| A | B |
|---|
| ambiguity | when the author doesn't tell the reader something; uncertainty |
| search engine | internet research tool (ex: Google) |
| prefix | a word part added to the beginning of a word (changes the meaning of a word) |
| suffix | a word part added to the end of a word (changes the part of speech of the word) |
| denotation | the dictionary definition of a word |
| connotation | the emotional feeling of a word |
| direct characterization | when the author tells the reader what a character's traits are directly |
| indirect characterization | when the author tells the reader what a character's traits are indirectly |
| methods of indirect characterization | what a character says, what a character does, what others say about the character, what the narrator tells us |
| internal conflict | a person v. self conflict (a conflict between a character and something inside of him/herself) |
| external conflict | a conflict between a person and someone/something outside of themselves (p. v. nature; p. v. society; p. v. person; p. v. supernatural) |
| narrator | the person telling the story |
| main idea | the point an author is trying to make about a subject (usually in nonfiction) |
| theme | the truth about life an author is trying to teach the reader (usually in fiction) |
| tone | the author's attitude toward what they're writing about (ex: positive, cynical, favorable) |
| mood | the way a text makes a reader feel (ex: spooky, upbeat, tragic) |
| metaphor | a comparison not using like or as (ex: My worries were a weight dragging me down.) |
| simile | a comparison using like or as (ex: My best friend was like a hot air balloon, lifting me out of my bad mood.) |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| conclusion | the end of a story/essay - summarizes the main points |
| word analogy | word pairs that convey a relationship (ex- pitcher:throw::batter:hit): |
| generalization | making a general statement about something based on evidence |
| context clues | using the words/phrases around an unknown word to guess at its meaning |
| chronological order | when the events in a story follow the events in time |
| foreshadowing | hints an author gives about what will happen next |
| setting | where/when the story takes place |
| plot | all the events in a story |
| fact | a statement that is provable and able to be tested |
| opinion | a statement that is based on what someone thinks/feels |
| synonym | a word that means the same thing |
| antonym | a word that means the opposite |
| point of view | who is telling the story; the author's 'take' on the subject |
| types of point of view | 1st person; 3rd person omniscient; 3rd person limited |
| 1st person point of view | narrator is a character in the story and uses "I"; only know what one person thinks/feels |
| 3rd person limited point of view | narrator is not a character in the story; uses "he/she"; only knows what one person thinks/feels |
| 3rd person omniscient point of view | narrator is not a character in the story; uses "he/she"; know what MORE than one person thinks/feels |
| source | a book/website that supplies evidence or research info |
| primary source | a source that is from the time period/person being studied |
| secondary source | a source that was written after the historical event took place |
| symbolism | when one thing stands for another thing in literature |
| character motivation | what pushes a character to do something |
| dynamic character | a character that changes throughout the story |
| static character | a character that does not change throughout the story |
| round character | a character that is complex and like a real person; has good and bad qualities |
| flat character | a character that has only one side to him/her; more like a symbol; not life-like |
| situational irony | when something happens that is the opposite of what is expected |
| verbal irony | when a character says one thing but means another |
| dramatic irony | when the audience understands something the characters do not |
| contradiction | when one thing goes against another thing in an argument |
| argument | a written defense of one's opinions |
| homophone | a word that sounds the same as another word but has different meaning (their/they're/there) |
| antagonist | the character in a story who gets in the way of what the protagonist wants; the "bad guy" |
| protagonist | the main character in a story; the one the reader sides with |
| inference | making educated guesses in literature |
