(YouTube videos might not play at school.)
Point of View
Most stories are narrated from one of the following points of view: First Person, Third Person Limited, Third Person Omniscient.
Can you see the difference in these selections?
Most stories are narrated from one of the following points of view: First Person, Third Person Limited, Third Person Omniscient.
Can you see the difference in these selections?
SAMPLE A
I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman--he looks tough and I don't--but I guess my own looks aren't so bad. I have light-brown, almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes. I wish they were more gray, because I hate most guys that have green eyes, but I have to be content with what I have. My hair is longer than a lot of boys wear theirs, squared off in back and long at the front and sides, but I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut. Besides, I look better with long hair. I had a long walk home and no company, but I usually lone it anyway, for no reason except that I like to watch movies undisturbed so I can get into them and live them with the actors. When I see a movie with someone it's kind of uncomfortable... I'm different that way (Hinton1).
SAMPLE B
Hannah watched silently, trying to take it all in. How could she be both Hannah and Chaya whose parents had died of a mysterious disease? She knew she was Hannah. She knew because she remembered. She remembered her mother and her father and her brother Aaron with his big blue eyes and great smile. She remembered her house with the jungle gym in the back yard and the seventeen stuffed dogs on her bed. She remembered her best friend Rosemary, who’d had braces the year before she did and had showed her how to eat jelly beans with them on, even though you weren’t supposed to. She remembered her school in New Rochelle. As she remembered, she forgot to be a good sport and her eyes began to fill with tears (Yolen 26).
Characterization
Characterization is HOW an author shows us what a person is like.
Authors use direct characterization when they come right out and tell us about a particular character.
Example: "If I had to pick the real character of the group it would be Dallas Winston -- Dally. He had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a
pointed chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. Dally had spent three years on the wild side of New York and had
been arrested at the age of ten (Hinton 10).
Authors use indirect characterization when they allow a character's actions to SHOW us what a character is like.
I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman--he looks tough and I don't--but I guess my own looks aren't so bad. I have light-brown, almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes. I wish they were more gray, because I hate most guys that have green eyes, but I have to be content with what I have. My hair is longer than a lot of boys wear theirs, squared off in back and long at the front and sides, but I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut. Besides, I look better with long hair. I had a long walk home and no company, but I usually lone it anyway, for no reason except that I like to watch movies undisturbed so I can get into them and live them with the actors. When I see a movie with someone it's kind of uncomfortable... I'm different that way (Hinton1).
SAMPLE B
Hannah watched silently, trying to take it all in. How could she be both Hannah and Chaya whose parents had died of a mysterious disease? She knew she was Hannah. She knew because she remembered. She remembered her mother and her father and her brother Aaron with his big blue eyes and great smile. She remembered her house with the jungle gym in the back yard and the seventeen stuffed dogs on her bed. She remembered her best friend Rosemary, who’d had braces the year before she did and had showed her how to eat jelly beans with them on, even though you weren’t supposed to. She remembered her school in New Rochelle. As she remembered, she forgot to be a good sport and her eyes began to fill with tears (Yolen 26).
Characterization
Characterization is HOW an author shows us what a person is like.
Authors use direct characterization when they come right out and tell us about a particular character.
Example: "If I had to pick the real character of the group it would be Dallas Winston -- Dally. He had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a
pointed chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. Dally had spent three years on the wild side of New York and had
been arrested at the age of ten (Hinton 10).
Authors use indirect characterization when they allow a character's actions to SHOW us what a character is like.
Figurative Language
(Check out this short video explaining each of these figures of speech.)
(Didn't like that one? This one is way better!)
(Check out this short video explaining each of these figures of speech.)
(Didn't like that one? This one is way better!)
Similes compare two things using the words like, as, and than.
Metaphors also compare two things, but they don't use like, as, and than like similes do. They make more direct comparisons. Metaphors Video
Simile and Metaphor Video
Personification is a human element put into something not human. When we use personification we make something like a PERSON. Personification Video
Hyperbole is exaggeration used to show emotion. Hyperbole Video
**Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words right next to each other. My mother, Mary, is mean. or Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
**Imagery is descriptive writing that appeals to our sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste, or sight. Here are some poems with excellent imagery.
Here's a YouTube video about Alliteration, Personification, Onomatopoeia, and Hyperbole.
Here's a copy of our reference sheet from class.
**Note: Our sheet only reviews 4 types of figures of speech, but any of the above 7 are fair game for the exam!
Metaphors also compare two things, but they don't use like, as, and than like similes do. They make more direct comparisons. Metaphors Video
Simile and Metaphor Video
Personification is a human element put into something not human. When we use personification we make something like a PERSON. Personification Video
Hyperbole is exaggeration used to show emotion. Hyperbole Video
**Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words right next to each other. My mother, Mary, is mean. or Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
**Imagery is descriptive writing that appeals to our sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste, or sight. Here are some poems with excellent imagery.
Here's a YouTube video about Alliteration, Personification, Onomatopoeia, and Hyperbole.
Here's a copy of our reference sheet from class.
**Note: Our sheet only reviews 4 types of figures of speech, but any of the above 7 are fair game for the exam!
Identifying Genre Elements
Genre: Nonfiction
Compare/Contrast: Compare and contrast writing identifies similarities (compare) and differences (contrast) between things.
Informational: Informational writing attempts to provide information to the reader. New terms, statistics, and factual references are common.
Cause/Effect: A cause and effect piece makes a connection between an event/action and its results. Since A happened, B resulted.
Argumentative: You've written these in class! (Claim, counterargument, rebuttal)
Common Elements of nonfiction writing:
What is a thesis statement?
The thesis is a statement of what the writer will be proving in the paper.
Where does it belong?
The thesis statement belongs near the beginning of the piece. It can often be found in introductory paragraphs.
What is its purpose?
The purpose of a thesis statement is to clearly state the writer's purpose.
What are supporting details?
Supporting details are facts and examples that prove help prove the thesis.
Genre: Fiction What is it?
Historical Fiction: The Devil's Arithmetic?
Science Fiction: The Game?
Realistic Fiction: The Outsiders and Touching Spirit Bear?
Genre: Nonfiction
Compare/Contrast: Compare and contrast writing identifies similarities (compare) and differences (contrast) between things.
Informational: Informational writing attempts to provide information to the reader. New terms, statistics, and factual references are common.
Cause/Effect: A cause and effect piece makes a connection between an event/action and its results. Since A happened, B resulted.
Argumentative: You've written these in class! (Claim, counterargument, rebuttal)
Common Elements of nonfiction writing:
What is a thesis statement?
The thesis is a statement of what the writer will be proving in the paper.
Where does it belong?
The thesis statement belongs near the beginning of the piece. It can often be found in introductory paragraphs.
What is its purpose?
The purpose of a thesis statement is to clearly state the writer's purpose.
What are supporting details?
Supporting details are facts and examples that prove help prove the thesis.
Genre: Fiction What is it?
Historical Fiction: The Devil's Arithmetic?
Science Fiction: The Game?
Realistic Fiction: The Outsiders and Touching Spirit Bear?
Plot Elements
(This song explains some of the elements)
(You can check out the elements applied to Cinderella here.)
(Ok, one more...are you tired of your English teacher? Maybe a new one will help.)
Here's a quiz that may help.
A "plot" is the set of events that makes a story. Plot elements include the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Touching Spirit Bear Plot Elements Sheet
The Game Plot Elements Sheet
***Be sure to know the types of conflicts!
What is the difference between an internal and an external conflict?
Touching Spirit Bear Plot Elements Sheet
The Game Plot Elements Sheet
***Be sure to know the types of conflicts!
What is the difference between an internal and an external conflict?
Sequencing?
Pay attention to the sequence of events when reading a story. What happened first? THEN what took place. AFTER THAT, what resulted? What was the reaction LATER? Then, after, later, soon are common terms used to clarify the sequence of events in a text.
Review the sequence words list list from class.
Pay attention to the sequence of events when reading a story. What happened first? THEN what took place. AFTER THAT, what resulted? What was the reaction LATER? Then, after, later, soon are common terms used to clarify the sequence of events in a text.
Review the sequence words list list from class.
Grammar Topics
Prefixes and Suffixes
We have practiced identifying possible meanings of vocabulary words in context all year. This list of common prefixes and suffixes will be helpful.
Pronouns
You will not be asked to fill out the pronoun chart again until next year. However, you do need to be able to identify proper pronoun agreement. For example, when you read, can you identify who the HE, SHE, THEY, and IT is referring to? This might be good practice for you.
Punctuating Quotations
Here is a useful resource that should remind you of our rules. Here is a good quiz on punctuating quotations. And here is a short quiz.
Dashes
This punctuation mark looks like --. It is different from a hyphen. Typically, a dash is used to create a dramatic pause in the text or to show a break in the thought. Here's a good reference for dashes. (You can read it or listen to the audio.) Here are some examples from the novel:
1) (In the hospital)
"They treating you okay, kid?"
"Don't..." Johnny gasped-- "don't let me put enough grease in my hair." (dramatic pause)
2) (After entering her new world and being called by the name CHAYA)
It felt-- and it did not feel-- like hers. (emotional sentence interruption)
3) (Exploring the DA for the first time)
He slammed eight glasses down and demanded enough credits to keep us in protein spread for a week.
"But that's --"
"Pay him, Brad." (speaker gets cut off)
Verbals
Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives look like verbs, but act like other parts of speech. Here is a copy of our reference sheet from class. You can also take a short quiz on verbals. Here's some practice just on gerund phrases. Here's some practice just on participle phrases.
Here's a PREZI about verbals.
Vocabulary in Context
And finally, all reading tests will test your ability to use context clues to determine the meanings of words. Here's an online practice for that skill too! Good luck!
Prefixes and Suffixes
We have practiced identifying possible meanings of vocabulary words in context all year. This list of common prefixes and suffixes will be helpful.
Pronouns
You will not be asked to fill out the pronoun chart again until next year. However, you do need to be able to identify proper pronoun agreement. For example, when you read, can you identify who the HE, SHE, THEY, and IT is referring to? This might be good practice for you.
Punctuating Quotations
Here is a useful resource that should remind you of our rules. Here is a good quiz on punctuating quotations. And here is a short quiz.
Dashes
This punctuation mark looks like --. It is different from a hyphen. Typically, a dash is used to create a dramatic pause in the text or to show a break in the thought. Here's a good reference for dashes. (You can read it or listen to the audio.) Here are some examples from the novel:
1) (In the hospital)
"They treating you okay, kid?"
"Don't..." Johnny gasped-- "don't let me put enough grease in my hair." (dramatic pause)
2) (After entering her new world and being called by the name CHAYA)
It felt-- and it did not feel-- like hers. (emotional sentence interruption)
3) (Exploring the DA for the first time)
He slammed eight glasses down and demanded enough credits to keep us in protein spread for a week.
"But that's --"
"Pay him, Brad." (speaker gets cut off)
Verbals
Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives look like verbs, but act like other parts of speech. Here is a copy of our reference sheet from class. You can also take a short quiz on verbals. Here's some practice just on gerund phrases. Here's some practice just on participle phrases.
Here's a PREZI about verbals.
Vocabulary in Context
And finally, all reading tests will test your ability to use context clues to determine the meanings of words. Here's an online practice for that skill too! Good luck!