A audience: the particular group of readers or viewers that the writer is addressing. A writer considers his or her audience when deciding on a subject, a purpose for writing and the tone and style in which to write.
author’s purpose: an author’s purpose is his or her reason for creating a particular work. The purpose can be to entertain, explain or inform, express an opinion, or to persuade.
Ccause and effect: two events are related as cause and effect when one event brings about or causes the other. The event that happens first is the cause; the one that follows is the effect.character: a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood.
Terms Associated with Characterization:
1. antagonist (an-TAG-uh-nist): a character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character, or protagonist, in some way. The antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. It could be death, the devil, an illness, or any challenge that prevents the main character from living “happily ever after."
2. caricature: a picture or imitation of a person’s habits, physical appearance or mannerisms exaggerated in a comic or absurd way.
4. hero/heroine: a character whose actions are inspiring or noble; often the main character in a story.
5. main characters: the characters who are central to the plot of a story; main characters are usually dynamic and round.
6. minor characters: a less important character who interacts with the main characters, helping to move the plot along and providing background for the story. Minor characters are usually static and flat.
7. novel, play, story, or poem. He or she may also be referred to as the "hero" of a work.
characterization: all of the techniques that writers use to create characters.
Terms Associated with Characterization:
1. character trait: a character’s personality; a trait is not a physical description of a character.
2. direct characterization: the author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a character’s nature.
3. dynamic character: a character who changes throughout the course of the story.
4. flat character: a character about whom little information is provided.
5. indirect characterization: the author does not directly state a character’s traits; instead the reader draws conclusions and discovers a character’s traits based upon clues provided by the author.
6. round character: is a character who is fully described by the author (several character traits, background information, etc.)
7. static character: a character who does not change or who changes very little in the course of a story.
chronological order: the order in which events happen in time.
clarifying: the reader’s process of pausing occasionally while reading to quickly review what he or she understands. By clarifying as they read, good readers are able to draw conclusions about what is suggested but not stated directly.
comparison: the process of identifying similarities.
conflict: the tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces.
Terms Associated With Conflict:
1. central conflict: the dominant or most important conflict in the story.
2. external conflict: the problem or struggle that exists between the main character and an outside force. (ex: person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. nature, person vs. the supernatural, person vs. technology, etc.)
3. internal conflict: the problem or struggle that takes place in the main character’s mind (person vs. self).
connecting: a reader’s process of relating the content of a literary work to his or her own knowledge and experience.
context clues: hints or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases and clarify their meaning.
contrast: the process of pointing out differences between things.
Ddialogue (di-UH-log): The conversation between characters in a drama or narrative. A dialogue occurs in most works of literature.
drawing conclusions: combining several pieces of information to make an inference is called drawing a conclusion.
Ffact and opinion: a fact is a statement that can be proved. An opinion, in contrast, is a statement that reflects the writer’s or speaker’s belief, but which cannot be supported by proof or evidence.
flashback: an interruption of the chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence. A flashback is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration.
foreshadowing: when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict future event in a story.
Iimagery: the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses. Writers use sensory details to help readers imagine how things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.
inference: is a logical guess based on evidence based on evidence in the text.
irony (i-RAH-nee): a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens. Irony spices up a literary work by adding unexpected twists and allowing the reader to become more involved with the characters and plot.
There are many types of irony, including:
Mmain idea: the most important point that a writer wishes to express.
mood: a mood or atmosphere is the feeling that a literary work conveys to readers. Mood is created through the use of plot, character, the author’s descriptions, etc.
moral: a lesson that a story teaches. A moral is often stated directly at the end of a fable.
motivation: the reason why a character acts, feels or thinks in a certain way.
Nnarrative (na-RAH-tiv): any writing that tells a story. Most novels and short stories are placed into the categories of first-person and third-person narratives, which are based on who is telling the story and from what perspective.
narrator: one who tells a story; the speaker or the “voice” of an oral or written work. The narrator is not usually the same person as the author. The narrator is the direct window into a piece of work. Who the author chooses to narrate establishes the point of view in the story.
P parallelism: the use of similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that are related or equal in importance. For example: The sun rises. The sun sets.
paraphrasing: the restatement of a text by readers in their own words or in another form.
persuasion: persuasive writing is meant to sway readers’ feelings, beliefs, or actions. Persuasion normally appeals to both the mind and the emotions of readers.
plot: the sequence of related events that make up a story.
Terms Associated with Plot
1. exposition: introduces the characters and the conflicts they face.
2. inciting incident: occurs after the exposition and introduces the central conflict within the story.
3. rising action: following the introduction of the central conflict; complications arise as the characters struggle with the conflict.
4. climax: the turning point, point of maximum interest, and highest tension in the plot of a story, play, or film. The climax usually occurs towards the end of story after the reader has understood the conflict and become emotionally involved with the characters. At the climax, the conflict is resolved, and the outcome of the plot becomes clear.
5. falling action: the end of the central conflict in a story, when the action starts to wind down.
6. resolution or denouement: occurs after the climax and is where conflicts are resolved and loose ends are tied up.
7. subplot: an additional minor plot that involves a secondary conflict in the story; the subplot may or may not affect the main plot.
point of view: perspective from which a story is told. Understanding the point of view used in a work is critical to understanding literature; it serves as the instrument to relay the events of a story, and in some instances the feelings and motives of the character(s).
Terms Associated with Point of View:
1. first person point of view: the person telling the story is one of the characters in the story. It is the “I” point of view. It is the most limited among the types because the narrator can only state what he or she sees, feels, and hears. He or she cannot go into the minds of the other characters.
2. second person point of view: refers to the use of “you” in explanations or arguments. It is not frequently used, but is appropriate in certain circumstances. Most second person points of view occur within instructions that are meant to be followed.
3. third person limited or third person objective: the person telling the story is not one of the characters in the story. He or she is an outside observer. The reader can only know what one character learns through interaction with other characters or through overheard conversations. The narrator cannot supply the thoughts or feelings of other characters in the story.
4. third person omniscient: the narrator is not a character in the story, but the events in the story are seen through the eyes of more than one of the characters. The narrator is considered to be “all knowing” and cannot only see and hear everything that is happening to all characters in the story, but can also enter their minds and tell the reader what each is thinking and feeling. This is the least limited point of view because the narrator has knowledge of all the characters.
predicting: the process of gathering information and combining it with the reader’s own knowledge to guess what might occur in the story.
primary source: a first hand account of an event; primary sources include: diaries, journals, letters, speeches, news stories, photographs, and pieces of art.
protagonist (pro-TAG-eh-nist) see character
Qquestioning: the process of raising questions while reading in an effort to understand characters and events.
Ssarcasm: the use of praise to mock someone or something; the use of mockery or verbal irony
scanning: the process of searching through writing for a particular fact or piece of information.
sequence: the order in which events occur or in which ideas are presented.
setting (set-ting): the time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a story occurs. Settings include the background, atmosphere or environment in which characters live and move, and usually include physical characteristics of the surroundings.
Settings enables the reader to better envision how a story unfolds by relating necessary physical details of a piece of literature.
style: how a writer says something; many elements contribute to style, including word choice, sentence length, tone and figurative language
summarizing: the process of briefly recounting the main ideas of a piece of writing in a person’s own words, while omitting unimportant details.
symbolism: using something specific to stand for something else, especially an idea. A symbol is a person, place, object or action that for something beyond itself. For example, a dove may represent peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot.
Ttheme: a common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work. A theme is a thought or idea the author presents to the reader about life or human nature. Generally, a theme has to be extracted as the reader explores the passages of a work. The author utilizes the characters, plot, and other literary devices to assist the reader in this endeavor. The author often intertwines the theme throughout the work, and the full impact is slowly realized as the reader processes the text. The ability to recognize a theme is important because it allows the reader to understand part of the author’s purpose in writing the book.
tone: the writer’s attitude or feeling about his or her subject.
Uunderstatement: a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said; the opposite of hyperbole. Understatement is usually used for a humorous effect.Vvoice: an author or narrator’s distinctive style or manner of expression. Voice can reveal much about the author or narrator’s personality.
http://www.wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us/glt.htm#_M
author’s purpose: an author’s purpose is his or her reason for creating a particular work. The purpose can be to entertain, explain or inform, express an opinion, or to persuade.
Ccause and effect: two events are related as cause and effect when one event brings about or causes the other. The event that happens first is the cause; the one that follows is the effect.character: a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood.
Terms Associated with Characterization:
1. antagonist (an-TAG-uh-nist): a character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character, or protagonist, in some way. The antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. It could be death, the devil, an illness, or any challenge that prevents the main character from living “happily ever after."
2. caricature: a picture or imitation of a person’s habits, physical appearance or mannerisms exaggerated in a comic or absurd way.
4. hero/heroine: a character whose actions are inspiring or noble; often the main character in a story.
5. main characters: the characters who are central to the plot of a story; main characters are usually dynamic and round.
6. minor characters: a less important character who interacts with the main characters, helping to move the plot along and providing background for the story. Minor characters are usually static and flat.
7. novel, play, story, or poem. He or she may also be referred to as the "hero" of a work.
characterization: all of the techniques that writers use to create characters.
Terms Associated with Characterization:
1. character trait: a character’s personality; a trait is not a physical description of a character.
2. direct characterization: the author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a character’s nature.
3. dynamic character: a character who changes throughout the course of the story.
4. flat character: a character about whom little information is provided.
5. indirect characterization: the author does not directly state a character’s traits; instead the reader draws conclusions and discovers a character’s traits based upon clues provided by the author.
6. round character: is a character who is fully described by the author (several character traits, background information, etc.)
7. static character: a character who does not change or who changes very little in the course of a story.
chronological order: the order in which events happen in time.
clarifying: the reader’s process of pausing occasionally while reading to quickly review what he or she understands. By clarifying as they read, good readers are able to draw conclusions about what is suggested but not stated directly.
comparison: the process of identifying similarities.
conflict: the tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces.
Terms Associated With Conflict:
1. central conflict: the dominant or most important conflict in the story.
2. external conflict: the problem or struggle that exists between the main character and an outside force. (ex: person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. nature, person vs. the supernatural, person vs. technology, etc.)
3. internal conflict: the problem or struggle that takes place in the main character’s mind (person vs. self).
connecting: a reader’s process of relating the content of a literary work to his or her own knowledge and experience.
context clues: hints or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases and clarify their meaning.
contrast: the process of pointing out differences between things.
Ddialogue (di-UH-log): The conversation between characters in a drama or narrative. A dialogue occurs in most works of literature.
drawing conclusions: combining several pieces of information to make an inference is called drawing a conclusion.
Ffact and opinion: a fact is a statement that can be proved. An opinion, in contrast, is a statement that reflects the writer’s or speaker’s belief, but which cannot be supported by proof or evidence.
flashback: an interruption of the chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence. A flashback is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration.
foreshadowing: when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict future event in a story.
Iimagery: the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses. Writers use sensory details to help readers imagine how things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.
inference: is a logical guess based on evidence based on evidence in the text.
irony (i-RAH-nee): a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens. Irony spices up a literary work by adding unexpected twists and allowing the reader to become more involved with the characters and plot.
There are many types of irony, including:
Mmain idea: the most important point that a writer wishes to express.
mood: a mood or atmosphere is the feeling that a literary work conveys to readers. Mood is created through the use of plot, character, the author’s descriptions, etc.
moral: a lesson that a story teaches. A moral is often stated directly at the end of a fable.
motivation: the reason why a character acts, feels or thinks in a certain way.
Nnarrative (na-RAH-tiv): any writing that tells a story. Most novels and short stories are placed into the categories of first-person and third-person narratives, which are based on who is telling the story and from what perspective.
narrator: one who tells a story; the speaker or the “voice” of an oral or written work. The narrator is not usually the same person as the author. The narrator is the direct window into a piece of work. Who the author chooses to narrate establishes the point of view in the story.
P parallelism: the use of similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that are related or equal in importance. For example: The sun rises. The sun sets.
paraphrasing: the restatement of a text by readers in their own words or in another form.
persuasion: persuasive writing is meant to sway readers’ feelings, beliefs, or actions. Persuasion normally appeals to both the mind and the emotions of readers.
plot: the sequence of related events that make up a story.
Terms Associated with Plot
1. exposition: introduces the characters and the conflicts they face.
2. inciting incident: occurs after the exposition and introduces the central conflict within the story.
3. rising action: following the introduction of the central conflict; complications arise as the characters struggle with the conflict.
4. climax: the turning point, point of maximum interest, and highest tension in the plot of a story, play, or film. The climax usually occurs towards the end of story after the reader has understood the conflict and become emotionally involved with the characters. At the climax, the conflict is resolved, and the outcome of the plot becomes clear.
5. falling action: the end of the central conflict in a story, when the action starts to wind down.
6. resolution or denouement: occurs after the climax and is where conflicts are resolved and loose ends are tied up.
7. subplot: an additional minor plot that involves a secondary conflict in the story; the subplot may or may not affect the main plot.
point of view: perspective from which a story is told. Understanding the point of view used in a work is critical to understanding literature; it serves as the instrument to relay the events of a story, and in some instances the feelings and motives of the character(s).
Terms Associated with Point of View:
1. first person point of view: the person telling the story is one of the characters in the story. It is the “I” point of view. It is the most limited among the types because the narrator can only state what he or she sees, feels, and hears. He or she cannot go into the minds of the other characters.
2. second person point of view: refers to the use of “you” in explanations or arguments. It is not frequently used, but is appropriate in certain circumstances. Most second person points of view occur within instructions that are meant to be followed.
3. third person limited or third person objective: the person telling the story is not one of the characters in the story. He or she is an outside observer. The reader can only know what one character learns through interaction with other characters or through overheard conversations. The narrator cannot supply the thoughts or feelings of other characters in the story.
4. third person omniscient: the narrator is not a character in the story, but the events in the story are seen through the eyes of more than one of the characters. The narrator is considered to be “all knowing” and cannot only see and hear everything that is happening to all characters in the story, but can also enter their minds and tell the reader what each is thinking and feeling. This is the least limited point of view because the narrator has knowledge of all the characters.
predicting: the process of gathering information and combining it with the reader’s own knowledge to guess what might occur in the story.
primary source: a first hand account of an event; primary sources include: diaries, journals, letters, speeches, news stories, photographs, and pieces of art.
protagonist (pro-TAG-eh-nist) see character
Qquestioning: the process of raising questions while reading in an effort to understand characters and events.
Ssarcasm: the use of praise to mock someone or something; the use of mockery or verbal irony
scanning: the process of searching through writing for a particular fact or piece of information.
sequence: the order in which events occur or in which ideas are presented.
setting (set-ting): the time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a story occurs. Settings include the background, atmosphere or environment in which characters live and move, and usually include physical characteristics of the surroundings.
Settings enables the reader to better envision how a story unfolds by relating necessary physical details of a piece of literature.
style: how a writer says something; many elements contribute to style, including word choice, sentence length, tone and figurative language
summarizing: the process of briefly recounting the main ideas of a piece of writing in a person’s own words, while omitting unimportant details.
symbolism: using something specific to stand for something else, especially an idea. A symbol is a person, place, object or action that for something beyond itself. For example, a dove may represent peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot.
Ttheme: a common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work. A theme is a thought or idea the author presents to the reader about life or human nature. Generally, a theme has to be extracted as the reader explores the passages of a work. The author utilizes the characters, plot, and other literary devices to assist the reader in this endeavor. The author often intertwines the theme throughout the work, and the full impact is slowly realized as the reader processes the text. The ability to recognize a theme is important because it allows the reader to understand part of the author’s purpose in writing the book.
tone: the writer’s attitude or feeling about his or her subject.
Uunderstatement: a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said; the opposite of hyperbole. Understatement is usually used for a humorous effect.Vvoice: an author or narrator’s distinctive style or manner of expression. Voice can reveal much about the author or narrator’s personality.
http://www.wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us/glt.htm#_M