Language Arts Vocabulary and SOL Study Guide

Flashcards focused on key vocabulary from Language Arts and reading comprehension concepts.

Author's Purpose

The reason or purpose for a piece of writing.

Inference

A guess or conclusion based on known facts and hints or evidence.

Main Idea

The main topic of a piece of writing; the main point the author is trying to make.

Narrative

A type of writing that tells a story.

Conflict

The problem that characters face in the plot; provides tension and suspense.

Protagonist

The good guy or hero/heroine in the story.

Antagonist

The bad guy or villain in the story.

Climax

The turning point in the plot.

Theme

A universal message about life or human nature.

Genre

A category or type of writing such as fiction, nonfiction, biography, science fiction, etc.

Setting

Time, place, and duration in a story; can also include the social and moral environment.

Metaphor

A direct comparison of two unlike objects, saying one object is another.

Simile

An indirect comparison of two unlike objects using 'like' or 'as'.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words.

Mood

The overall feeling in a story, such as scary, happy, or depressing.

Context Clues

Hints found within text that help readers understand the meanings of unfamiliar words.

Text Features

Elements like headings, boldface, graphs, and captions used to assist understanding of the text.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's work without giving proper credit.

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word.

Connotation

The feeling a reader or listener gets from a word.