Study Guide for End of Semester Exam

Please know what each term means and how to Identify/apply it/ & give an example. We
have gone over each one and applied each vocabulary term in class.

Authors Point of View: how the author feels about the subject
Example: The prairie is a part of the author- David Bouchard. He loves it and wants others to understand the
prairie better.
Authors Purpose: his or her reason for creating a particular work
Examples: to inform, entertain, or persuade
Sensory Language: vivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses
Examples: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste
Setting: the time and place the story takes place
Examples: Prairies, The Great Plains
Figurative Language Vocab:
Figurative Language: language that contains or uses figures of speech, especially metaphors, to create a special
effect
Examples: metaphors, similes, and personification
Simile: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared using like or as
Example: The way you grow is kind of like an onion.
Metaphor: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared NOT using like or as; hidden
comparison that suggests two things are the same
Example: But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed.
Personification: a figure of speech giving human qualities to an animal or object
Example: The trees danced in the breeze.
Narrative Vocab:
-- Repetition: is the repeating of a word or phrase, within a sentence or a poetical line, in order to provide emphasis
Example: "If you're not from the prairie" "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1"
--Personal Narrative : tells the true story of something that happened to you.
Example: On Turning Ten, Eleven
--Voice: The writing style is lively and interesting and is appropriate to the audience and topic.
Example: Personality, Voice Mail game
--Ideas: The message is clear, focused, complete, and well-developed with specific details
Example: Brainstorming

Word Choice Vocab:

-- Word Choice: the ability to select words in a piece of writing that are powerful or descriptive
Example: Great seas of white
-- Context Clues: words or phrases in a sentence that help you identify the meaning of unfamiliar words

Study Guide for End of Semester Exam

Example: Plodding through the book- struggling reader
-- Alliteration: occurs when a series of words in a row (or close to a row) have the same beginning sound
Example: Laughing Lisa
-- Idioms: An expression thats meaning cannot be determined from its joined words
Example: It's Raining Cats and Dogs
Mood Vocab:
-- Mood: the feeling a piece of literature creates in a reader
Example: happy, sad
-- Tone: the attitude the author takes toward the subject, characters, or audience
Example: brave, proud, calm
-- Inference: an educated guess the readers make based on the text and personal experiences
Example: Boy is blind.
-- Textual Evidence: specific information from the text that readers use to support their inferences
Example: dark mountains, dark curtains
Central Idea Vocab:
-- Central Idea: what the main topic the story is about (main idea) Boy overcomes his disabilities
-- Relevant Details: details/ideas that tell more and support the central idea dark curtains, dark mountains
-- Summarize: Using your own words, tell only the central ideas from the text The narrator was poor but books
changed his life.
-- Paraphrasing: Rewording a text for clarification
dark curtains- boy was born blind
dark mountains- boy is overcoming his obstacles.
Organization Vocab:
-- Organization: the internal structure of a piece or writing; the logical pattern of ideas
-- Claim/Stance: The main point of an argumentative or informational essay
-- Imagery: figurative and descriptive language that paints a picture in the readers head
-- Analyze: to separate into parts for the purpose of explanation and interpretation

Plot Vocabulary
Plot: is the sequence of related events that make up a story.
Exposition: Background information or events necessary to understanding a story
Rising action: the conflicts and complications that develop a story
Climax: the turning point; the most intense moment, solves the problem.
Falling action: the actions after the climax
Resolution: the conclusion; the wrapping up of threads
Conflict Vocabulary
Denotation: A literal dictionary meaning of a word
Connotation: the feelings and ideas associated with a word.
Internal Conflict: a struggle within the characters mind (emotionally or morally).
Example: Character vs. Self
External Conflict: a conflict between a character and an outside force (nature, society, or another character)
Example: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Society