AICE ENGLISH MIDTERM

Structure of Newspaper Article

Inverted Pyramid, headline, byline, lead, short paragraphs, conclusion

Content & Style of Newspaper Article

Third person, neutral tone (some opinion pieces exist), direct address quotes, fact-based

CC of News Story

Inverted Pyramid Structure, the lead, headline, third person, neutral, short, includes impact/local relevance/timeliness

CC of Reviews

Catchy hook & title, balanced perspective, contextualization, explicit verdict

Structure of Brochures

"Rack" Test: The top third of the front cover must be compelling enough to attract attention when placed in a display rack.

Headlines are largest, followed by subheadings, then body text, guiding the reader's eye.

Appealing Front Cover

Inside panels contain detailed info

Back panel contains contact info

Content & Message of Brochures

Concise, 5 Ws and H, Benefits over Features, Call to Action, Visual Hierarchy, Front Cover, Inside Panels, Inside Flap

Structure of Leaflets

Catchy Headline, Clear Sections and Subheadings, Strategic Use of White Space

Content of Leaflets

"Less is More" Approach, Target Audience Focus, Benefit-Oriented Language, Call to Action, Contact/Important Details

Structure of an Editorial

Introduction, Position Statement, Body Paragraphs, Counterargument & Refutation, Conclusion

Style and Tone of an Editorial

Concise and Topical, Fair & Objective, Persuasive, Direct

CC of a Blog

Headline & Lead, Informal, Personal, Concise

Structure of an Investigative Journalism

Hook, Paragraph on Core Issue, Why it Matters, Story's main point, Chronological, Three-Part Structure, Active Voice

Evidence of Investigative Journalism

Document-Driven, Data Analysis, Fact-checking

CC of a Letter

Heading, Date, Salutation, Body Paragraph, Close & Signature

CC of a Podcast

Introduction/Hook, Conversational Tone, Consistency

CC of Biography

3rd person, chronological, detailed research, contextualization, anecdotes, thematic

CC of Autobiographies

First-Person Point of View, Chronological, Key Life Events, Reflective, Anecdotal Style

CC of Travel Writing

1st person, Vivid Sensory Details, Strong Opening Hook, Descriptive, Reflective Conclusion

CC of a Diary

Organized by date, 1st person, informal, conversational, personal, reflective

CC of an Essay

Introduction, body paragraphs, academic, third person

CC of a Speech

introduction, body, conclusion, written to be spoken, inclusive language, incorporate stories, persuasive

CC of Narrative Writing

Plot Structure, Characterization, Setting, 3rd or 1st person, conflict, theme, literary devices (all depends on prompt)

CC of Descriptive Writing

Sensory detail, figurative language, a combination of long and short sentences, imagery, create mood

CC of an Email

Subject Line, Salutation, Structure & Tone, Signature block

CC of Advertisements

Brand Identity & Logo, Slogan, Call to Action, Rhetoric Appeals, Made for a Specific Audience

Direct speech

The actual words that are said by someone

Jargon

vocabulary distinctive to a particular group of people

Emotive

appealing to or expressing emotion

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Anecdote

short account of event

List of three

Using three words (often adjectives) or phrases together to create emphasis.

Rhetorical question

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

Slogan

a short, catchy phrase that conveys an important idea

Soft-sell

a gentle way of trying to sell something to somebody

Hard-sell

attempt to sell something by being very forceful or persuasive

Discursive

Balanced

Counter-argument

ideas that are presented to oppose another argument

Evidentiary logic

Presenting evidence in a logically structured manner in order to support a critical position.

Formal language

the standard language of written communication, formal speeches, and presentations; may not use contractions or slang

Informal language

the language of everyday speech, may use contractions and slang

Colloquial language

Slang or common language that is informal

Register

Level of formality

Syntax

Sentence structure

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Modality

the ways language can express various relationships to reality or truth

Transactional writing

expository, descriptive, or persuasive writing

Dialectical structure

A three-part argument, moving from thesis (an initial argument) to antithesis (the counterargument) and finally to a synthesis that combines the two

Chronological

Arranged in order of time of occurrence

cyclical

happening again and again in the same order; happening in cycles

inverted pyramid

A style of writing most commonly applied to news stories in which the most important facts appear early in the story and less important facts later in the story

Prepositions

Words we use before nouns or pronouns to show their relationship with other words in the sentence. Example: behind (the tree), across (Maple Street), down (the stairs)

Nouns

A person, place, thing, or idea

Verbs

Words that show action or a state of being. One of these is required in a sentence

Adjectives

word used to modify or describe a noun or pronoun, such as "happy," "sad," or "pretty."

Adverbs

Describe actions (verbs); often end in -ly

Pronouns

He/she

Conjuctions

A word that connects other words (and, but, or, yet)

Determiners

in front of nouns to indicate if referring to something specific or something or a particular type.

3 types: definite articles (a, an, the); demonstratives (this, that, these, those); possessives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)

Exclamations

protests; sudden shouts of surprise, anger, or excitement

Modal Verbs

can/could, may/might, must/shall/should and will/would convey a range of attitudes and moods about the likelihood of an event taking place

Intensifier

A word that strengthens or weakens another word without changing its meaning.

→ It's very hot out!

(very)

→ Last week's test was insanely easy.

(insanely)

Past perfect tense

Expresses an action that began and was completed in the past.

Present perfect

tense with the past participle and helping verb HAVE and HAS

simple sentence

a sentence consisting of only one clause, with a single subject and predicate.

They went to the beach.

compound sentence

two or more independent clauses

Amelia needed to go to school, but she felt too unwell.

complex sentence

A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

Because the power went out, the entire neighborhood was dark.

Minor sentence

An incomplete sentence that can be fully understood.

See you later.

declarative sentence

a sentence that makes a statement or declaration

The sky is blue.

interrogative sentence

A sentence that asks a question

imperative sentence

sentence used to command or enjoin

Stop running!

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

pathetic fallacy

ascribing feelings to things

Characterization

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

Protagonist

main character

in media res

a piece of writing that begins in the middle of the action

In ultima res

When a story begins with its outcome or ending and then reveals events in reverse order

Mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

Tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Narrator

Person telling the story

Viewpoint

The way someone sees something

Perspective

(n.) a point of view or general standpoint from which different things are viewed, physically or mentally; the appearance to the eye of various objects at a given time, place, or distance

Omniscient narrator

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

Limited narrator

a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character

Fallible narrator

an unreliable narrator; reader cannot trust the narration to be true

Unreliable narrator

a narrator whose account of events appears to be faulty, misleadingly biased, or otherwise distorted

Unusual narrator

A narrator who is not necessarily the main character ( e.g. a servant who watches events and works out what is happening, or a child who has to make sense of what a parent is doing)