8th Grade ELA Academic Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering academic ELA terms and Greek/Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes from the lecture notes.

Allusion

An indirect reference to or mention of something; a passing comment that the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to understand and grasp its importance in the text.

Analyze

To examine a literary text in order to develop a better understanding of the author's message and purpose.

Bias

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, idea, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

Connotation

An implied value placed on a word through the way it makes the author, reader, or audience feel.

Context

The surrounding words, phrases, or background circumstances that give a text or a word its full meaning or help figure out the meaning of an unknown word.

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word.

Dialect

A form of writing that shows the accent and way people talk in a particular region.

Dialogue

Conversation, especially in a book, play, film, or television presentation; derived from the Greek word "dialogos."

Evidence

Specific proof—such as direct quotes, paraphrased ideas, facts, or concrete plot details—pulled directly from a text to support a claim or back up an interpretation.

Fiction

Literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people.

Figurative language

A type of communication that does not use a word or phrase with strict or realistic meaning, including metaphors, similes, personifications, and hyperboles.

Foreshadow

To give a hint of something that will happen later in a story.

Imagery

A literary device that uses vivid description to appeal to the reader's senses or to create an image in their head.

Infer

To draw a logical conclusion about something using clues from the text combined with your own background knowledge.

Limited

A type of third-person point of view where the narrator only has access to one character's perspective.

Nonfiction

Prose writing based on facts, real people (biography), or history.

Omniscient

A type of third-person point of view where the narrator is an all-knowing voice with access to the perspectives of all characters.

Pseudonym

A fictional name used by an author; a pen name.

logos (root)

word

omni (root)

all

scire (root)

to know, knowing

Pseudo (root)

false

non- (prefix)

not

Con- (prefix)

together, with

De- (prefix)

down, away

Fore- (prefix)

before

In- (prefix)

in, into

-ize (suffix)

to cause, to make, to become

-ive (suffix)

tendency or inclination

-tion/-ion (suffix)

act or state of

-nym (suffix)

name