English Content and Analysis for Praxis Exam Preparation

Fiction

A genre of literature that involves imaginary events and characters.

Sonnet

A 14 line poem; written in iambic pentameter.

Poetry

Structured language to express emotions, usage of rhythm.

Fantasy

A genre that includes magical elements, supernatural beings, and imaginary worlds.

Biography

Background, achievements, and major events of a person's life.

Memoir

A single experience and reflection, written by oneself.

Gothic

A genre characterized by supernatural elements, isolation, and a mysterious atmosphere.

Epic

A long narrative poem detailing heroic deeds and events significant to a culture.

Themes

Central ideas explored in a literary work, such as love, beauty, and nature.

Imagery and symbolism

Use of descriptive language to create vivid images and represent ideas.

Heroic Protagonist

A main character who exhibits heroic qualities and faces significant challenges.

In media res

A narrative technique where a story begins in the middle of the action rather than at the start.

Moral lessons

Messages or teachings that convey ethical principles.

Expository

A type of writing that explains, informs, or presents information in a clear and straightforward manner.

Parallel structure

The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence to create balance and rhythm.

Diction

The choice of words and style of expression that an author uses in writing.

Soliloquy

Speech in a play where a character speaks their thoughts aloud, often when alone.

Metafiction

A form of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction.

Dramatic irony

A situation in literature where the audience knows something that the characters do not.

Situational irony

When the actual outcome is different from what was expected by both the characters and the audience.

Kennings

Metaphorical compound word or phrase used in Old English and Norse poetry.

Frame narrative

A story within a story, where an outer narrative provides the context for the main, inner story.

Realism

Literary movement focused on representing everyday life and society as it is.

Satire

Genre of writing that uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize or mock.

Individualism

Theme that focuses on the moral worth of the individual, emphasizing personal independence.

Naturalism

Literary movement that depicts human beings as subject to natural forces beyond their control.

Disillusionment

Theme reflecting the loss of faith or trust in something once believed to be true.

Orthography

Conventional spelling system of a language, including rules for letter patterns.

Literary devices

Techniques used by writers to convey meaning, such as metaphor and simile.

Techniques for understanding texts

Methods used to help understand and retain information from texts.

Writing strategies

Methods used to plan, structure, and refine writing, including brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and revising.

Figurative language

Language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create vivid images or express complex ideas, such as through metaphors or similes.

Old English

Era from 450-1066.

Middle English

Era from 1066-1500.

Renaissance

Era from 1500-1660.

Reformation

Era from 1660-1785.

Romantic

Era from 1785-1830.

Victorian

Era from 1830-1901.

Modernism

Era from 1901-1945.

Post-Modernism

Era from 1945-present.

Themes

Heroism, Fate, Religious Conflict, Chivalry, Courtly Love, Social Satire, Deconstruction, Irony, Meta-narrative, skepticism, Alienation, Fragmentation, Identity crisis, disillusionment, Morality, social reform, industrialization, Gender roles.

Historical Context

Industrial Revolution, French Revolution, Norman Conquest, feudalism, rise of the church, Rebirth of classical ideas, global exploration, British Empire expansion, Victorian morality, Anglo-Saxon period, oral tradition, Viking invasions, World Wars, changing gender roles, technological advances, Cold War, post-war recovery, rise of consumerism, Protestant Reformation, rise of Protestantism, Enlightenment.

Major Works

Beowulf, The Wanderer, Hamlet, Paradise Lost, Utopia (STM), Gulliver's Travels (Swift), The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, Ulysses by James Joyce, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth & Coleridge, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Beloved by Toni Morrison, 1984, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, KING ARTHUR.

Sonnet

Typically iambic pentameter, 14 lines, often in Shakespearean or Petrarchan rhyme schemes.

Iambic

Unstressed-stressed (da-DUM), common in English poetry, especially in sonnets and blank verse.

Trochaic

Stressed-unstressed (DA-dum), opposite of iambic, often found in traditional songs or chants.

Anapestic

Unstressed-unstressed-stressed, used in lighter or fast-paced poetry, such as limericks.

Dactylic

Stressed-unstressed-unstressed, often used in classical epic poetry.

Haiku

No specific rhythm, 3 lines following a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, often focusing on nature.

Literary Movement

Old English, Middle English, Renaissance, Reformation, Neoclassical, Romanticism, Victorian, Realism, Modernism.

Major Authors

Anonymous, Cynewulf, Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Thomas Malory, William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Thomas More, John Milton, John Bunyan, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Mary Shelley, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, Gustave Flaubert, Leo Tolstoy, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf.

Postmodernism

A literary movement characterized by a departure from traditional narrative techniques and a focus on fragmented narratives, unreliable narrators, and metafiction.

Compound sentence

A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or semicolon.

Verb number

The form of a verb that shows whether it is singular or plural to agree with the subject.

Gerund

A verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun in a sentence.

Diction

The choice of words and style of expression in writing or speech.

Modifier

A word, phrase, or clause that adds detail or qualifies a word in a sentence, often adjectives or adverbs.

Subject-verb agreement

The rule that the verb must agree in number (singular/plural) with the subject of the sentence.

Indirect object

The recipient of the direct object, answering 'to whom' or 'for whom' something is done.

Direct object

The noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb.

Auxiliary verb

A verb used with a main verb to form tenses, moods, or voices.

Lexical verb

The main verb in a sentence that carries meaning (not an auxiliary or helping verb).

Subject complement

A word or phrase (usually a noun, pronoun, or adjective) that follows a linking verb and describes or renames the subject.

Modal verb

Auxiliary verbs that express necessity, possibility, permission, or ability (e.g., can, may, must).

Vernacular language

The language spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region, often contrasted with formal or literary language.

Comprehension Strategies

Techniques used to improve understanding of texts.

Reading Strategies

Methods to enhance reading skills and engagement.

Summarization

Students summarize what they've read to reinforce understanding.

Questioning

Encourage students to ask questions about the text to enhance engagement.

Graphic Organizers

Mind maps, Venn diagrams, or storyboards to visualize information.

Think-Pair-Share

Discussing with a partner to clarify understanding.

Reciprocal Teaching

Students take turns teaching each other and asking questions.

Previewing

Skimming the text to get an overview before reading in detail.

Annotating

Taking notes in the margins or highlighting key points while reading.

Active Reading

Engaging with the text through questioning, visualizing, and predicting.

Cloze Procedure

Completing a text with missing words to focus on context.

Shared Reading

Reading together in a group to promote discussion and understanding.

Prewriting

Brainstorming ideas and organizing thoughts before drafting.

Peer Review

Students review each other's work to provide feedback and suggestions.

Writing Workshops

Structured sessions where students draft, revise, and share their work.

Writing Prompts

Specific prompts to inspire creativity and focus writing efforts.

Modeling

Demonstrating writing techniques through examples and guided practice.

Literary Elements and Devices

Symbolism, metaphor, irony, tone, mood, imagery, etc.

Genres

Poetry, drama, novel, short story, non-fiction, and their conventions.

Critical Approaches to Literature

Formalism, feminism, post-colonialism, historical criticism, etc.

Major Literary Periods and Movements

Old English, Middle English, Renaissance, Romanticism, Victorian, Modernism, Postmodernism.

World and Multicultural Literature

Important works from non-Western cultures and minority voices.

Grammar and Syntax

Subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, sentence types, modifiers, etc.

Vocabulary Development

Word roots, prefixes, and suffixes; context clues.

Semantics and Pragmatics

Understanding meaning in language and context.

Language Acquisition and Development

How people learn language; stages of language development.

Dialect and Vernacular

Regional language differences, slang, and code-switching.

Writing Process

Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

Rhetorical Strategies

Argumentation, persuasion, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, etc.

Genres of Writing

Expository, descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and analytical writing.

Textual Evidence

Identifying main ideas, themes, and supporting details in a passage.

Inference and Analysis

Drawing conclusions, interpreting figurative language, understanding point of view.

Text Structure

Recognizing organizational patterns such as chronological, cause-effect, problem-solution.

Differentiated Instruction

Tailoring teaching strategies to meet individual student needs.

Formative and Summative Assessment

Using assessments to guide instruction and measure student progress.