Explanation and Review for Freshman English 1st Semester Final Exam
The 1st Semester Final Exam in Freshman English tests your ability to perform reading and
writing tasks. You’ve been studying for it from the time you started to read and write. It consists
of two parts:

Part 1 – You will read two pieces of writing on a related theme, a short story and a
(50 min) piece of non-fiction and answer thirty multiple choice questions about the
readings. The questions mainly focus on your ability to make inferences
about characters, main ideas and themes from your reading of the passages.
Other questions focus on literary terms or on the choices the author made
for style or meaning. This score will count as 50% of your final exam grade.

Part II – You will be given a prompt and you will have to produce a unified
(40 min) essay on an argumentative topic. You will have 40 minutes to plan the
response and write a paper that clearly states a position and supports it, but
also addresses the opposing viewpoint. You should allow time to proofread. The essay will be scored using the ACT Rubric for argumentative
writing. This score will count as 50% of your final exam grade.
Here are some terms used in the questions and prompts that you may want to know:
Literary Terms
Conflict – external/internal
Characterization
Narrator
Theme
Point of View
Mood
Dialogue
Foreshadowing
Flashback
Setting
Style and Meaning Terms
Irony
Figurative Language
Hyperbole
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Symbolism
Imagery
Allusion
Diction
Syntax
Tone
Context Clues
Denotation
Connotation
Antonym
Synonym
Multiple meaning of words
Rhetoric of Argumentation
To be effective, a persuasive writer:
 Clearly states the issue and the position in the introductory paragraph
 Supports the stated position with facts, reasons and rationale
 Takes opposing views into account (address counter argument)
 Uses sound logic and effective language
 Concludes effectively
Reading Terms
Prior Knowledge
Main Idea
Supporting Detail
Inference
Prediction