8th Grade ELA Notes Vocabulary

This flashcard set covers the core vocabulary and concepts from 8th Grade ELA, including literary elements, figurative language, point of view, argument structures, and grammar rules.

Main idea

What the text is mostly about.

Theme

The message or lesson the author wants you to understand.

Supporting details

Facts, examples, and evidence that support the main idea.

Plot

The sequence of events consisting of exposition → rising action → climax → falling action → resolution.

Internal Conflict

A struggle occurring within a character, specifically character vs. self.

External Conflict

A struggle against outside forces, such as character vs. character, society, or nature.

Characterization

How an author shows what a character is like.

1st Person

A point of view using pronouns like I, me, and my.

2nd Person

A point of view using the pronoun you.

3rd Person

A point of view using pronouns like he, she, and they.

Limited (3rd Person POV)

A narrator that follows one character's thoughts.

Omniscient (3rd Person POV)

A narrator that knows multiple characters' thoughts.

Simile

Comparison using like or as (Example: "He is as fast as lightning.").

Metaphor

Says one thing is another (Example: "Time is a thief.").

Personification

Gives human traits to nonhuman things (Example: "The wind whispered.").

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration (Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.").

Irony

When what happens or is meant is different from what is expected; includes verbal, situational, and dramatic forms.

Claim

The author's main argument.

Evidence

Information supporting the claim.

Reasoning

Explains how the evidence supports the claim.

Counterclaim

An opposing argument.

Rebuttal

A response to the counterclaim.

Context Clues

Methods to figure out unfamiliar words using definition, example, contrast, synonym, antonym, or inference.

Independent Clause

A group of words that can stand alone as a sentence.

Dependent Clause

A group of words that cannot stand alone.

Comma Splice

Incorrectly joining two independent clauses with only a comma (Example: "I went to the store, I bought milk.").

Subject-Verb Agreement

A rule stating the subject and verb must agree in number (Example: "The dog runs fast." as opposed to "The dog run fast.").