Terms to know for CAHSEE

Mrs. Lucidi

Figurative Language

Describes something through the use of unusual comparisons. Creates a picture in the reader’s mind.

Types of figurative language:-Imagery -Simile-Metaphor -Personification-Idiom

Examples of Figurative Language

*The intense sun made the sidewalk so hot that you could’ve fried an egg on it.

*Peter’s love for his wife is like fire that cannot be extinguished.

Idiom

An expression that means something different than the literal meaning of the words.

Examples of Idioms

*Jack bit off more than he can chew.

*She got up on the wrong side of the bed.

*You don’t have to jump down my throat.

Simile

A comparison between two things using “like” or “as”

A simile is a type of analogy

Examples of Similies

*He eats like a pig.

*Tonya is crying like a baby.

*George runs as fast as a cheetah.

Metaphor

A comparison that shows how two unlike things are similar. Metaphors state that something is something else.

Metaphors are a type of analogy.

Examples of Metaphors

*Her eyes were diamonds sparkling in the darkness of night.

*Diana was such a mule. We couldn’t get her to change her mind.

Analogy

An analogy is a comparison between two things. Similes and metaphors are types of analogies.

Examples of Analogies

*Any simile or metaphor is an analogy.(Joe’s anger took over his body like a wildfire takes over dry grass).

*A hand is to an arm as a foot is to a legHand : arm :: foot : leg

SynonymWords that have the samesame meaning.

Examples of Synonyms

Delicious / Yummy Tired / Sleepy

Antonym

Words that have the oppositeopposite meaning.

Examples of Antonyms

Hot / Cold Fast / Slow

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word. The dictionary definition.

Example of Denotation

Embark: To set out on a journey

Repel: To ward off or keep away

Connotation

The emotional impression that a word conveys.

Examples of Connotation

Chef / CookBoth words mean the same thing in a dictionary,

but we think of a chef as being much more fancy and skilled than a cook.

Woman / ChickBoth words mean a grown-up woman, but most

females find chick to be degrading.

Synthesize

To combine or connect ideas from what you are reading with other information that you already know.

Examples of Synthesizing

“It was a ghastly night, lightning ripped the sky, and winds tore through tree limbs.”

You could synthesize this information by thinking:

-It probably isn’t a good night to be outside.-The mood being established is very close to

how other scary stories start out.

Paraphrase

Putting what you read into your own words.

Examples of paraphrasing

“It was a ghastly night, lightning ripped the sky, and winds tore through tree limbs.”

Paraphrase: That night, there was a terrible storm.

Primary Source

An information source that has had direct participation with the subject. Provides first-hand information.

Examples of Primary Sources

*A person’s diary

*An autobiography

*A letter written by a person

Secondary Source

Provides second-hand information.

Examples of Secondary Sources

*A biography about someone from history

*A non-fiction article about a topic

Analyze

Breaking down the information in a source to examine the individual ideas

Examples of Analyzing

*You can analyze an author’s use of foreshadowing in a story.

*You can analyze the interactionbetween two characters in a story.

Evaluate

Making a judgment about the ideas in a source.

Examples of Evaluating

*You can evaluate the credibilityof a website.

*You can evaluate the sincerity of an author’s words.

Examples of Protagonists

Ralph in Lord of the Flies

Maggie in “Everyday Use”

Antagonist

The character who works against the protagonist

Examples of Antagonists

Jack in Lord of the Flies

Dee in “Everyday Use”

Comedy

A story that is funny

Examples of Comedies

The Simpsons (cartoon)

(Any funny movie)

Tragedy

A story with a sad ending (usually involves death)

Protagonist

The main character in a story

Examples of Tragedies

Romeo & Juliet

Of Mice & Men

Plot

The events that happen in a story

Examples of Plot

1. Boys get stranded on an island2. Ralph is elected as leader3. Boys start to pick on Piggy4. Jack starts his own tribe

Internal Conflict

A character is making a decision: Should I _____ or should I _____

Examples of Internal Conflict

Tina can’t decide which pair of shoes to wear.

Bob has to decide if he wants to ask Margaret or Sarah to the dance.

External Conflict

A character is fighting against something else-Man vs Man-Man vs Nature-Man vs Society

Examples of External Conflict

Tom is attacked by a mountain lion and has to fight for his life.

Kyle punches Rick.

Theme

The lesson a reader should learn from reading a story

Examples of Theme

Always tell the truth

Do what you love, not what you like.

Mood

The way a story makes you feel

Examples of Mood

Happy

Sad

Scared

Flashback

Going back in time to tell about an event that has already happened

Foreshadowing

Hints about what will happen later in the story

Personification

Giving human characteristics to non-human objects

Examples of Personification

The trees were waving in the wind.

The waves clapped against the rock.

Symbol

Something that stands for something beyond itself.

Examples of Symbols

A heart is symbolic of love.

The flag is symbolic of freedom.

Allegory

A story that serves as an extended metaphor. The characters have both literal and figurative meanings.

Examples of Allegory

Animal Farm tells the story of animals who live on a farm (literal) but they represent the communist events in Russia (figurative).

Lord of the Flies tells the story of boys trying to survive on an island (literal) but each character represents something else (figurative).

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell)

Examples of Imagery

The icy water crashed against the rocks and sprayed watereverywhere.

The field was a rainbowof colorful flowers.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same (or similar) consonant sounds in words that are close together.

Examples of Alliteration

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore.

Ambiguity

An uncertainty about the intention or meaning of something

Examples of Ambiguity

“I promise I’ll give you a ring tomorrow.”(Do they mean they will give you a piece of

jewelry, or call you on the telephone?)

“Prostitute Appeals to Judge”(Do they mean that the prostitute asked the

judge to dismiss the case, or that the judge found the prostitute attractive?)

Verbal Irony

(Being sarcastic)When you say one thing, but mean something

different

Examples of Verbal Irony

Ralph and John are playing basketball. John has missed every shot. Ralph says, “Wow! I can’t believe I’m playing basketball with the next Michael Jordan!”

Situational Irony

When you expect one thing to happen, but something completely different happens.

Examples of Situational Irony

A police station gets robbed.

Dramatic Irony

When the reader knows something that a character in the story does not know.

Examples of Dramatic IronyWe know that Juliet drank poison and will wake

up soon, but Romeo thinks she is dead.

First Person Point of View

“I” narration

Examples of 1st Person POV

I fell asleep.

I cooked breakfast.

Third Person Limited Point of View

We only know the thoughts and feelings of one character.

Examples of 3rd Person Limited POV

Jack rode his bicycle in the race. He won first place, but he was extremely tired.

Third Person Omniscient Point of View

The “all knowing” narrator. We know the thoughts and feelings of several different characters.

Examples of 3rd Person Omniscient POV

Derek, Steve, and Collin went hiking. Derek started to get tired after only a few minutes. Collin urged him to keep going, as he was in great shape. Steve forgot his sunscreen and was sunburned in less than an hour.