Reading STAAR Assistance Document

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts of grammar, literary devices, and essay structure, based on the Reading STAAR Assistance Document.

What is a simile?

A comparison using 'like' or 'as.' Ex: She's as sweet as pie.

What is a metaphor?

A comparison NOT using 'like' or 'as.' Ex: Life is a Highway.

What does hyperbole refer to?

An exaggeration or overly dramatic statement. Ex: I can run faster than the speed of light.

What is alliteration?

Repeating the same first letter or sound. Ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

What is personification?

Giving human qualities to something non-human. Ex: The leaves danced around my feet.

What is onomatopoeia?

A word that imitates a sound. Ex: Boom! Bang! Pow!

What is an idiom?

A common phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition of its individual words. Ex: It's raining cats and dogs.

What is an allusion?

A brief, indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work.

What is imagery in literature?

Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses to create a mental picture.

What is an oxymoron?

A combination of contradictory words in a brief phrase. Ex: Deafening silence.

What is symbolism?

When an object or person represents a deeper abstract idea. Ex: A dove representing peace.

What is irony?

The use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think (verbal) or a situation that happens in the opposite way of what was expected (situational).

What is 1st Person POV?

The narrator is a character in the story and tells it using 'I.' Key words: 'I', 'We'.

What is 2nd Person POV?

The story is told from the viewpoint of the reader using 'You.' Ex: Choose your own adventure books.

What is 3rd Person POV?

A person NOT involved in the story is telling it using 'He', 'She', 'It', 'They'.

What is 3rd Person Limited POV?

The narrator describes the internal thoughts of one character.

What is 3rd Person Omniscient POV?

The narrator knows and reveals the internal thoughts of all characters.

What is the climax of a story?

The turning point or pivotal moment in the story.

What is exposition in plot structure?

The start of the story where characters and setting are introduced.

What is rising action?

The events leading to the turning point, where obstacles are introduced.

What is falling action?

The direct effects of the climax, where characters and themes are explored further.

What is resolution in a story?

The point at which the conflict is resolved and the story concludes.

What is the purpose of a descriptive text structure?

To inform the reader about a specific topic using characteristics and examples.

What key words signal a chronological sequence text structure?

First, Second, Third, Finally, Before, After.

What is the purpose of compare and contrast text structure?

To explore the relationships between two or more elements.

What is a cause and effect text structure?

Shows how one thing leads to another, creating relationships between events and ideas.

What is the purpose of a problem-solution structure?

To present a problem along with potential solutions.

What are the purposes of informational texts?

To allow the reader to learn something without hidden goals.

What is the setting of a story?

Where and when a story takes place.

What is the mood of a story?

The feeling the story creates in the reader.

Who is the protagonist in a story?

The main character that faces the main conflict.

Who is the antagonist in a story?

The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

What is a free verse poem?

A poem with no rhyme scheme.

What defines a lyrical poem?

A poem that expresses feelings.

What is a narrative poem?

A poem that tells a story, including characters and a plot.

What are supporting details?

Specific information that supports the main idea.

What is a text feature?

Extras in nonfiction text such as photographs, diagrams, and graphs.

What is a noun?

A person, place, thing, or idea.

What is a pronoun?

A word that takes the place of a noun.

What is a verb?

A word that shows action or a state of being.

What is an adjective?

A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

What is an adverb?

A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

What is a conjunction?

A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses.

What is a preposition?

A word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word.

What is an interjection?

A word or phrase that expresses strong emotion.

What is Rule 1 of comma usage?

Use a comma to separate three or more items in a list.

What is Rule 2 of comma usage?

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when joining two independent clauses.

What is Rule 3 of comma usage?

Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of a sentence.

What is Rule 4 of comma usage?

Use commas to set off nonessential information in the middle of a sentence.

What is Rule 5 of comma usage?

Use commas to separate parts of dates and addresses.

What is the introductory part of an essay?

Restate the prompt in your own words and state your claim/thesis.

What should the conclusion of an essay include?

Restate your claim, summarize your evidence, and end with a strong closing thought.