CREATED BY: STEPHANIE SUTHERLANDENGLISH I INSTRUCTOR
CADDO MILLS HIGH SCHOOL
English Vocabulary for EOC Released Questions
Characteristic
A feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify it.
Characteristics may be physical or may describe the object's nature
Generosity is his chief characteristic.
Convey
To make an idea known or understandable to someone
On the EOC, you will see questions that ask: “What message does the author convey in the passage?”
“How does the author convey to the reader that. . . .”
This is shown by. . .
You are able to understand this by. . .
Dialogue
Conversation between characters in a literary work. Dialogue can contribute to characterization, create mood, advance the plot, and develop theme.
Evidence
Support for a claim or argument. Evidence comes from the original text in order to prove or back up the statement.
On the EOC, you will see questions that ask you to, “Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.”
This is supported by: . . .
For example, . . .
“_________” is evidence that . . .
Cited
To quote (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work
When using text evidence, you are citing the passage.
Narrative
Writing or speech that tells a story.
The story is told by a narrator and can take the form of a novel, an essay, a poem, or a short story.
Melodrama (Melodramatic)
Exaggerated, sensationalized, or overemotional texts.
Often appeal to emotions or express dramatic emotions.
The man and woman are both being melodramatic.
Persuasive
A type of speech or writing, usually nonfiction, that attempts to convince an audience to think or act in a particular way.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that compares or equates two seemingly unlike things. In contrast to a simile, a metaphor implies the comparison instead of stating it directly.
There is no use of connectives such as “like” or “as.”
The simplest form of metaphor is: "The [first thing] is a [second thing]."
Life is a winding road.
Excerpt
An excerpt is a passage or segment taken from a text. The length of an excerpt may be a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire chapter.
Below is a short excerpt from the preamble.
Plot
The sequence of events in a story, play, or narrative poem.
Revolves around a central conflict, faced by the main characters.
Point of View
The standpoint, or perspective, from which a story is told.
All stories are told by a narrator, and who that narrator is affects the point of view.
First-Person: The narrator is a character in the story and refers to as “I.”
Third-Person: The narrator is someone who stands outside the story and refers to characters as “he” or she.”
Protagonist/Antagonist
Protagonist – The central character in a narrative literary work, around whom the main conflict revolves.
Generally, the reader or audience is meant to sympathize with the protagonist who usually changes after the climax of the story.
Antagonist – A person or force in society or nature that opposes the protagonist.
Generally, the reader is meant NOT to sympathize with the antagonist
Simile
A figure of speech that uses “like” or “as” to compare two seemingly unlike things.
Smart as an owl.
Swim like a fish.
Cool as a cucumbe
r.
Quiet like a mous
e.
Solid as a rock.
Symbolic Imagery
Any object, person, place, or experience that exists on a literal level but is also intended to symbolize something else, usually something abstract.
In O. Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi,” Della’s hair is the symbol of her beauty.
Character Foil
When a character is portrayed as opposite of another character in a particular way.
By putting the two characters next to each other, the different characteristic is emphasized.
InIn Shrek, the donkey and Shrek are two very different types of characters.
Tone
An author’s attitude toward his or her subject matter.
Tone is conveyed through elements of style, including word choice.
A writer’s tone may convey a variety of attitudes, such as sympathy or humor.
Margaret Atwood employs an ironic tone in “Waiting.”
Achieve
Verb
To get or attain by effort
To gain
To obtain
If you study and practice, you will achieve success on your EOC.
Containing
Verb
To restrain or keep within limits
To hold or have within
A jar containing cookies sits on my grandmother’s counter.
Amid
Preposition
In or into the middle of
Synonyms: surrounded by, through, between
Antonyms: from, out of
It was hard to hear amid all the cheering.
Cautionary
Adjective
Warning or admonishment
Synonyms: warning, advisory, counseling
“Little Red Riding Hood” is a cautionary tale reminding children to listen to their parents.
Emphasize (Emphasis)
Verb
To place stress on or to show as important
Synonyms: accent, illuminate, feature, press
Antonyms: play down, de-emphasize
The teacher emphasized the importance of doing well on the EOC.
Conflicting Opinions
Noun
Two or more points of view in opposition to one another.
If one conflicting opinion is true, the other can note be true.
The students had conflicting opinions about whether chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream.
Eager
Adjective
Marked by enthusiastic desire or interest; impatient excitement
Synonyms: excited, impatient, antsy
Antonyms: hesitant, reluctant, unenthusiastic
He was eager for Friday to come.
Displaying
Verb
To make evident or to show
Synonyms: expose, produce, lay out
Antonyms: hide, cover, conceal, camouflage
The characters were displaying a number of emotions.
Enhance
Verb
To increase or improve in value, quality, or attractiveness
Synonyms: improve, help, upgrade
Antonym: worsen
The image enhanced the students’ understanding of the passage.
Ideal
Adjective
Being characteristically without flaw, usually only existing in theory or imagination.
Synonyms: visionary, perfected, unsurpassed
Antonyms: faulty, defective
It was an ideal spot for vacation.
Evoke
Verb
to bring to mind or recollection
Synonym: elicit, raise
His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.
Imply
Verb
To express, suggest, or show something without stating it directly
Synonyms: conclude, deduce, reason, gather
My dad’s gruff manner implied he was in a foul mood.
Phony
Adjective
Not genuine, intended to deceive or mislead.
Synonyms: false, counterfeit, bogus
Antonyms: authentic, genuine, real
He tried to pay with phony money.
Optimistic
Adjective
Characterized by an inclination to expect the best possible outcome
Synonyms: idealistic, hopeful
Antonyms: despairing, hopeless, pessimistic
An optimistic person would say this glass is half full.
Intended
Adjective
Expected to be such in the future
Synonyms: deliberate, intentional, purposeful
Antonym: unintentional
Stephenie Meyer intended for teens to read her books.
Obtaining
Verb
to gain or attain usually by planned action or effort
Synonyms: acquire, come by, get
The information may be challenging to obtain.
Pessimistic
Adjective
Characterized by an inclination to expect the worst possible outcome
Synonyms: defeatist, downbeat, hopeless
Antonyms: hopeful, optimistic, upbeat
A pessimistic person would say this glass is half empty.
Indicate
Verb
To point something out or to present evidence
Synonyms: denote, point to, tell of
The map indicates where the treasure is buried.
Primarily
Adverb
For the most part, in the first place.
Synonyms: firstly, initially, originally, mainly
Ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes.
Rational
Adjective
Having reason or understanding
Synonyms: reasonable, reasoning, thinking
Antonyms: irrational, unreasonable
There was a rational reason for the creaking sound in the house. The dog was walking up the squeaky stairs.
Reveal
Verb
To make something (secret or hidden) publically or generally known.
Synonyms: disclose, uncover, tell, expose
Antonyms: cover up, hide, conceal
The expression on her face revealed how she felt.
Upheaval
Noun
Extreme agitation or disorder, radical change
Synonyms: convulsion, uproar, uproot
The civil rights movement marked a period of social upheaval in the U.S.
Suggests
Verb
To mention or imply as a possibility, to call to mind by thought or association
Synonyms: hint, insinuate, indicate
Your teacher suggests you study for the EOC.
Assumption
Noun
A belief or statement taken for granted without actual proof
Synonyms: hypothesis, assuming, belief
Antonyms: doubt, unexpected
We made an assumption that the candy was for us; actually, it was for a party for the teachers.
Tendency
Noun
A proneness to a particular kind of thought or action
Synonym: trend
Grace has a tendency to drop things.
Various
Adjective
Of differing kinds, having a number of different aspects or characteristics
Synonyms: varied, different
Antonyms: one of a kind, unique, singular
He has lived in places as various as New York City and Caddo Mills.