8th Grade Narrative Writing Review

Flashcards created to review key concepts of figurative language and narrative writing structure.

What is a simile?

A comparison of two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'. Example: He is as cold as ice.

Define metaphor.

A comparison of two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as' by saying one thing is another. Example: Time is money.

What is personification?

Giving human traits to non-human things. Example: The wind sang its mournful song through the falling leaves.

What is alliteration?

Repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of two or more neighboring words. Example: Careless cars cutting corners create confusion.

Define onomatopoeia.

The use of a word that sounds like an actual sound that is heard. Example: 'Vroom', goes the car engine.

What is hyperbole?

A description that exaggerates. Example: He is so hungry that he can eat a cow.

What is an oxymoron?

A pair of words that contradict each other. Example: Awfully good.

Define idiom.

A phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say. Example: The test was a piece of cake.

What is irony?

A contrast between expectation and reality.

What is verbal irony?

The difference between what is spoken or written and what is really meant; often includes sarcasm.

What is situational irony?

Occurs when there is a contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.

Define dramatic irony.

When the audience or reader knows something the characters do not know.

What is first-person narration?

The story is told from the perspective of a character who refers to themselves as 'I'.

Describe third-person narration.

The story is told by an external narrator who is not a character in the story, using pronouns like 'he', 'she', or 'they'.

What are sensory details?

Descriptions of what can be seen, smelled, touched, heard, or tasted in the story.

What is dialogue?

Conversation between two or more characters, indicated by quotation marks.

Define plot.

The basics of what happens in the story; no interpretation required.

What does setting refer to in a narrative?

The time and place where a scene is set.

What is characterization?

The development of characters over the course of the text.

What is a dynamic character?

A character that changes over the course of the text.

Define static character.

A character that does not change throughout the text.

What is internal conflict?

An internal battle that the character is facing.

What is external conflict?

Conflict with another character, environment, or something abstract.

What is point of view?

The narrative voice that the story is told with.

What is exposition in narrative structure?

Introduces important background information, characters, setting, conflict, mood, etc.

What occurs during the rising action of a story?

Tension builds as the conflict becomes clearer and more complex.

What is the climax of a story?

The most exciting, dramatic, or action-packed part that signals a turning point for the main character.

What happens during falling action?

Events are clarified, loose ends are tied up, and tension is eased.

What is the resolution in narrative structure?

The story comes to a close and conflicts are resolved.