Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________ Period: ________
Final Exam Review: Honors 9th Grade English
Your test contains an overview of all the major literary genres we studied in
the 2nd half of the year. The test will also assess the writing skills, knowledge
of literary devices, critical reading skills and use of context clues refined
throughout the year. The test is comprised of multiple choice questions and
one (1) five paragraph essay. Make sure to go through your English materials
/ binder section by section to study, take notes, and review for your test.
Test Specifics:
*100 points total
*Contains One Skills-Based Reading Selection (as well as new poems) and Two Critical
Reading Selections
*Material Covered: The Last Three Sections in Your English Binder (Great Expectations,
Wuthering Heights, Poetry and Shakespeare) and Vocabulary Words in Context
Here are the focus areas for the exam:




Analysis of Literary Terms- *Check your binder notes and handouts carefully.
Review your literary terms from ALL literature sections in your binder.
Analysis Literary Genres: the novel, drama and poetry
Reading Comprehension
Essay Composition
THE NOVEL
You will need to be familiar with the author, setting, characters, plot, historical
significance, applicable literary movements (Victorian, Gothic, Romantic, etc.), and themes
of each novel. You will also need to know the literary terms or devices that apply to or
function within each novel. Each selection will appear on your final exam. *Study your
notes and handouts within your binder.
 Great Expectations
 Wuthering Heights
DRAMA
Questions about Romeo and Juliet will appear on your final. You need to review the
author, the historical significance, the plot, the applicable literary terms, and the themes of
the play. (Refer to all of the Shakespeare handouts and terms.)
Romeo and Juliet
POETRY
Some of the following poems from your poetry packet will appear on your final. Study
your notes carefully. You will need to know the author, significance, style, tone, theme, and
applicable literary terms. You will also need to know how to explain or explicate each
poem. You will also be required to apply poetic devices to unfamiliar poems.

1
Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________ Period: ________
NECESSARY LITERARY CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES
For your final exam, you will need to know how to successfully complete the following:
Read for purpose / read actively for understanding / identify context clues
Identify and classify literary genres
Identify the topic / main idea of a piece of literature
Explicate / explain poetry
Identify universal themes in literature
Compare / contrast literary figures, themes, and events
 Compare and contrast characters from literature
 Consider and reflect on characters’ motivations
Organize story events
 Recognize key details from literature
 Apply key plot details to themes within pieces of literature
Identify literary terms
 Analyze and apply literary terms to pieces of literature
Skills Based Component:
Read an unfamiliar work of fiction: determine meaningful details of plot
 Identify literary devices and elements within an unfamiliar work of fiction
 Discover how the literary devices function in the new / unfamiliar story
Read unfamiliar poems: discern meaning, theme and tone
 Identify literary devices and elements within unfamiliar works of poetry
 Discover how the literary devices function in new / unfamiliar poems
THE ESSAY
For your exam essay, you will write a five paragraph essay. For your essay topic, you may
draw upon many of the literary works—including poems—we have studied this year.
Please keep in mind the following points when constructing your essay:







Organize your thoughts before writing and use your time wisely
Remember to organize your thesis and details statement according to the five paragraph
essay structure and the components of an excellent essay (see notes)
Be clear and concise- use active verbs, strong nouns, and descriptive adjectives
Remember to stay organized throughout each body paragraph
o Remember to use transition words and stay focused on proving your thesis
Remember to use topic and concluding sentences in each body paragraph
Remember to restate your thesis and details statement in your conclusion
Remember to write in the formal style (no personal pronouns, no contractions, etc.)
2
Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________ Period: ________
Here are the selections you can
choose characters and themes from:
“The Scarlet Ibis”
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
“New Directions”
“The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind”
“The Lottery”
“The Red-Headed League”
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Interlopers”
To Kill a Mockingbird
Great Expectations
Wuthering Heights
Romeo and Juliet
The Odyssey
You can also choose to write about authors
and themes from the following selections:
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream”
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “First Inaugural
Address”
Lian Dolan’s “Carry Your Own Skis”
Essay Scoring Guide / Grading Criteria:
5 well-developed paragraphs




An introduction that includes:
(5 points)
- an attention-grabbing lead
- titles of selections (including the additional selection you are using as the
basis of your theme)
- all parts of the introduction
- sentences / ideas that flow smoothly together
- a strong thesis statement (that indicates what is to be proven and uses the
correct thesis formula)
Body paragraphs that:
(10 points)
- contain strong topic sentences
- use specific examples to illustrate points
- fully interpret the examples
- prove the thesis
A conclusion that:
(5 points)
- restates your main ideas
- includes all components of a conclusion
- contains sentences that flow from one to the next
- contains a strong concluding statement
- leaves the reader with something to think about (but does not shift the
focus of the essay)
Style and conventions that
(5 points)
- follow the rules of formal writing
- use strong verbs and the active voice
- do not state the obvious and do not use awkward sentence structure (i.e.
“This is an example of…,” “One example of this is…,” “This means
that…,” or “This quote shows…,” etc.)
- use sophisticated transitions (no “first,” “second,” “third,” etc.)
3
Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________ Period: ________
SKILLS-BASED READING SECTIONS:
YOU WILL HAVE ONE (1) NEW SKILLS-BASED READING SELECTION ON YOUR
FINAL EXAM. YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR READING AND ANALYZING IT
USING THE LITERARY DEVICES AND CRITICAL READING STRATEGIES WE
HAVE STUDIED AND PRACTICED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
REVIEW &
CONTEXT VOCABULARY WORDS WITHIN THE EXAM:
*Bold words denote previously studied vocabulary words.
Allotted
Apparition
Apprehensive
Appropriated
Arbitrary
Atrociously
Attenuated
Augmented
Benevolent
Buffeted
Bureaucracy
Calculating (adj)
Choleric
Conceit
Consigned
Consolation
Contemptible
Content
Countenance
Deliberation
Demeanor
Destitute
Diminutive
Disparity
Domiciled
Drudge
Emanated
Evince
Exertions
Gratified
Haughtiest
Humility
Imbecile
Impart
Impertinences
Implicitly
In Vain
Inadvertently
Intractable
Kindred
Lament
Lustily
Magnanimously
Notwithstanding
Parochial
Pauper
Pensive
Per Diem
Pilgrimages
Pinioned
Protectress (form of
protector)
Ravenous
Rebuke
Reclusive
Recollection
Remorseful
Salutation
Satiety
Saturnine
Solemn
Stipend
Strata
Superintendence
Surly
Temerity
Treachery
Well-affected
(affectations)
Wicket
Wiles
Wrath
4