Mr. A's Glossary
This glossary contains definitions for words used throughout the website. If you have a suggestion of a word that should be included here, please e-mail me at tim@mr-anderson.com.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
A |
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allegoryA metaphorical narrative in prose or verse in which fictional figures and actions usually represent truths or generalizations about human existence. | |
alliteration
The repetition of of initial vowels or consonants at the
beginning of words (e.g., winter
wind, slurp and
soul, or omit and open. | |
allusiona reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature. | |
alphabetic principleThe assumption underlying alphabetic writing systems that each speech sound or phoneme of a language has its own distinctive graphic representation. | |
ambiguitiesStatements or arguments used in a work that may have more than one meaning or interpretation. | |
amphibrachArray | |
amphimacerArray | |
analogyA method of explaining something unfamiliar by using a comparison of similar, more familiar things; a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity between the things in other respects (e.g., part to whole, synonym and antonym, degree or cause and effect). | |
anapesta three-syllable foot with the stress on the third. | |
anecdoteA brief narrative of an interesting, unusual or biographical event often used to illustrate a point. | |
antagonistThe character (or force) that opposes the protagonist. | |
antonym
A word opposite in meaning to another word Example:
| |
apostropheArray | |
appeal to authorityTo call upon an individual or other source as an expert to give credence to an argument made by an author of a work. | |
appeal to emotionWhen a speaker or writer builds an argument using expressive language or other devices instead of presenting evidence; a fallacy in arguments | |
appeal to reasonTo call upon a reader's ability to think in a rational way in order to cause a change in his or her thoughts. | |
aptronymA person's name that matches it's owner's occupation or character
very well (either in fiction or reality) Examples:
| |
assonanceThe close repetition of middle vowel sounds (e.g., stony and holy). | |
autoantonymA word that can take two (or more) opposite meanings; Examples:
• Often hyphenated as auto-antonym. | ||
autonym1. A word that describes itself Examples:
3. A name by which a social group or race refers to itself. •From Greek auto (=self). | ||
B |
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bacronymThe reverse of producing an acronym; taking a word which already
exists and creating a phrase (usually humorous) using the letters
of the word as initials Examples:
| |
bait and switchA tactic in which a customer is attracted by the advertisement of a low-priced item but is then encouraged to buy a higher-priced one. | |
ballada quatrain alternating iambic tetrameter in lines one and three with iambic trimeter in lines two and four. The rhyme scheme of a ballad is abcb. | |
bandwagonA fallacy in which one is attracted to a popular party, faction or cause that attracts growing support; following the crowd rather than using evidence to justify a conclusion. | |
biasAn inclination of temperament or outlook; a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment. | |
blendTo combine the sounds represented by two or more letters to pronounce a word such as /gr/ in grow; to combine two or more words | |
brainstormingA prewriting technique in which students, either alone or in groups, jot down all words or phrases that come to mind on a topic to expand the range of available ideas, to solve a problem or to clarify a concept. | |
C |
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caesuraa natural break or pause in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line, usually marked by punctuation. | |
capitonymA word which changes its meaning and pronunciation when
capitalized Examples:
| |
catalexisdropping an unstressed syllable from the end of a trochaic or dactylic line. | |
cause and effectAn 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. | |
charactera person (or animal or inanimate object that acts like a human) portrayed in an artistic piece, such as a drama, novel, poem, or play | |
characterizationThe method an author uses to create the appearance and personality of imaginary characters in a piece of fiction; often developed by describing a character's physical appearance, by revealing a character's nature through the character's speech, thoughts, feelings or actions, by using the speech, thoughts, feelings or actions of other characters and by using direct comments from the narrator. | |
chronologicalAn organizational structure of text in which events are placed in the order they occur in time. | |
climaxthe turning point in a plot or dramatic action, a moment of great or culminating intensity in a narrative or drama, especially at the conclusion of a crisis | |
coherenceThe quality of a piece of writing in which the ideas are clearly arranged so a reader can follow the progression from one idea to the next. | |
comparison and contrastAn organizational structure of text in which a description of similarities and differences among two or more things occurs. | |
compound sentenceA sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses but no dependent clause (e.g., George talked, and Harry listened). | |
compound wordA combination of two or more words that function as a single unit of meaning (e.g., bookkeeper or downtrodden). | |
comprehensionThe process in which a reader constructs meaning through interaction with text; accurately understanding what is written or said. | |
concrete imageWhen a speaker or writer uses words that induce audiences to call up "pictures" in their minds by appealing to their senses of taste, smell, hearing, touch and sight. | |
conflictThe 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
Man versus Nature
Man versus Society
Man versus Self | ||
connotationThe attitudes and feelings associated with a word as opposed to a word's literal meaning. | |
consonanceThe repetition of identical consonant sounds before and after differing vowel sounds (e.g., stoke/luck). | |
constructThe process of understanding what is read through the interaction meaning with text. | |
consumer documentsNonfiction works such as warranties, product information and instructional materials designed to help one with daily tasks. | |
context cluesInformation 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:
| |
conventionsThe accepted rules of written and spoken language. | |
counter-argumentA point or statement in opposition to the argument being made in a written document or speech. | |
credibilityThe quality or state of offering reasonable grounds for being believed. | |
cuesHand, body or facial gestures that communicate meaning with little or no use of language. | |
cutawayA drawing or model of something with part of its outside removed to give a view of the inside. | |
D |
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dactyla three-syllable foot with the stress on the first. | |
declarative sentenceA sentence that makes a statement. | |
decodeTo analyze spoken or graphic symbols of a familiar language to ascertain their intended meaning. Note: To learn to read, one must learn the conventional code in which something is written in order to decode the written message. | |
definitionalA reference, explanation or comment usually placed below the text on footnote a printed page. | |
denotationThe literal or "dictionary" meaning of a word. | |
denouementthe final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot; the events following the climax of a drama or novel in which such a resolution or clarification takes place | |
descriptionOne of the four traditional forms of composition in speech and writing that gives a verbal picture of a character and an event, including the setting in which they occur. | |
dialectA form of language as it is spoken in a particular geographic area or by a particular social or ethnic group. | |
dialogueA
conversation between two or more characters in a work that is
used by writers to give insight into the characters themselves. | |
dictionClarity and distinctiveness of pronunciation; choice of words in speaking or writing. | |
digraphsTwo successive letters that make a single sound (e.g., ea in bread or ng in sing). | |
dynamic characterA character who undergoes a change during the course of a story. | |
E |
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e.g.Exempli gratia (Latin), meaning "for example." | |
editingA step in preparing a written work for publication or review that focuses on clarity and correctness. | |
elements of plot
All fiction is based on conflict and this conflict
is presented in a structured format called
PLOT.
| ||
end rhymerhyme at the ends of lines of poetry | |
end-stoppeda pause (period or comma) at the end of the line. | |
English/Shakespearean Sonneta fourteen-line poem of four stanzas, three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg. | |
enjambedno pause at the end of the line. | |
epic simileArray | |
eponym
A person whose name is the source of the name of
something. Examples:
Note: The term eponym is also sometimes used to refer to a word that is derived from a person's name. Websites for researching eponyms: | |
et al"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). | |
evaluative questionA question that asks the responder to make a judgment. | |
exclamatoryA sentence that makes a vehement statement or conveys strong or sentence sudden emotion. | |
exonymA place name used by foreigners that differs from the name used by
natives Examples:
| |
explicitFully or clearly expressed; definite. | |
expositoryA spoken or written composition, intending to set forth or explain. Note: Good exposition is clear in conception, well organized and understandable. It may include limited amounts of argumentation, description and narration to achieve this purpose. | |
eye-rhymeArray | |
F |
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fableA story intended to enforce a useful truth, especially one in which animals speak and act like human beings. | |
fallacyA typical error in reasoning that arises commonly in ordinary discourse and renders unsound the argument in which it appears. | |
feminine rhymeArray | |
figurative languageLanguage 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. | |
figurative meaningA symbolic interpretation of written work. | |
figures of speechspecial poetic ways of expressing things, especially comparisons that are not literally true. | |
first person narrationNarration in which the point of view is that of the main character. | |
flashbackThe technique of stopping the chronological action in a story and shifting to an earlier period to introduce additional information. | |
flat characterA character with only one outstanding trait or feature. | |
fluencyThe act of reading easily, smoothly and automatically with a rate appropriate for the text, indicating that students understand meaning. | |
focusThe center of interest or attention; in writing, the central idea. | |
foilA character who provides a contrast to the protagonist. | |
footthe repeating unit of meter. | |
foreshadowingThe 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. | |
formatThe shape, size and general makeup (as of something printed). | |
functional documentsWorks of nonfiction such as "how to" books, technical manuals and instructions. | |
G |
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genreAn established class or category of artistic composition or literature (e.g., poetry, drama or novel). | |
gerundA verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun (e.g., reading is fun). | |
glitteringA propaganda technique in which words have different positive generalities meanings for individual subjects but are linked to highly valued concepts. | |
graphic organizerA method of organization of information which incorporates diagrams or other pictorial devices. | |
H |
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Haikua form of poetry developed in Japan; in English we use three lines, with syllable counts of 5-7-5 or 3-5-3. | |
Heroic coupletsrhymed couplets of iambic pentameter | |
heteronymOne of two (or more) words that have the same spelling, but
different meaning, and sometimes different pronunciation too.
(Heteronyms that are pronounced differently are also heterophones.) Examples:
| |
hexametera six-foot line. | |
high-frequency wordA word that appears many more times than most other words in spoken or written language. | |
homographA word with the same spelling as another word, whether or not pronounced alike Examples:
| |
homonym
A word with different origin and meaning but the same oral or
written form as one or more other words Examples:
| |
homophone
A word with different origin and meaning but the same
pronunciation as another word, whether or not spelled alike Example:
| |
hyperboleA figure of speech which uses a deliberate exaggeration (e.g., I have told you a million times). | |
hypernymA word that has a more general meaning than another Examples:
| ||
hyponymA word that has a more specific meaning than another Examples:
| |
hypothesizeTo make an assertion about something assumed but not positively known. | |
I |
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i.e.Id est (Latin), meaning "that is." | |
iamba two-syllable foot with the stress on the second syllable. The English language is naturally iambic, and Shakespeare used iambs for the speeches of good and noble figures. | |
iambic pentameterfive iambs to a line of ten syllables. Sonnets, rime royal, and heroic couplets all use iambic pentameter. | |
idiomA combination of words that is not strictly in accordance with grammatical rules and often possesses a meaning other than its grammatical or logical one (e.g., an easy test might be described as a piece of cake). | |
imageryWords and phrases that appeal to the readers' senses. | |
implicitTo be assumed but not directly expressed. | |
inferenceA general conclusion drawn from information that is given. | |
inferential questionA question that asks a responder to draw a conclusion. | |
infinitiveA verb that is usually introduced by to. The infinitive may be used as a noun or a modifier. | |
inflectionThe process or result of changing the form of a word to express a syntactic function without changing the word's grammatical class, as run to ran or runs. | |
informational documentsWorks of nonfiction such as transcripts, reports or journals. | |
internal rhymerhymes inside the lines, or a word inside a line that rhymes with a word at the end of a line | |
interrogative sentenceA sentence that asks a question or makes an inquiry. | |
intonationThe rise and fall of a voice pitch. | |
ironyThe recognition of the difference between reality and appearance; includes situational irony in which there is a contrast between what is intended or expected and what actually occurs; verbal irony in which there is a contrast between what is said and what is actually meant; and dramatic irony in which words or actions are understood by the audience but not by characters. | |
irregularAn exception to a linguistic pattern or rule, as good, better, best are exceptions to the usual -er, -est pattern of comparatives and superlatives in English. | |
Italian/Petrarchan Sonneta fourteen-line poem of an octave and a sestet. Abba abba cde cde | |
L |
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languageThe systematic use of sounds, signs and symbols as a method of communication; in writing, the choice of words used to convey meaning. | |
limericka five-line nonsense poem, mostly in anapest, rhyme scheme aabba. Lines one, two, and five have three feet, but lines three and four have only two feet. | |
limited point of viewThe vantage point in which a narrator tells the story in the third person but often confines himself or herself to what is experienced, thought and felt by a single or limited number of characters. | |
literal meaningThe actual meaning of a word or a phrase. | |
literary elementA component of a piece of literature such as plot or setting in a story. | |
M |
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main ideaThe gist of a passage; the central thought; the chief topic of a passage expressed or implied in a word or phrase; the topic sentence of a paragraph; a statement in sentence form which gives the stated or implied major topic of a passage and the specific way in which the passage is limited in content or reference. | |
masculine rhymeArray | |
mediaA means of communication, especially of mass communication, such as books, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, motion pictures and recordings. | |
meronym1. A word that refers to a part of what another word refers
to
Examples:
| |
metaphorA figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things (e.g., he's a tiger). | |
meterthe pattern of rhythm of syllables. | |
metonymA word designates something by the name of something associated
with it Examples:
| |
metronymA name derived from the name of one's mother, or another female
ancestor. From Greek metros (=mother). | |
monologueAn extended speech in a drama or a narrative that is presented by one character. | |
moodThe feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for a reader; a reflection of an author's attitude toward a subject or theme. | |
motivationan inducement or incentive to action; in a story, the psychological or social factors that drive character action | |
N |
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narrativeOne of the four traditional forms of composition in speech and writing that tells a story or gives an account of something, dealing with sequences of events and experiences, though not necessarily in strict order. | |
near rhymeArray | |
nuanceA delicate shade of difference. | |
O |
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omniscient point of viewThe vantage point in which a narrator is removed from the story and knows everything that needs to be known. | |
onomatopoeiaWords whose sound imitates their suggested meaning, (e.g., buzz, boom, hiss, and clang). | |
onsetThe consonants preceding the vowel of a syllable, (e.g., str in strip). | |
open-ended questionA type of question intended to produce a free response rather than a direct or one-word response. | |
oronymA string of words which is homophonic with another string of
words Examples:
| |
overlayA transparent sheet containing additional details, such as a chart or map, that is placed on top of another transparency on an overhead projector during a presentation. | |
P |
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paceThe rate at which something moves; the rate at which a writer moves the action or information; the rate a speaker uses in delivery. | |
parallel structureThe phrasing of language so as to balance (grammatically) ideas of equal importance. Note: Parallelism may apply to phrases, sentences, paragraphs, longer passages or whole selections. | |
parodyA literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule. | |
paronymA word from the same root, and usually a similar pronunciation, as
another; Example:
| |
patronymA name derived from the name of one's father, or another male
ancestor. • From Greek pater (=father). | |
pentametera five-foot line. | |
personaA voice or character representing a speaker or narrator of a literary work. | |
personificationA figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects or ideas (e.g., happy house). | |
persuasiveOne of the four traditional forms of composition in speech and writing that moves the reader by argument or entreaty to a belief or position. | |
persuasive techniqueA method used in speaking or writing to get an audience to agree with | |
phonemeA minimal sound unit of speech that, when contrasted with another phoneme, affects the naming of words in a language, as /b/ in book contrasts with /t/ in took, /k/ in cook and /h/ in hook. | |
phonemic awarenessThe awareness of the sounds (phonemes) that make up spoken words. Such awareness does not appear when young children learn to talk; the ability is not necessary for speaking and understanding spoken language. Phonemic awareness is a necessary step for learning to read. In alphabetic languages, letters and letter clusters represent phonemes, and in order to learn the correspondences between letters and sounds, one must understand that words are made up of phonemes. phonics A way of teaching reading and spelling that stresses symbol-sound relationships; used especially in beginning instruction. | |
pitchThe difference in the relative vibration frequency of the human voice that contributes to the total meaning of speech. | |
plagiarismTo steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own; to use another's production without crediting the source. | |
plotThe careful sequencing of events in a story generally built around a conflict. Stages of plot include exposition (background), rising action, climax, falling action and denouement (resolution). | |
point of viewThe perspective or attitude of a narrator of a piece of literature. Point of view may be:
| |
prefixAn affix attached before a base word or root, as re- in reprint. | |
prewritingThe initial creative stage of writing, prior to drafting, in which a writer formulates ideas, gathers information, and considers ways to organize them. | |
primary sourceFirsthand information, such as an eyewitness account. | |
prior knowledgeKnowing that stems from previous experience. Note: Prior knowledge is a key component of schema theories of reading comprehension in spite of the redundancy inherent in the term. | |
problem-solutionAn organizational structure of text that is similar to cause and effect, except that outcomes are a result or solution of a perceived need or problem. | |
propagandaThe spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person. | |
protagonistThe main character in a story. | |
pseudonymAn assumed name, especially by an author. Examples:
| ||
public documentsNonfiction materials such as newspapers, editorials and speeches. | |
punThe 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). | |
pyrrhic foota two-syllable foot, both syllables unstressed. | |
Q |
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quatraina four-line stanza | |
R |
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reliabilitySuitable or fit to be relied on; trustworthy. | |
resolutionThe point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is resolved. | |
retronymAn adjective-noun pairing generated by a change in the meaning of
the base noun, usually as a result of technological advance Examples:
| |
reversalArray | |
revisionThe stage of the writing process in which one considers and improves the meaning and underlying structure of a written draft. | |
rhetoricalA method used in writing or speaking in which language is used to device influence or persuade an audience. | |
rhymeArray | |
rhyme schemeusing letters to show the arrangement of rhyme, such as ababcdcdefefgg for a sonnet | |
rimeA vowel and any following consonants of a syllable, as /ook/ in book. | |
Rime Royalseven lines of iambic pentameter, rhyme scheme ababbcc. | |
root wordIn a complex word, the meaningful base form after all affixes are removed. Note: A root may be independent or free, as read in unreadable, or may be dependent or bound, as -liter- (from the Greek for letter) in illiterate. | |
round characterA character who is complex and multi-dimensional. | |
rubricAn authoritative set of rules which can be used as a means of evaluation. | |
S |
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satireA literary technique in which ideas, customs, behaviors or institutions are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society. | |
scopeThe extent of an author's treatment of a subject. | |
secondary sourceA source that is reporting on or analyzing information from another source. | |
segmentThe division of words into syllables; the minimal units of sequential syllables speech sounds comprising a vowel sound or a vowel-consonant combination, as /a/, /ba/, /ab/ and /bab/. | |
sensory detailsDetails perceived by sight, hearing, smell or any mode by which one perceives stimuli outside or within the body. | |
sequencingThe arrangement in which things follow in a logical order or a recurrent pattern; a following of one thing after another in time. | |
settingThe time and place of the action of a literary work. | |
Shared Inquiry discussionIn 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. Participants who have not read the selection cannot support their opinions with evidence from the text, nor can they bring knowledge of the text to bear on the opinions of others.2. Discussion is restricted to the selection that everyone has read. This rule gives everyone an equal chance to contribute because it limits discussion to a selection that all participants are familiar with and have before them. When the selection is the sole focus of discussion, it provides a base for all present to judge whether facts are accurately recalled and opinions can be supported by the reading.3. All opinions should be supported with evidence from the selection. Participants may introduce outside opinions only if they can restate those opinions in their own words and support the ideas with evidence from the reading.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 . Leaders help participants and themselves to arrive at an understanding of the text by asking questions that prompt thoughtful inquiry. | |
sidebarSupplementary information that is printed alongside the main text. | |
sight wordA word that is immediately recognized as a whole and does not require word analysis for identification. | |
simileA 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. | |
skim and scanTo examine or read something quickly, but selectively, for a particular purpose. | |
soliloquyA speech, usually given alone on stage, in which a character speaks aloud his or her thoughts. | |
soundthe manipulation of language sounds | |
spondeea two-syllable foot with both syllables stressed. | |
stanzaa part of a poem, based on form of meter and rhyme | |
static characterA character who does not change during a story. | |
stereotypeA 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. | |
stereotypingA standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude or uncritical judgment. | |
stressthe emhasis given to certain syllables in words. | |
styleAn author's distinctive manner of expression. | |
subplotThe secondary action of a story that reinforces or contrasts with the main plot. | |
suffixAn affix attached to the end of a base, root or stem that changes the meaning or grammatical function of a word, as -en added to form oxen. | |
suspenseA state of tension, a sense of uncertainty, an emotional pull which keeps the reader reading. All plots need some suspense to sustain interest. | |
symbolA concrete thing used to suggest something larger and more abstract. | |
synonym
One of two or more words in a language that have similar
meanings Example:
| |
syntaxThe way in which sentences are formed; the grammatical rules that govern their formation; the pattern or structure of word order in sentences, clauses and phrases. | |
synthesizing questionA question that asks a responder to combine separate elements into one concept. | |
T |
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taleA story for children that includes fantastic forces and elements of magic. | |
tautonym1. A word composed of two identical parts Examples:
Examples:
| |
tempoThe rate of speed in which a presentation is given. | |
testimonialA propaganda technique based on quotations or endorsements from famous people, in or out of context, that attempts to connect a famous or respectable person with a product or item. | |
tetrametera four-foot line. | |
text featuresOrganizers of written materials such as indexes, prefaces, appendices, definitional footnotes, sidebars, tables of content, illustrations or photographs. | |
text structureAn author's method of organizing a text (e.g., sequencing, compare and contrast, cause and effect or problem-solution). | |
themeThe 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? 4. The actions or events in the story are used to suggest theme. People naturally express ideas and feelings through their actions. One thing authors think about is what an action will "say". In other words, how will the action express an idea or theme? | |
thesisThe basic argument advanced by a speaker or writer who then attempts to prove it; the subject or major argument of a speech or composition. | |
third person narrationNarration in which the point of view is that of someone outside the story who refers to all characters by name or as "he," "she" and "they." | |
toneThe reflection of an author's attitude toward his or her subject. | |
topicThe general category or class of ideas, often stated in a word or phrase, to which the ideas of a passage as a whole belong. | |
topic sentenceA sentence intended to express the main idea in a paragraph or passage. | |
toponym1. A place name Examples:
2. A word derived from a place name Examples:
| |
transferA persuasive technique in which a product is associated with something attractive or respectable. | |
transitionsWords and phrases that help explain relationships between sentences and allow a reader or writer to move from one idea to another. | |
transitive verbA verb that takes a direct object, as read in Francesca read the book. | |
trimetera three-foot line. | |
trocheeArray | |
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unknown wordsWords that are unfamiliar to a reader in both print and meaning. | |
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validityA truthful or factual condition; a logical argument; the evidence that the inferences drawn from test results are accurate. | |
Venn diagramA mapping technique using overlapping circles showing features either unique or common to two or more concepts. | |
viewpointThe stance or vantage point from which a story is narrated. | |
visual aidAn instructional device, such as a chart, map, diagram, cutaway or overlay, that helps a reader to comprehend information. | |
voiceIn many languages, a syntactic pattern that indicates the verb-subject relationship; the principal voices in English and many other languages are active and passive. | |
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word familiesGroups of words with clear relationships (e.g., specify, specifies, and specification). | |
word orginsorigins The history or etymology of words; the meanings of roots and affixes. | |
word recognitionThe process of determining the pronunciation and some degree of meaning of a word in written or printed form; the quick and easy identification of the form, pronunciation and appropriate meaning of a word previously seen in print or writing. | |
workplace documentsJob-related nonfiction materials such as memoranda, meeting minutes and travel schedules. | |