EnglishII Midterm Exam

point of view (POV)

the vantage point or perspective from which a story is told

1st person point of view

point of view that uses pronouns I, we, us, our, me, my

2nd person point of view

point of view that uses pronouns you, your, yours

3rd person point of view

point of view that uses pronouns he, she, it, they, them, hers, his

setting

The time and place of a story

genre

A category or type of literature characterized by a particular form, style, or content.

science fiction

fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances

parenthetical in-text citation

citations to original sources that appear in the text of your paper

persuasive writing

writing that attempts to convince the reader or listener to adopt a particular opinion or course of action

rhetorical appeal

the persuasive devices by which a writer tries to sway an audience's attention and response to any given work

claim

the writer's position on an issue or problem

counterclaim

a position taken by someone with an opposing viewpoint

rebuttal

a counterargument with evidence

lead

opening sentence of an essay, should hook the reader's attention

citation

A written reference to a specific work by a particular author or creator which identifies the document in which the work may be found.

works cited

A list of sources referred to in the document and placed at the end of the document.

exposition

Background information presented at the beginning of a literary work.

inciting incident

Interrupts the peace and balance of the situation and one or more of the characters comes into conflict with an outside force, himself, or another character.

rising action

the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward a climax.

climax

Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

resolution

End of the story where loose ends are tied up

third person omniscient point of view

narrator knows everything in the story and reveals the thoughts of all the characters

third person limited point of view

This is a point of view in which the narrator is outside the story and reveals the thoughts of only one (or a few) character(s)

third person objective point of view

The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can't tell us the thoughts of the characters.

setting

The time and place of a story

simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as

metaphor

A comparison of two unlike things without using like or as

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

person vs person conflict

A problem between characters

person vs self conflict

A problem within a character's own mind.

person vs nature conflict

The character struggles against natural forces or elements outside of human creation or control.

person vs society conflict

a character has a problem with some element of society: the school, law, the accepted way of doing things, etc.

symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents something else.

present perfect tense

have or has + past participle

past perfect tense

had + past participle

future perfect tense

will have + past participle

antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

pronoun

takes the place of a noun

restrictive clause

A clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

nonrestrictive clause

is descriptive or explanatory and can be omitted without changing the essential meaning

comparative degree

form of an adjective used to compare two people, places, or things

superlative degree

form of an adjective used when three or more people or things are being compared

author's purpose

The reason the author has for writing. (Inform, persuade, express, & entertain)

static character

A character who does not change during the story.

dynamic character

A character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action

foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

universal theme

A message about life that can be understood by most cultures