ENGLISH 9 HONORS (Saucer): 2025 EXAM STUDY GUIDE

Flashcards for exam review

Dramatic irony

When the audience or reader knows more than the characters.

Situational irony

When the exact opposite of what is expected occurs.

Verbal irony

When the speaker says the opposite of what they really mean on purpose for effect.

Setting

The time, place, and culture of the story.

Exposition

At the beginning of a story, when the setting and characters are introduced and fleshed out.

Rising action

When problems arise and the plot thickens.

Climax

The turning point, when things cannot proceed as they did before.

Falling action

The beginning of the end; where things return to normalcy or further unravel, depending on the resolution.

Resolution/Denouement

The conclusion reached at the end; the level at which problems are/are not resolved.

Metaphor

A comparison of two seemingly dissimilar things without the use of “like” or “as.”

Simile

An explicit comparison between two unlike things (using “like” or “as”).

Imagery

Descriptive language which appeals to the senses.

Direct characterization

When the author directly TELLS the reader about the character’s traits.

Indirect characterization

When the author SHOWS the reader about the character’s traits by showing how they think, act, speak, and affect others.

Theme

The central idea of the narrative; the universal lesson of the piece.

Diction

The writer’s choice of words to create an effect.

Point of View

The perspective from which the story is told.

Mood

The general atmosphere or feeling evoked by the story or passage.

Tone

The speaker’s attitude towards the subject discussed.

Allusion

Indirect reference to something outside the story (with which the reader is familiar).

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

Foreshadowing

Dropping of hints or clues about future events or developments in a story.

Personification

When an inanimate thing is described as having human characteristics.

Hyperbole

Extreme and obvious exaggeration, often used for humorous effect.

Motif

Recurring idea or element that leads to abstract idea or universal theme.

Symbol

A character, object, or color which represents an idea.

Epithet

A descriptive phrase that characterizes a person, place, or thing, often used repeatedly in an epic to maintain rhythm and familiarity.

Epic simile

An extended comparison that usually uses “like” or “as” and spans several lines, often comparing heroic actions to everyday experiences.

In Media Res

Means “in the middle of things.” Epics often begin in the middle of the action rather than from the start of the hero’s life. Background details are filled in later.

Invocation

A formal plea for inspiration, often directed to a muse or deity at the beginning of an epic poem.

Rhyme scheme

Pattern of end rhyme between lines of a poem. Letters are used at the end of each line to indicate which lines rhyme.

Shakespearean sonnet

Three quatrains (stanzas of four lines) followed by a couplet (a two-lined stanza); Rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD, EFEF, GG.

Iambic pentameter

Five sets of iambic feet in each line, meaning each line will be 10 syllables. One iambic foot = one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable.

Monologue

A long, formal speech made by a character in a play to other characters.

Soliloquy

A long speech in which a character who is usually alone on stage expresses their private thoughts or feelings.

Aside

Private words that a character in a play speaks to the audience or to another character. These lines are not meant to be overheard by others on stage.

Blank verse

Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Used by Shakespeare in his plays.

Nonfiction

Writing that tells us about real people, places, and events. Nonfiction texts are written to convey factual information, and this information can be verified by other sources.

Narrative nonfiction

Tells a real-life story about real people and events with stylistic elements akin to that seen more in fiction.

Bias

Our perception of the way things are, or perhaps should be, even if it’s not accurate.

Thesis statement

A thesis statement is the main point or "big idea" of your paper or presentation. It tells your audience what you're going to prove or explain and sets up the structure of your argument.

Assertion

Also known as your topic sentence, the assertion will be arguable and should state the main point you want to prove in the paragraph. Your assertion should directly support your thesis.

Context

Introduces evidence by providing background information to help the reader understand.

Evidence

This proves your assertion, and therefore your thesis. In a literary analysis paper, evidence is usually a direct quote from the text.

Interpretation

Interpretation is your chance to explain your reasoning. Why does the evidence you just provided support the assertion?

Transition

Your transition should wrap up the main point of the current paragraph, reinforce your thesis, and connect to the topic of the next paragraph.

Comma

Used to separate items in a list, after introductory words/phrases,. around non-essential clauses (appositives), before conjunctions in compound sentences, between adjectives if they modify the same noun equally.

Semicolon

Used to join two closely related independent clauses and separate complex list items (if commas are already used).

Colon

Used to introduce a list or explanation or after an independent clause to emphasize what follows.

Run-on sentences

Add a period (make two sentences), use a semicolon (if closely related), add a comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS), or rewrite as a complex sentence (add a subordinating conjunction) to correct.

Sentence fragments

Attach to an independent clause, add a missing subject or verb, or remove the subordinating conjunction (if unnecessary) to correct.

Dependent clauses

Cannot stand alone as a sentence. They typically begin with subordinating conjunctions (ex: because, if, when) or can function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

Independent clauses

They can stand alone as a complete sentence, contain a subject and a verb, and can be joined with conjunctions or semicolons.