ELA CBA Exam terms

Tone

the author's or speaker's attitude toward the subject, audience, or characters, conveyed through word choice (diction)

Diction

the author's specific choice of words and phrasing, revealing their style, tone, and background, and influencing the reader's understanding of the text

Syntax

How the author arranges words to form a sentence.

Dialogue

the conversation between two or more characters in a story, play, or poem, used to reveal personality, advance the plot, and build relationship.

Theme

the central, underlying message, big idea, or universal truth a story conveys.

Satire

a literary device and genre that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, with the intent to provoke thought or inspire social change

Suffix

a letter, syllable, or group of letters added to the end of a base word to change its meaning, grammatical function, or form a new word

Example: Changing “sweet” to “sweetness”

Analysis

A detailed explanation of elements, structure and context.

Metaphor

a figure of speech that makes a direct, non-literal comparison between two unlike things by stating one is the other, without using "like" or "as”

Example: Drowning in work

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

a figure of speech using extreme, obvious exaggeration for emphasis, effect, or humor, not meant to be taken literally

Example: This backpack weighs a ton

Irony (Contrast)

a literary device where there's a contrast between what's said/expected and what actually happens or is meant

Example: Sarcasm or horror movie ignorance

Idioms

a phrase or expression whose meaning isn't literal but is understood culturally

Example: Kick the bucket (For death)

Anaphora

a rhetorical device using the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis, rhythm, and memorability

Example: “I have a dream” speech

Antithesis

a rhetorical device that places two contrasting or opposite ideas side-by-side in a balanced, parallel grammatical structure to create emphasis, highlight differences, and add rhythm

Example: It was the best of times and the worst of times