Keystone vocab

Author's Purpose

Consider the author’s purpose while reading, What’s the author’s opinion, what info did they include/leave out, and was it on purpose, what’s the connotation of the author’s word choice, what’s the overall tone?

Figurative Language 

Tools used by writers to compare one idea to a second idea to make the first idea easier to visualize

Purpose of Figurative language 

a way of communicating an idea that is not easily understood because of its abstract nature and complexity

Fiction vs. Nonfiction 

Fiction is literature from imagination vs. Nonfiction is literature based on facts

Main Idea

The key information that the author wants you to know after reading

The main idea is the central point or message that the author wants to convey in a piece of writing. It is the most important thought or concept that the reader should take away from the text

Main idea vs. Theme

The main idea is what the book is mostly about. The theme is the message, lesson, or moral of a book

Finding the main idea

ask what or whom the writing is about

ask “what does the author want me to know about this topic”

Ask yourself what the characters are learning

Authors often explicitly state the main idea in the intro or conclusion

Look for reversal transitions… words like but, otherwise, however…

Look for ideas that are repeated in different ways

connotation

How a word feels

Formal

Positive, negative, neutral

The feeling a word evokes

Can help understand the tone of a passage

denotation

dictionary definition of a word

Friendly

Satire

a joke

satire has a purpose

comedy + social activism

Poking fun in order to provide humor while also criticizing the object to evoke change

Purpose of satire

promote change THROUGH comedy

purpose of imagery

Imagery is used in literature to create vivid mental images in the reader's mind. It helps to enhance the reader's understanding of the text by appealing to their senses and emotions. The purpose of imagery is to make the text more engaging and memorable, as well as to convey the author's message in a more powerful way.

purpose of personification

The purpose of personification is to give human qualities or characteristics to non-human things, such as animals, objects, or ideas. This literary device is often used to make descriptions more vivid and engaging, and to help readers relate to the subject matter on a more emotional level. By personifying non-human things, writers can create a sense of empathy or connection between the reader and the subject, which can help to convey a deeper meaning or message.

main idea

The main idea refers to the central point or message that an author is trying to convey through a piece of writing. It is the most important concept or theme that ties together all the information presented in the text. Identifying the main idea is crucial for understanding the purpose and meaning of a text.

keystone exam constructed response grading

The Keystone Exam constructed response questions are graded using a rubric that evaluates the accuracy, completeness, and clarity of the response. The rubric considers factors such as the use of evidence, organization, and language conventions. Each response is scored on a scale of 0-4, with 4 being the highest score. The final score for the constructed response section is calculated by averaging the scores of all the responses.

rhyming pattern

A rhyming pattern is a specific sequence of rhyming words at the end of each line in a poem or song. Common rhyming patterns include AABB, ABAB, and ABCB.

meter

In poetry, a meter is a recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse. It creates a rhythmic structure that can help convey the poem's meaning and mood. Common meters include iambic pentameter, trochaic tetrameter, and anapestic dimeter.

prose

Prose in poetry refers to the use of language that is not structured in a traditional poetic form, but rather resembles everyday speech or writing. This technique is often used to create a more conversational or natural tone in poetry, and can be seen in the works of many modern poets. However, it is important to note that not all poetry contains prose, and the use of prose in poetry is a stylistic choice made by the poet.

stanza

A stanza is a group of lines in a poem, usually separated from other stanzas by a blank line. It is often considered as a unit of a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose writing. Stanzas can have different numbers of lines and follow different rhyme schemes, depending on the poem's structure and style.

Syntax

Syntax refers to the set of rules that govern the structure of sentences and phrases in a language. It includes the arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses to create well-formed sentences. Syntax is an important aspect of language as it helps to convey meaning and clarity in communication.

free verse

Free verse is a type of poetry that does not follow a specific rhyme scheme or meter. It is characterized by its lack of traditional structure and often uses unconventional line breaks and syntax. Free verse allows poets to experiment with language and form, and can be used to convey a wide range of emotions and ideas.

sonnet

A sonnet is a type of poem that consists of 14 lines and follows a specific rhyme scheme. The most common type of sonnet is the Shakespearean sonnet, which has three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final couplet (two-line stanza) with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The sonnet is often used to express love or other intense emotions.

ballad

A ballad is a type of poem or song that tells a story, often of a tragic or romantic nature. Ballads typically have a simple structure and use repetition and rhyme to create a memorable melody. They were originally passed down orally and were often accompanied by music. Some famous examples of ballads include "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and "Barbara Allen" which is a traditional Scottish ballad.

heroic couplet

A heroic couplet is a pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter, often used in epic and narrative poetry.

Affix

\: One or more letters occurring as a bound form attached to the beginning, end, or base of a word and serving to

produce a derivative word or an inflectional form (e.g., a prefix or suffix).

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Allegory

A form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative are equated with meanings

that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning may have moral, social, religious, or political significance, and

characters are often personifications of abstract ideas such as charity, greed, or envy

Alliteration

The repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.

Allusion

An implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar person, place, or event.

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Analysis

\: The process or result of identifying the parts of a whole and their relationships to one another.

Antonym

A word that is the opposite in meaning to another word.

Argument/Position

The position or claim the author establishes. Arguments should be supported with valid evidence

and reasoning and balanced by the inclusion of counterarguments that illustrate opposing viewpoints.

Bias

The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach toward a topic.

Biography

A written account of another person's life.

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Character

A person, animal or inanimate object portrayed in a literary work.

Characterization

The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits and personalities

Climax

The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of

stories, novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to the climax.

Compare/Contrast

Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections.

Conflict/Problem

A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.

Context Clues

Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an

unfamiliar word.

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Cultural Significance

the generally accepted importance of a work representing a given culture.

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Defense of a Claim

Support provided to mark an assertion as reasonable.

Dialect

A variety of a language distinct from the standard variety in pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.

Dialogue

In its widest sense, dialogue is simply conversation between characters or speakers in a literary work; in its

most restricted sense, it refers specifically to the speech of characters in a drama.

Diction

An author’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures and figurative language, which combine to help create

meaning and tone.

Differentiate

Distinguish, tell apart, and recognize differences between two or more items.

Drama

The genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage; a work to be performed by actors on stage,

radio, or television; play.

Dramatic Script

The written text of a play, which includes the dialogue between characters, stage directions and often

other expository information.

Draw Conclusion

To make a judgment or decision based on reasoning rather than direct or implicit statement.

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Elements of Fiction

Traits that mark a work as imaginative or narrative discourse

Elements of Nonfiction

Traits that mark a work as reportorial, analytical, informative or argumentative

Evaluate

Examine and judge carefully. To judge or determine the significance, worth or quality of something; to assess.

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Explain

To make understandable, plain or clear.

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Explicit

Clearly expressed or fully stated in the actual text.

Exposition

A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information

about the characters and their circumstances.

Fact

A piece of information provided objectively, presented as true.

Falling Action

The part of a literary plot that is characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot’s

conflicts and complications.

Fiction

Any story that is the product of imagination rather than a documentation of fact. Characters and events in such

narratives may be based in real life but their ultimate form and configuration is a creation of the author.

Figurative Language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

First Person

The “first person” or “personal” point of view relates events as they are perceived by a single character. The

narrating character may offer opinions about the action and characters that differ from those of the author.

Flashback

An organizational device used in literature to present action that occurred before current (present) time of

the story. Flashbacks are often introduced as the dreams or recollections of one or more characters.

Focus

The center of interest or attention.

Foreshadowing

An organizational device used in literature to create expectation or to set up an explanation of later

developments.

Generalization

A conclusion drawn from specific information that is used to make a broad statement about a topic or

person.

Genre

A category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique or content (e.g., prose, poetry).

Headings, Graphics and Charts

Any visual cues on a page of text that offer additional information to guide the

reader’s comprehension. Headings typically are words or phrases in bold print that indicate a topic or the theme of a

portion of text; graphics may be photographs, drawings, maps or any other pictorial representation; charts (and tables or

graphs) condense data into a series of rows, lines or other shortened lists.

Hyperbole

An exaggeration or overstatement

Imagery

Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions.

Implicit

Though unexpressed in the actual text, meaning that may be understood by the reader; implied.

Inference

A judgment based on reasoning rather than on a direct or explicit statement. A conclusion based on facts or

circumstances; understanding gained by “reading between the lines.”

Informational Text

Nonfiction written primarily to convey factual information. Informational texts comprise the majority

of printed material adults read (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, reports, directions, brochures, technical manuals).

Interpret

To give reasons through an explanation to convey and represent the meaning or understanding of a text.

Irony

The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or usual meaning; incongruity between the

actual result of a sequence of events and the expected result.

Key/Supporting Details

Points of information in a text that strongly support the meaning or tell the story. Statements

that define, describe, or otherwise provide information about the topic, theme, or main idea.

Key Words

Specific word choices in a text that strongly support the tone, mood, or meaning of the text.

Literary Device

Tool used by the author to enliven and provide voice to the text (e.g., dialogue, alliteration).

Literary Element

An essential technique used in literature (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme).

Literary Form

The overall structure or shape of a work that frequently follows an established design. Forms may refer to

a literary type (narrative, short story) or to patterns of meter, lines, and rhymes (stanza, verse).

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Literary Movement

A trend or pattern of shared beliefs or practices that mark an approach to literature (e.g., Realism,

Naturalism, Romanticism).

Literary Nonfiction

\: Text that includes literary elements and devices usually associated with fiction to report on actual

persons, places, or events. Examples include nature and travel text, biography, memoir and the essay.

Main Idea

\: The author’s central thought; the chief topic of a text expressed or implied in a word or phrase; the topic

sentence of a paragraph.

Metaphor

The comparison of two unlike things in which no words of comparison (like or as) are used (e.g., The speech

gave me food for thought.)

Monologue

An extended speech spoken by one speaker, either to others or as if alone.

Mood

The prevailing emotions or atmosphere of a work derived from literary devices such as dialogue and literary

elements such as setting. The mood of a work is not always what might be expected based on its subject matter.

Motif: A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work.

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Multiple‐meaning Words

\: Words that have several meanings depending upon how they are used in a sentence.

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Narrative:

A story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in text.

Narrator:

A person, animal, or thing telling the story or giving an account of something.

Nonfiction

Text that is not fictional; designed primarily to explain, argue, instruct or describe rather than entertain. For

the most part, its emphasis is factual.

Opinion

A personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

Personification

An object or abstract idea given human qualities or human form (e.g., Flowers danced about the

lawn.)

Plot

The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The structure often includes

the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The plot may have a protagonist who is opposed by an

antagonist, creating what is called conflict.

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Poetry

\: In its broadest sense, text that aims to present ideas and evoke an emotional experience in the reader through the

use of meter, imagery and connotative and concrete words. Some poetry has a carefully constructed structure based on

rhythmic patterns. Poetry typically relies on words and expressions that have several layers of meaning (figurative

language). It may also make use of the effects of regular rhythm on the ear and may make a strong appeal to the senses

through the use of imagery.

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Point of View

The position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator’s outlook from which the

events are depicted (e.g., first person, third person limited, third person omniscient, etc). The perspective from which a

speaker or author recounts a narrative or presents information. The author’s manner in revealing characters, events, and

ideas; the vantage point from which a story is told.

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Prefix

Groups of letters placed before a word to alter its meaning.

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Propaganda

Information aimed at positively or negatively influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of

people.

Propaganda Techniques

Propaganda techniques and persuasive tactics are used to influence people to believe, buy

or do something. Students should be able to identify and comprehend the propaganda

techniques and persuasive tactics listed below.

Resolution

The portion of a story following the climax in which the conflict is resolved. The resolution of Jane Austen’s

Northanger Abbey is neatly summed up in the following sentence: “Henry and Catherine were married,

the bells rang and everybody smiled.”

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Rising Action

The part of a story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated. Rising action leads up to the

climax, or turning point.

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Sentence Variety

\: Various sentence structures, styles, and lengths that can enhance the rhythm of or add emphasis to a

piece of text. The presence of multiple sentence structures in a text (simple, complex, compound,

compound‐complex) and/or various sentence beginnings (e.g., dependent and independent clauses,

phrases, single words).

Sequence of Steps

A literary organizational form that presents the order in which tasks are to be performed.

Soliloquy

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\: A dramatic speech, revealing inner thoughts and feelings, spoken aloud by one character while alone on the

stage.