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A word formed from the initial letter or letters of each word in a set of words.

Examples:

• NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• radar - RAdio Detecting and Ranging
• NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• scuba - self contained underwater breating apparatus

The repetition of of initial vowels or consonants at the beginning of words (e.g., winter wind, slurp and soul, or omit and open.

a reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature. 

A word opposite in meaning to another word

Example:

• good and bad
• fast and slow
• elated and melancholy

• arctic explorer Will Snow
• hairdresser Dan Druff

• fast means "moving quickly" or "fixed firmly in place"
• overlook means "to watch over carefully" or "to fail to notice"

• noun is a noun
• polysyllabic is polysyllabic
• abbrv. is an abbreviation
• word is a word.

• Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody (BANANA)
• Guaranteed Overnight Delivery (GOD).

• polish and Polish
• august and August
• concord and Concord

An organizational structure of text in which there is a description of events and their causes or consequences. Sometimes, a single cause will have multiple effects or many causes will lead to a single effect.

A sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses but no dependent clause (e.g., George talked, and Harry listened).

The struggle between opposing forces that brings about the action within a story or drama; can be internal (within a character) or external (between a character and an outside force).

Types of Conflict

Man versus Man
Conflict that pits one person against another.

Man versus Nature
A run-in with the forces of nature. On the one hand, it expresses the insignificance of a single human life in the cosmic scheme of things. On the other hand, it tests the limits of a person’s strength and will to live.

Man versus Society
The values and customs by which everyone else lives are being challenged. The character may come to an untimely end as a result of his or her own convictions. The character may, on the other hand, bring others around to a sympathetic point of view, or it may be decided that society was right after all.

Man versus Self
Internal conflict. Not all conflict involves other people. Sometimes people are their own worst enemies. An internal conflict is a good test of a character’s values. Does he give in to temptation or rise above it? Does he demand the most from himself or settle for something less? Does he even bother to struggle? The internal conflicts of a character and how they are resolved are good clues to the character’s inner strength.

Information a reader may obtain from a text that helps confirm the meaning of a word or group of words.

There are nine common categories of context clues:

1. Synonyms - words with similar meanings.
   The loud kids at the movie were churlish and rude.
   
   
2. Antonyms - words with opposite meanings.
   The preceding examples are different from those that follow.
   
   
3. Definition - a phrase or sentence that gives the same idea in different words.
   The passengers were told to look at the dolphins from the starboard, or right side, of the boat.
   
   
4. Restatement - a phrase or sentence that gives the same idea in different words.
   Slogging up the hill in the mud was difficult and slow going.
   
   
5. Example - an example that illustrates the meaning.
   Celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars, move in predictable patterns.
   
   
6. Explanation - a sentence or phrase that explains the meaning.
   I was very industrious Saturday.
   I cleaned my room, did all my homework, helped Dad wash the car, and went to the grocery store for Mom.
   
   
7. Contrast - a sentence or phrase that contrasts with, or has the opposite meaning of, the word.
   The TV program showed the sumptuous home in which the singer now lives, quite different from the small, ordinary home in which he grew up.
   
   
8. Comparison - a sentence or phrase that compares the word to something familiar.
   My grandfather always used a big, heavy pot with legs, which looked like a spider, when he was camping.
   
   
9. Sense or experience: a sentence or phrase the refers to a common experience.
   He felt exhausted, just as he did when he had the flu.
   

Hand, body or facial gestures that communicate meaning with little or no use of language.

Clarity and distinctiveness of pronunciation; choice of words in speaking or writing.

All fiction is based on conflict and this conflict is presented in a structured format called PLOT.

• Exposition
  The introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the story.
• Foreshadowing
  The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.
• Inciting Force
  The event or character that triggers the conflict.
• Conflict
  The essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be identified as one of four kinds. (Man versus…Man, Nature, Society, or Self)
• Rising Action
  A series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax.
• Crisis
  The conflict reaches a turning point. At this point the opposing forces in the story meet and the conflict becomes most intense. The crisis occurs before or at the same time as the climax.
• Climax
  The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion. The point at which the outcome of the conflict can be predicted.
• Falling Action
  The events after the climax which close the story.
• Resolution (Denouement)
  Rounds out and concludes the action.

A person whose name is the source of the name of something.

Examples:

• Rudolph Diesel is the eponym of the diesel engine
• General Ambrose Burnside (1824-1881), a Civil war general whose trademark was a bushy beard that extended only along the jawline, is the eponym of the word sideburns

Note: The term eponym is also sometimes used to refer to a word that is derived from a person's name.

• http://www.wordcraft.infopop.cc/eponyms.htm
  
• http://encylopedia.thefreedictionary.com
  
• http://www.etymonline.com/index.php
  
• http://www.dictionary.com

"and others" or "and elsewhere" (when talking referencing other places in a text). 

et al. is the abbreviation of any of the latin terms: et alli (male plural), et aliae (female plural), or et alia (neutral plural). 

A sentence that makes a vehement statement or conveys strong or sentence sudden emotion.

• Londres is the French exonym for London
• Germany is an exonym because Germans call it Deutschland.

Language enriched by word images and figures of speech.

Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language. Any language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a subject.

The most common figures of speech are simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and idioms.

The technique of giving clues to coming events in a narrative.

Not all foreshadowing is obvious. Frequently, future events are merely hinted at through dialogue, description, or the attitudes and reactions of the characters.

Foreshadowing frequently serves two purposes. It builds suspense by raising questions that encourage the reader to go on and find out more about the event that is being foreshadowed. Foreshadowing is also a means of making a narrative more believable by partially preparing the reader for events which are to follow.

The shape, size and general makeup (as of something printed).

A verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun (e.g., reading is fun).

• sewer
• row
• entrance
• wind.
  

A word with the same spelling as another word, whether or not pronounced alike

Examples:

• pen (a writing instrument) vs. pen (an enclosure)
  
• bow (and arrow) vs. bow (of a ship)

A word with different origin and meaning but the same oral or written form as one or more other words

Examples:

• bear (an animal) vs. bear (to support) vs. bare (exposed)

A word with different origin and meaning but the same pronunciation as another word, whether or not spelled alike

Example:

• hair and hare

• in the relationship between chair and furniture, furniture is a hypernym
• in the relationship between horse and animal, animal is a hypernym.

• in the relationship between chair and furniture, chair is a hyponym
  
• in the relationship between horse and animal, horse is a hyponym

Words and phrases that appeal to the readers' senses.

A verb that is usually introduced by to. The infinitive may be used as a noun or a modifier.

The systematic use of sounds, signs and symbols as a method of communication; in writing, the choice of words used to convey meaning.

A means of communication, especially of mass communication, such as books, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, motion pictures and recordings.

• in the relationship between leg and ankle, ankle is a meronym
• in the relationship between brim and hat, brim is a meronym.
  

• flat between convex and concave
• present between past and future.

• the Crown referring to the monarchy
• the bottle referring to alcohol
• the White House for the US executive branch.

The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for a reader; a reflection of an author's attitude toward a subject or theme.

Words whose sound imitates their suggested meaning, (e.g., buzz, boom, hiss, and clang).

• ice cream and I scream
• mint spy and mince pie

The rate at which something moves; the rate at which a writer moves the action or information; the rate a speaker uses in delivery.

• beautiful and beauteous.

A voice or character representing a speaker or narrator of a literary work.

The perspective or attitude of a narrator of a piece of literature.

• First person - uses "I" - A character is telling the story.
• Second person - uses "you" - The author speaks directly to the reader. Second person is seldom used; it is found most often in nonfiction today.
• Third person - uses "he," "she," or "it" - The author is telling about the characters. There are three third person points of view:
  • Limited omniscient - We are told the thoughts and feelings of only one character (sometimes, but very seldom, of two or three characters).
  • Omniscient - We are told everything about the story, including the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, and even information in the author's mind which no character knows.
  • Dramatic or objective - We are told only what happens and what is said; we do not know any thoughts or feelings of the characters. It is called "dramatic" because it includes the words and actions, just what you would see and hear if it were in a play or film.

• Mark Twain is a pseudonym for Samuel Clemens.
• Theodore Geisel used the pseudonym of Dr. Seuss.
  
• Eric Arthur Blair wrote the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four under the pseudonym George Orwell.

The usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound; a play on words. (e.g., the substitution of the slogan visualize world peace with visualize whirled peas).

• watch became pocket watch due to introduction of wrist watch
• pen became fountain pen due to introduction of ball-point pen

A vowel and any following consonants of a syllable, as /ook/ in book.

In Shared Inquiry discussion, participants help one another search for answers to fundamental questions raised by a text. Participants come to the discussion each with their own unique way of viewing the selection and then build on their personal views through a sharing of ideas.

The leader's role in this process is to provide direction and guidance for the discussion by asking questions for which they genuinely do not know the answer. Note that the leader is not an expert; the group should not look to the leader for answers. The leader assumes the role of co-learner and helps the group by asking interpretive questions that have more than one possible answer based on the text. The leader also assists the group by asking follow-up questions that encourage participants to clarify comments, support ideas with evidence from the reading, and comment on proposed interpretations.

The Four Rules of Shared Inquiry Discussion

1. Only those who have read the selection may take part in discussion.

2. Discussion is restricted to the selection that everyone has read.

3. All opinions should be supported with evidence from the selection.

4. Leaders may only ask questions-they may not answer them

The goal of a Shared Inquiry discussion is interpretation. As a participant in the discussion, you will gain more if you remember to:

• reserve judgment until you can claim understanding

• temper your urge to speak with the discipline to listen

• substitute your impulse to teach with a passion to learn

• hear what is said and listen for what is meant

• marry your certainties with others' possibilities

from The Great Books Foundation

A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as" (e.g., she's as sly as a fox).

A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to compare one object or idea with another to suggest they are alike.
Example: busy as a bee

A character who possesses "expected" traits of a group rather than being an individual.

Using stereotypes is usually considered an indication of poor quality, especially in cases such as members of minority groups, people with disabilities, or women. However, stereotypes can be useful in furthering the story quickly and are acceptable in minor roles if they do not provide hurtful portraits of the groups in question.

One of two or more words in a language that have similar meanings

Example:

• answer and respond

A story for children that includes fantastic forces and elements of magic.

• pawpaw
• yo-yo
• tutu
• bye-bye

• puffinus puffinus (manx shearwater)
  
• apus apus (common swift)

The rate of speed in which a presentation is given.

The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that it involves a statement or opinion about the topic. Not every literary work has a theme. Themes may be major or minor. A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again. It becomes one of the most important ideas in the story. Minor themes are ideas that may appear from time to time.

It is important to recognize the difference between the theme of a literary work and the subject of a literary work. The subject is the topic on which an author has chosen to write. The theme, however, makes some statement about or expresses some opinion on that topic. For example, the subject of a story might be war while the theme might be the idea that war is useless.Four ways in which an author can express themes are as follows:

1. Themes are expressed and emphasized by the way the author makes us feel.. By sharing feelings of the main character you also share the ideas that go through his mind.

2. Themes are presented in thoughts and conversations. Authors put words in their character’s mouths only for good reasons. One of these is to develop a story’s themes. The things a person says are much on their mind. Look for thoughts that are repeated throughout the story.

3. Themes are suggested through the characters. The main character usually illustrates the most important theme of the story. A good way to get at this theme is to ask yourself the question, what does the main character learn in the course of the story?

The reflection of an author's attitude toward his or her subject.

• London
• Mount Everest

• champagne from Champagne in France
• cashmere from Kashmir in India.