Language and Literature I Midterm Study Guide

December 16, 2024

abhor

to feel extreme hatred or disgust toward

ambiguous

capable of being understood in two or more possible ways

appalled

struck with dread, shock, or dismay

beseige

to surround as to force to give up; to press with requests or questions

comprehensive

include everything; inclusive of all elements or aspects of something

conviction

an unshakeable belief

demeanor

the way a person behaves towards other people, outward manner

diligent

characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks

elude

to escape, either physically or mentally; to fail to understand or grasp an idea, to fail to attain something

exacerbate

to make worse

fortitude

strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity

implication

a meaning that is not explicitly stated but can be inferred

insidious

working or spreading in a hidden, gradual, and harmful way

nonchalant

marked by casual unconcern or indifference

oblivion

the state of being forgotten or unknown; lack of awareness or consciousness

proficient

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

rectify

to set straight or make right

retort

a quick, typically sharp, reply to a question or remark OR to answer back cuttingly

speculative

not based on fact or investigation but rather on conjecture

sporadic

recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances

alleviate

provide physical relief, as from pain; to make suffering less severe

annihilate

kill in large numbers, to utterly destroy; to obliterate

archaic

so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

blatant

without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious; openly; unashamedly

concur

to be in agreement

cordial

politely warm and friendly

defunct

no longer existing or in force or in use; inactive

diplomatic

relating to negotiation between nations OR having or showing an ability to deal with people in a sensitive and effective way

emulate

strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

exemplify

to be characteristic or typical of

heterogeneous

consisting of elements not of the same kind or nature

homogenous

all of the same or similar kind or nature

irksome

tedious, irritating, annoying, bothersome

multifarious

having many aspects; diverse; great variety

omnipotent

having unlimited power, able to do anything

prerequisite

something that is needed or obligatory in advance, a requirement as a prior condition

redemption

the act of saving or being saved from evil, sin, or error

reverberate

ring or echo with sound

surpass

be or do something to a greater degree; to exceed

undermine

lessen or weaken the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially or gradually or insidiously

Identify the following sentence as simple, compound, or a fragment:

Sarah gave her brother a cupcake and her sister a cookie.

Simple

Identify the following sentence as simple, compound, or a fragment.

I want to go to the pool, but it is raining really hard

Compound

Identify the following sentence as simple, compound, or a fragment.

The best candidate in the election.

Fragment

Identify the following sentence as simple, compound, or a fragment.

The teacher assigned a project, for we reached the end of the unit.

Compound

Point

main argument for body paragraph

include “because” or “by” to make it specific

Evidence

relevant quotation or other piece of evidence that supports the main argument

should be introduced seamlessly

Explanation

clarification of how the evidence supports this paragraph’s main argument

pull out specific words or phrases

avoid repeating

Link

connection to the claim or thesis statement

matters not just now, but in a bigger way

character

a person (or other living being) who participates in or is involved in the plot

protagonist

main characters

we are following their actions in the story

ancillary characters

are not main characters, but important to the plot

dynamic characters

grow and change over the course of the plot

static characters

we do not see them change over the course of the plot

characterization

the process by which the writer reveals the traits, perspective, or motive of a character

direct characterization

directly stating

indirect

reader needs to analyze the character in order to understand who they are

setting

when or where a story takes place

can be revealed directly and early or indirectly over the story

atmosphere

the overall feeling, emotion, or mood of the text

geographical setting

physical location where the story takes place

can be very specific or very broad

temporal setting

when the story takes place

can also be broad or specific

plot

the sequence of actions and events in a story

exposition

background information

provides context

introduces characters

creates atmosphere

conflict

introduction to obstacle

involves something that affects the final outcome

rising action

events that build tension as the protagonist struggles

emotional or mental strain

dramatic question

phrase the conflict as a question to see how it drives the rest of the story

climax

answer to the dramatic question

turning point in the story

falling action

immediately follows the climax

includes a scene where the characters live briefly with no problem

resolution

conclusion

shows how things are resolved

allude to a world without conflict

suggest what a character’s future could look like

thematic concept

abstract noun presented in one word or phrase

ex. family, community, violence, loyalty