUOTE THE PASSAGE!!! PULL SPECIFIC WORDS AND PHRASES THAT
THE AUTHOR WROTE! DO NOT SIMPLY SUMMARIZE!
4. Analyze the effect of the author’s use of figurative language in the poem. Use example from
the poem to support your analysis.
a. 1 point for explaining the example of figurative language you noticed and what it
means (the simile, metaphor, symbol, etc.)
b. 1 point for 1-2 examples to support your explanation
c. 1 point for giving more than 2 examples from the passage to support your
explanation. QUOTE THE PASSAGE!!! PULL SPECIFIC WORDS AND PHRASES THAT
THE AUTHOR WROTE! DO NOT SIMPLY SUMMARIZE!
GENERAL TEST TAKING TIPS
1. If the passage is hard, 90% of the time the questions that go with it will be easier.
2. If the passage is easy, 90% of the time the questions that go with it will be harder.
3. Do not leave an open-ended blank. EVER!!! Make an attempt to answer the question. You will
receive points for partially correct answers.
4. Make sure you read the entire question and all of the answer choices before you make your
choice.
5. Make sure you read the entire open-ended prompt and answer all of the question. Many times,
students will only answer part of the question and will lose points for doing so.
6. Read the titles and the text information boxes. Read the headings and any footnotes. Those
will all be helpful!
7. Use the process of elimination on multiple choice questions. If you can narrow it down to 2
options, you increase the odds that you are correct.
8. Read the passages with a purpose in mind. Think about the strategies that we’ve taught you in
class (TP-CASTT, SWBS, etc.) and/or read the multiple choice questions BEFORE you read the
passage so that you know what to pay attention to when you read.
9. Write on the test booklet. Annotate the passage. You are allowed to do that!
10. Pay attention to words that are in bold or italics. Make sure you look at graphics, charts, or
pictures. Read captions of pictures and graphics.
***Most of all, breathe!!! Remember, your worth cannot be contained in a number! No test score can
tell you how much you mean to the world. Nor can the number in your bank account, on your scale, in
the back of your jeans, on the tag inside your shirt, or at the end of your address. This is one more test
and one more step towards where you want to be in life. Do your best. That’s all we can ask!***