Download LANGUAGE ARTS

LANGUAGE ARTS
abbreviation-form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letter,
standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part
abstract noun-noun that cannot be perceived by one of the senses, e.g. love, hate, war, etc.
accent-emphasis on a particular syllable within a word
acronym-abbreviation formed by (usually initial) letters taken from a word or series of words, and which is itself
pronounced as a word
action-what happens in story to advance the plot
adjective-modifies a noun or a pronoun; word used to describe a noun or pronoun; also articles (a, an, the)
adverb-part of speech that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb; answers questions about or tells more about
a verb, an adjective, or another adverb; answers questions where, when, to what extent
affix-an addition to a base word of either a prefix or suffix
alliteration-repetition of an initial sound in two or more words of a phrase or line of poetry
allusion-indirect reference to another literary work; reference to a person, place, event, etc. in history to compare or
enhance imagery for the reader
alphabetize-arrange in ABC order by the first letter of words
analogy-similarity between things that are dissimilar
antagonist-the main character who causes the conflict for the protagonist; person in the story who opposes
or competes with protagonist
antecedent-word, phrase, or clause in a sentence that is referred to by a pronoun
anthology-collection of poems, songs, stories, or excerpt
antonym-word with opposite meaning to another, though not necessarily in all its senses; an opposite
apostrophe-punctuation mark used to mark omissions, form the possessive, and, in special cases, assists in forming
plurals
appositive-noun that follows a noun in a sentence, renaming the first noun, usually set off by commas; helps to
clarify the noun or pronoun
article-set of words (a, an, the) used only next a noun -- acting as an adjective in the sentence
audience-whom you are writing for
autobiography-author gives an account of his/her own life
base word-the simplest form of a word
bibliography-reference list that normally appears at the end of a paper, identifying all sources or resource material
referenced by the writer
biography-true account of someone's life, written by someone else; often based on research
blend-letters that blend together, e.g. thr, str, sch
brainstorm-ideas in no particular order--used to get warmed up for writing
character-a person in a piece of writing; story participant
character development-how a character develops through a story or film
characterization-all the descriptions of the characters--dress, walk, speech, work, physical appearance, etc.
clause-subject + verb that expresses a complete thought
cliché-overused expression that has lost its freshness, force, and appeal
climax-point of highest activity in a story; culmination; the turning point in the story
clipped word-short, familiar form of a longer word, e.g. bio is short for biography
closed syllable-syllable that ends with a consonant sound
comma-punctuation mark used to separate elements in a sentence, items in a series, or to separate two
independent clauses
comma splice-use of commas rather than end punctuation to separate sentences
comparison-stating how two or more things are alike or different (also called comparison/contrast)
compound-sentence that has two or more independent clauses, joined by a conjunction and/or punctuation
comprehension-understanding or knowledge gained; understanding meaning or importance of something
conclusion-last part of paper--it needs to be there
conclusion-logical judgment based on evidence; often presented at the end of a paragraph or essay
concrete noun-noun that can be perceived by one or more of the senses
conflict-disagreement or opposition within a story; struggle between opposing forces central to the plot; the
problems the characters face--man v man, man v himself, man v society, man v nature
conjugate-to assign a number and a person to an infinitive
conjunction-joins words or a group of words within a sentence; words such as and, or, and but that connects
related words or groups of words; word used to connect like parts of a sentence together
connotation-thoughts, feelings, and images associated with a word
consonant-a letter of the alphabet that is not a vowel
content word-fixed-form or idea about someone or something; subject specific word
context clues-parts of a sentence around a specified word that help determine meaning
declarative sentence-makes a statement and ends with a period; declares a fact
define-state the meaning of a word
denotation-direct, dictionary meaning of a word
diagnostic test-exam used to determine what a person knows before being taught the precept or idea
dialogue-the speaking the characters do
dictionary-list of words with their definitions
digraph-pair of consonants together forming a new sound, e.g. ch, the, wh, sh
diphthong-two vowels together forming a new sound, e.g. ai, oy, oi
direct object-noun or pronoun that completes the action of a transitive action verb
drafting-writing--any number of drafts may be needed before your final product (E1)
dramatic irony-when the reader knows more about a character or situation than the character(s) do
drama-written to be performed
draw a conclusion-based on what you read, what can you conclude
edit-fix errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc; make corrections or changes to a piece of writing
essay-short story that includes three or more paragraphs, with a thesis sentence in the opening paragraph and closing
or summary in the last paragraph
essential phrase-phrase that cannot be removed from sentence without changing meaning of sentence, e.g. the war
of 1812 was bloody
etymology-explanation for the origin and history of a word
exclamation mark-punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or at the end of a sentence to indicate strong
feeling, and like the period, marks the end of sentence
exclamatory sentence-expresses strong emotion and ends with an exclamation point; type of sentence that shows
a great deal of emotion or excitement
experience story-a story written based on an experience
exposition-all the background information that helps to open the story--setting, characterization, etc.
external conflict-struggle between a character and an outside force—nature, society, another character
fact-real/true; can be proven
falling action-suspense decreases, questions are answered
fiction-a story that has imaginary elements; imaginative prose writing, may or may not be based on actual events
figurative language-speech or writing that departs from literal meaning in order to achieve a special effect
or meaning; speech or writing employing figures of speech
fluency-speaking, reading, or writing without pauses or gaps
foil-character in the story who has similar experiences to the protagonist, but handles challenges differently, usually
used to point out flaws of the protagonist
foreshadowing-hints in the story of what is to come in the plot
fragment-incomplete sentence; phrase or clause that's punctuated and capitalized as a sentence but doesn't
constitute a complete grammatical sentence; usually caused by failure to include a subject and verb in sentence
genre-distinct types into which literary work can be grouped--non-fiction, science fiction, biography, autobiography,
etc.
gerund-"ing" form of a verb used as a noun, e.g. fishing is fun
glossary-appears at the end of a book to cover terms which are either newly-introduced or relatively rare, so the
reader may easily get the linking knowledge to book; words and their definitions at the back of a book
grammar-study of rules governing the use of language
helping verb-verb that combines with a main verb to form a verb phrase
higher-level thinking-moving beyond the literal comprehension into inferential or interpretive comprehension
historical fiction-imaginary story including historical facts
homographs-words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meaning
homonym-word that sounds or is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning
homophones-words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings
hyperbole-obvious exaggeration used to add humor to a story
iamb-a poetic foot that has an unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed syllable
idea development-presenting and idea and developing it--not just listing
idiom-expression that means something different than what it literally says, usually culturally based
imagery-descriptive words/phrases writers use to re-create sensory experiences; appeals to the five senses;
the sensory details the writer provides the reader
imperative sentence-type of sentence that makes a request or gives a command; ends with period or exclamation
point
indefinite pronoun-pronoun that may or may not have an antecedent in the sentence
Independent Reading Level-level at which one can work independently
index-detailed list, usually alphabetical, of the specific information in a book publication or multimedia collection,
designed to help the reader find information quickly and easily
indirect object-noun or pronoun between the verb and direct object that receives the direct object
inferential comprehension-based on the knowledge you've learned, what you can "infer" will happen
infinitive-unconjugated form of a verb, e.g. to sing, to dance, etc.
infinitive phrase-"to" + verb used as a subject, predicate nominative, etc., e.g. to fish is to live
Instructional Level-level at which instruction is needed
interjection-part of speech that usually expresses emotion and is capable of standing alone; word that expresses
strong feeling or emotion
internal conflict-character struggles with forces within him/her (conscience); struggle within one's self
interpretive comprehension-based on your acquired knowledge, what you can now interpret as the meaning
interrogative-word or sentence that asks a question, e.g. where? When? How? etc.
introduction-opening or beginning of a paper
irony-something that is different from what is expected--can be spoken, action, plot changes, etc.
journal-daily or regular writing in a notebook; reflection
legend-traditional story passed down orally through generations, and believed to have a historical basis (usually
exaggerated)
legible-able to be read
linking verb-connects the subject of a sentence with a work that identifies or describes the subject
literacy-ability to read and write
literal comprehension-the information is "literally" included in the passage
literary-having to do with books or writing
metaphor-comparison that treats compared items as though they are the same, e.g. "eyes are the window to the
soul" or "our country is…the first and greatest parent;" expression showing that two things have similar qualities;
also called a direct comparison
meter-repetition of a rhythmic unit (know as a foot) in a line of poetry
mood-the emotional feeling that the author seems to present related to his/her theme
myth-traditional story passed down through generations to explain the natural world; usually involves supernatural
beings
narrative-the telling of the story or plot
nominative case-pronouns used in sentences as either the subject or predicate nominative
non-essential phrase-phrase that can be removed without changing sentence meaning, e.g. “there he is, standing
by the bus stop”
non-fiction-written about real people and events and shaped to the writer's purpose; includes autobiography,
biography, diaries, newspaper articles, memoirs, etc; basis in truth
noun-person, place, thing, or idea and an object within a sentence; noun means name--referred to as subject,
object of preposition, direct object, etc., of a sentence
novel-a fictional writing of considerable length
number-quantity--either singular or plural form of pronouns, nouns, and verbs
object of the preposition-the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition in a prepositional phrase
objective case-pronouns used as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions
objective complement-noun or adjective that describes or renames the direct object
open syllable-syllable that ends with a vowel sound
opinion-a judgment
oxymoron-figure of speech where opposite ideas or terms are combined
paragraph-three or more sentences that are written to explain a complete thought about a topic; a group of
sentences about one idea or topic
parallelism-repetition of words, phrases, or sentence structures that add emotion to writing
paraphrase-to express someone else's ideas in your own words
parenthesis-punctuation used to set off a particular idea; can be both or either of the curved-bracket punctuation
marks
participial phrase-participle used as adjective, e.g. his fishing guide is knowledgeable (fishing = adjective
modifying guide)
pattern-a similarity among words
peer editing-having a peer read your writing to proofread or give feedback
pentameter-five feet in the meter or line of poetry
period-punctuation mark commonly placed at the end of several different types of sentences, consisting of a small
dot placed at the end of a line of text; ends a statement or command
person-1st person=speaker; 2nd person=person spoken to; 3rd person=person spoken about; used in verb
conjugations with pronouns
personification-part of speech where things, ideas, or qualities are represented as people
phonetic-representing the sounds of speech with a set of distinct symbols for each sound
plagiarism-taking credit for something that is not yours
plot-general plan or sequence of events; the action or events of the story; the arrangement of incidents in a play or
other literature; the theme of writing
poetry-compact writing that may contain a rhyme scheme, may be written in stanzas, or may be written in free verse,
meaning its rhythm is simply derived by the word arrangement on the page
point of view-angle from which story is told: 1st person (me, my, our); 3rd person "fly on the wall" only knows
words/actions of characters (you, them, they), 3rd person omniscient (you, them, they)
possessive-used in reference to pronouns showing ownership--my, your, his, her, our, their, etc.
predicate-part of the sentence that says something about the subject or shows action; gives information about the
subject or tells what the subject does; it always contains a verb
predicate adjective-adjective that is connected to the subject by a linking verb
predicate nominative-noun located on the right side of a linking verb, renaming the subject
prefix-word part that cannot stand alone and that is added to the beginning of a base word or a root to form a word;
an affix placed at the beginning of a base word or another prefix
preposition-word that shows position or direction and introduces a prepositional phrase; in accompaniment with a
noun, functions as an adjective or adverb in a sentence, e.g. through the woods we go; shows a relationship between
a noun or a pronoun and the other words in sentence, e.g. in, on, above, for
prepositional phrase-group of words beginning with a preposition and ending with an object
pre-read-survey the material to be read; review the vocabulary required for the reading
prompt-a writing idea--merely to get one started writing
pronoun-replaces a noun and thus reduces the awkwardness of repeating the noun over and over; used in place
of one or more nouns or pronouns; words that take the place of nouns--may show possession
pronunciation-act of pronouncing words
proofread-to read in order to find errors and make corrections
proper noun-formal name of a person, place, or thing that is capitalized
protagonist-main character who faces the conflicts in the story; whom the action centers around
question mark-punctuation mark used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question
quotation marks-punctuation used to set off direct dialogue spoken by someone, or to identify exact reproduction
of a work of art or literature
reading rate-rate at which you read a book; varies with your purpose for reading
resolution-everything is answered (resolved) and story comes to an end
response-a requested opinion about what you have written
responsibility-being accountable for one's actions and behavior
revision-making changes to a draft
rhyme-sounding the same
rising action-building or intensifying of suspense and conflict until a turning point (climax)
rubric-rules or guidelines to follow
run-on sentence-two or more ideas written as one sentence without proper punctuation or conjunction
satire-using humor to change people's minds or actions
schwa-symbol that indicates a reduced vowel, one that receives the weakest level of stress
sentence-group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought
sentence fragment-a group of words that does not express a complete thought
setting-time, place, and circumstances where something (narrative) takes place
short story-shorter than a novel; can be read in one sitting; involves characters, conflict; plot moves quickly
sight words-words in the English language that can't be phonetically sounded out; usually common words
simile-expression using like or as to show that two things are like each other in a certain way; indirect comparison;
comparison using like or as, e.g. "hungry as a bear" or "her eyes were like deep pools of blue"
situational irony-reflects the contrast between what you expect to happen and what actually happens
soliloquy-on person alone on the stage speaking to the audience--always tells the truth, but from that character's
point of view
SQRRR/SQ3R-Survey Question Read Recite Review
stanza-group of lines of verse forming one of the divisions of a poem
Study power^3/Exponential study power-read it write it
say it
subject-noun or pronoun that performs the action of a verb; person, place, thing, or idea the sentence is about;
word in a sentence that defines a person or thing
suffix-word part that is added after the base word or root; this ending often changes the tense of word; an affix
placed at the end of a base word or another suffix
summarize-give an overview
summary-giving a concise overview of something
support-strengthen; in a piece of writing, one wants support for his/her ideas
suspense-excitement or tension that keeps reader involved in the story
syllable-word part that can be pronounced as one uninterrupted sound; part of a word
symbol-something concrete that stands for something abstract; something that represents something, carries
a meaning beyond what it physically is
synonym-word or phrase that has a meaning the same as or very close to that of another word or phrase
tense-form of the verb that tells when the action or state of being occurs
theme-an embedded idea (in a piece of writing); recurring, unifying subject or idea; main idea the author wants the
reader to learn from the story
thesis-an idea that is supported
tone-the feeling the story gives the reader/the "voice" the characters use
tragedy-story that deals with a serious topic, has flawed characters, has a protagonist who faces his downfall at
the end (fatal flaw), can have a protagonist who deals w/supernatural (ghosts, demons, death, spirits), obstacles,
boundaries, prisons, barriers
verb/predicate-verb or predicate shows the action, being, or existence of the noun or subject of the sentence
verb-part of speech which expresses action, existence, or occurrence within the sentence
verisimilitude-when an author's descriptions and imagery seem true to life, even if the events are fictional
vowel-a letter of the alphabet that is a, e, i, o, u, sometimes y
wordiness-use of more words than necessary or the use of fancy words where simple words will do