| A | B |
|---|
| character | Person, animal, or machine that possesses both physical and personality traits |
| plot | A series of related episodes, one growing out of another |
| basic situation | The first part of plot; who the characters are and what they want |
| rising action | The 2nd part of plot; one or more characters acts to resolve the conflict, but there are problems leading to the climax |
| climax | 3rd part of plot; the story’s most suspenseful, emotional, or exciting part |
| falling action | The 4th part of plot; occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict is being resolved |
| resolution | The 5th part of plot; loose ends are tied up |
| suspense | Anxious curiosity often created by episodes in the plot |
| exernal conflict | A character’s struggle with another person, or with a force of nature |
| internal conflict | A struggle taking place within the character’s mind mostly dealing with feelings, thoughts, and emotions |
| point of view | The vantage point from which a story is told |
| 1st person | The story is told by one of the characters and uses pronouns such as “we” and “mine” |
| 2nd person | The narrator tells the story to another character using pronouns such as “you” and “your” |
| 3rd person | The narrator zooms in on one character and tells the story from his or her vantage point using “he”, “she”, “them” etc. |
| Omniscient POV | The narrator reveals everything about all the characters |
| theme | The main idea the story expresses about life and people (moral of story). Message |
| setting | Where and when a story take place |
| protagonist | The main character in the story that the reader or audience emphasizes with (sometimes hero) |
| antagonist | The character who opposes the protagonist (usually provides conflict) |
| simile | Comparisons using like or as |
| metaphor | Comparisons not using like like or as |
| free verse | Poems without rhyme scheme |
| personification | Gives human qualities to something nonhuman |
| alliteration | The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
| Onomatopoeia | Use of words that imitate sounds |
| rhyme | Repetition of sounds at ends of words |
| hyperbole | An exaggeration |
| mood | atmosphere of a piece of writing; it’s the emotions a selection arouses in a reader. |
| tone | author's attitude toward subject |
