Study Guide for 4th Quarter Test
First Quarter Review:
Plot The careful sequencing of events in a story generally built around a conflict. Stages of plot
include:
 exposition (background) - characters, settings, and the story’s basic conflict.
 rising action – the series of conflicts (problems) faced by the main character. Those conflicts
may include forces of nature, such as gravity or strong head winds (external conflicts – because
they are happening outside the character’s head), or a character’s own feelings (internal
conflicts – like a difficult decision that only the character must make). Often the conflicts are
simply complications (something that makes the plot’s conflict more difficult to resolve)
 climax – the point at which the outcome of the conflict is decided—often in a surprising way.
The story reaches its climax when the obstacles created by complications are overcome. The
climax makes the ending possible.
 falling action (the short period between the climax and the story’s resolution)
 resolution (denouement) - end of the story. It tells how the conflict turned out.
Pace - the rate at which a writer moves the action or information (usually the pace is quicker as you
move closer to the climax!)
Settings can include the location of a story (where), weather, time of day, time period (past, present, or
future), social customs. Sometimes settings are central to a story’s main conflict (i.e. person vs. nature)
Mood - The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for a reader; a reflection of an author’s attitude
toward a subject or theme. Do NOT confuse this with how the character is feeling OR tone (the
reflection of an author’s attitude toward his or her subject)
Point of View - The perspective or attitude of a narrator of a piece of literature. The two main types
are:
 first person narration: Narration in which the point of view is that of the main character.
 third person narration: Narration in which the point of view is that of someone outside the
story who refers to all characters by name or as “he,” “she” and “they.”
Each of the points of views can also fall into the following categories:
 omniscient point of view: The vantage point in which a narrator is removed from the story and
knows everything that needs to be known.
 limited point of view: The vantage point in which a narrator tells the story in the third person
but often confines himself or herself to what is experienced, thought and felt by a single or
limited number of characters.
Characterization - The method an author uses to create the appearance and personality of imaginary
characters in a piece of fiction; often developed by describing a character’s physical appearance, by
revealing a character’s nature through the character’s speech, thoughts, feelings or actions, by using the
speech, thoughts, feelings or actions of other characters and by using direct comments from the
narrator.
Context clues - Information a reader may obtain from a text that helps confirm the meaning of a word
or group of words.
Types:
• Definition–the word is defined directly and in the sentence in which it appears.
Example: “ The arbitrator, the neutral person chosen to settle the dispute,
arrived at her decision.”
 Antonym (or contrast)–often signaled by the words whereas, unlike, or as
opposed to.
Example: “Unlike Jamaal’s room, which was immaculate, Jeffrey’s room
was very messy.”
Example: “Whereas Melissa is quite lithe, her sister is clumsy and
awkward.”
 Synonym (or restatement)–other words are used in the sentence with similar
meanings.
Example: “The slender woman was so thin her clothes were too big on her.
 Inference–word meanings are not directly described, but need to be inferred from
the context.
Example: “Walt’s pugnacious behavior made his opponent back down.”
Figurative language: Language enriched by word images and figures of speech. Most common
examples:
 hyperbole A figure of speech which uses a deliberate exaggeration (e.g., I have told you a
million times).
 metaphor A figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike
things (e.g., he’s a tiger).
 personification A figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate
objects or ideas (e.g., happy house).
 simile A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two unlike things using the
words “like” or “as” (e.g., she’s as sly as a fox).
 analogy A method of explaining something unfamiliar by using a comparison of similar, more
familiar things; a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing
in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity between the things in other respects
(e.g., part to whole, synonym and antonym, degree or cause and effect).
• imagery - Words and phrases that create vivid sensory experiences for a reader;
appeals to our senses (i.e. taste, touch, smell, sight, sound)
Example: from “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when (This image appeals to our senses
of sight and hearing.) he wiped them on his shirt.
Second Quarter Review:
You need to know this definition:
 genre An established class or category of artistic composition or literature (e.g., poetry, drama or
novel).
Theme - A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea or proposition broad enough to cover the entire
scope of a literary work or work of art. Note: A theme may be stated or implied, but clues to it may be
found in the ideas that are given special prominence or tend to recur in a work.
Other literary techniques you might see include:
 flashback The technique of stopping the chronological action in a story and shifting to an earlier
period to introduce additional information.
 foreshadowing The technique of giving clues to coming events in a narrative.
Question Types – You will see the following types of questions on the test:
 evaluative question: A question that asks the responder to make a judgment.
 implicit To be assumed but not directly expressed.
 explicit Fully or clearly expressed; definite.
 inference A general conclusion drawn from information that is given.
 inferential question: A question that asks a responder to draw a conclusion
 open-ended question: A type of question intended to produce a free response rather than a direct or
one-word response.
I. Know that WHO the author writes for is their audience.
II.
Know the reasons why writers write – their purpose. There are types:
A.
To Inform: Sharing information without offering opinions.
1. Explain, give facts, present both sides and let reader draw own conclusions.
2. CLUES: illustrations, diagrams, maps, charts, headings, and bulleted or numbered items.
a. Know the difference between a FACT (can be checked!) with an OPINION what people think)
3. Examples: News stories, nonfiction articles in magazines
B. Influence: trying to convince you (persuade) of something
1. Criticize something they don’t like, encourage you to take some kind of action. Here are some
ways that authors use propaganda (persuasive techniques) to convince you:
a) quote a recognized expert or authority on a subject
b) using a personal experience (i .e. an anecdote, a short, personal story)
c) bandwagon (implying EVERYONE believe this)
d) uses statistics or examples
2. CLUES: words like should and must, and words that assign value like worst and best.
3. Examples: editorials, letters to the editor, movie, book, music review
C. Entertain: to create a literary work or to say something in a unique way.
1. May amuse you with a funny story or essay, or frighten you with a scary tale.
2. CLUES: use of vivid description, dialogue, rhymes, drama, or humor
3. Examples: SHORT STORY, novel, humorous essay, play, poem
III. Main Idea and Supporting Details
A. Main idea is the writer’s most important message. It’s supported by details, such as examples and
quotations.
1. Example: The time is right to begin a citywide recycling program. In the two years that nearby Jonesville
has had a recycling program, that city has reduced the amount of trash it sends to the landfill by 32 percent.
a. Main idea: The city should start a recycling program
b. Support (example): Jonesville reduced trash by 32%
VI. Nonfiction Text Structures and Features
A. Text Structures - The structure of something is the way that thing is put together or organized.
1. Chronological - When a writer organizes events in the same way in which they occur in time.
a. Example: The sunflower began as a bud. Then, petals developed. Finally, the beautiful flower opened in
full bloom.
b. Chronological shows cause and effect(how one event leads to another)
2. Compare/Contrast - States how things are the same and/or different.
a. Example: Lions, leopards and cheetahs are the top hunters of the African plains. They have a lot in
common, but each is special in its own way. Lions are the biggest cats in Africa…..
3. Problem/Solution - States a problem, then lists possible solutions. (Or may start with solution, and
explain which problem it solves)
a. Example: Increasingly, little oxygen masks for pets are becoming standard equipment for firefighters.
Hoping to save cats, dogs and other pets caught in house fires, animal advocacy groups and pet-product
suppliers are equipping departments all over the country with them.
4. Description - states facts, followed by supporting details.
a. Example: You’re in an African rain forest. Huge trees surround you. Tropical vines hang from limbs….
B. Text Features:
1. Heading - Like a title, used to divide a text into sections. (Are usually larger, in a different font or
different color than a subhead; always appear FIRST)
2. Subheading -Found AFTER the heading (within the same section) and are used to further divide a work.
a. Example:
Forming a Hypothesis (heading)
Once you’ve asked your question and make observations, you are ready to form a hypothesis. A
hypothesis is a possible explanation or answer to a question…
A possible Answer From Nature (subheading)
Scientists wanted to base their hypothesis on an example from nature. Scientist 1 had made
observations….
3. Footnote - words that have a superscript1 (number written as an exponent) that will be defined at the
bottom of the page.
4. sidebar - supplementary information that is printed alongside the main text.
5. words that are in bold or italics or underlined - IMPORTANT! Often, they may be defined at the
bottom of the page.
VI. Analogies - types (Know that the colon means “is to” or “is related to” and :: means “the same way that”)
Example: hot: cold :: hard : ________________ would read: “Hot IS TO cold THE SAME WAY THAT hard
IS TO (some word)
A. antonym (is the opposite of). Example: veteran: rookie
B. characteristic (is a characteristic of) Example: hope: optimist
C. degree (to a greater lesser degree of) Example: elated: happy
D. function (is used to) Example: odometer:distance
E. location (is a place where) Example: museum: artifacts
F. whole-to-part or part-to-whole (is a part of) Example: actor: troupe
G. synonyms (is the same as) nobility: aristocracy
H. classification (is a type of) pastel: color
I . cause/effect (is the cause of) joke: laughter or effect/cause (is an effect of) devastation: hurricane
J. relative size (is bigger/smaller than) mountain:hill
K. sequence (comes before/after) planting: harvest