STAAR Vocabulary
• Definition : The word may be defined in the sentence.
• Example: There may be an example of the unknown word in the sentence or
paragraph.
• Synonym: There may be a synonym, or another word that means the same in
the sentence or paragraph.
• Antonym: There may be an antonym, or opposite in the sentence or
paragraph.
Characters
• Protagonist
The central character or
leading figure in poetry,
narrative, novel or any other
story. A protagonist is
sometimes called a “hero” by
the audience or readers.
• Antagonist
• A character or a group of characters which
stand in opposition to the protagonist or
the main character. The term antagonist
comes from Greek meaning opponent,
competitor or rival.
Author’s Purpose
Theme
• When you are asked to identify the theme of a selection, ask yourself,
What message does the author want me to take away from this text?
• Remember that a theme expresses a big idea, not a detail from the text.
Main idea vs. summary
MAIN IDEA
• Something every part of the text is
about. If it is only in one paragraph
of the passage, it is not the main
idea. The main idea is everywhere.
SUMMARY
The summary includes the most
important information from the
beginning, the middle, and the end
of the story. It includes the main
idea and the most important
details.
Tone
• An attitude of a writer toward a
subject or an audience. Tone is
generally conveyed through the
choice of words or the viewpoint
of a writer on a particular subject.
Mood
• A literary element that evokes
certain feelings in readers through
words and descriptions.
• Usually, mood is referred to as the
atmosphere of a literary piece, as it
creates an emotional situation that
surrounds the readers.
• 1st person point of view – the narrator is a character in the story who can’t
tell us thoughts of other characters but can only reveal with he/she sees and
thinks
• 3rd person limited point of view – the narrator is a person outside the story
who can describe the thoughts and feelings of one character
• 3rd person omniscient point of view - the narrator is a person outside the
story who can describe the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters
• “Hansel walked ahead of Gretel; after all, he knew he belonged in the front because Gretel was
just a girl. Gretel dropped breadcrumbs behind her as she went, knowing that her bumbling
brother couldn’t be counted on to find his way home from the outhouse, let alone from the middle of the
woods.
• “Hansel walked ahead of Gretel. Gretel dropped breadcrumbs behind her as she went,
knowing that her bumbling brother couldn’t be counted on to find his way home from the outhouse, let
alone from the middle of the woods.”
• “Hansel walked ahead of me. I made sure I dropped breadcrumbs behind me as I went, since my
bumbling brother couldn’t be counted on to find his way home from the outhouse, let alone from the
middle of the woods.”
Rhythm of a poem, established by a pattern of
stressed and unstressed syllables
Repetition of the same ending sounds
• Allusion
• A figure of speech that makes
reference to people, places, events,
or literary events directly or by
implying them. It is up to the
reader to make the connection.
• Idiom
• An expression that doesn’t exactly
mean what the words say.
Inference vs. Drawing Conclusions
Inference
• Clues in the passage and what you
know (background experience) to
put two and two together
Drawing Conclusions
• Determine information based
only on what is in the passage.
Fact vs. Opinion
Fact
• Can be proven or disproven.
• Can be proven from evidence such
as facts, personal observation,
reliable source, or expert opinion.
Opinion
• A statement of personal belief, feeling, or
thought. Does not require proof.
• An opinion or assertion is a judgment.
• Ex. Green is the best color for the room.
• A judgment or belief that may be
supported by factual evidence, but
it cannot be proven.
Commonplace Assertion
• A claim that a person makes but cannot always prove. It is a statement
many people assume to be true but is not necessarily so.
Example: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Or “Art lifts the human spirit.” Or “Playing with frogs gives you
warts.”
• Be aware that some writers present opinions, assertions, or beliefs as
facts. To get the truth, use resources to distinguish between them.
Words clues for recognizing opinions
and commonplace assertions
These are broad statements that reveal a personal judgment.
I believe
Best/Worst
In my opinion
Without question
Always/All
Must
Cannot
Never
Logical/Rhetorical Fallacies
Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine
the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either illegitimate
arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because
they lack evidence that supports their claim. Avoid these
common fallacies in your own arguments and watch for them
in the arguments of others. A rhetorical fallacy is intended to
mislead the audience.
Loaded Terms
• wording that attempts to influence
an audience by using appeal to
emotion or stereotypes.
• language intended to produce an
emotional response in the mind
of the audience, in order to
directly affect their views on a
topic.
• Example:
• The phrase "No Child Left Behind"
highlights the innocence of children, and
the thought that children are being “left
behind” in school.
• The same program could have been
called "Helping students pass
standardized tests & succeed in school,“
which would have sounded more
positive.
Loaded Questions
• Loaded questions come in two forms:
• Trick questions force someone to either admit to an opinion or fact they do
not believe in, or deny a factual premise.
• EX: "When did you stop cheating on tests?“
• Leading questions supply the answer in the question.
• EX: "Smart people have been shown to like Obama. Do you like Obama?"
False Assumptions/Incorrect Premise
• An incorrect idea that forms
the basis of an argument.
Since the premise (or
assumption) is not correct, the
conclusion drawn may be in
error.
• Example:
It is a hot August afternoon. The location is
the living room of an old Victorian
mansion. The 7 foot window is open and
the curtains are blowing in the breeze
generated by the thunderstorm that just
passed. On the floor lie the bodies of Bill
and Monica. They are surrounded by
puddles of water and broken glass. Neither
Bill nor Monica has any shoes on. How did
they die?