6th Grade ELA Key Terms (ALL)

Language Domain: Grammar Conventions and Standard English

• Standard $6-8.L.GC.1$: GUM (Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics): Students are expected to draw from their comprehensive knowledge of Standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics when they are analyzing or constructing various types of texts.

• Standard $6-8.L.GC.2$: Syntax: Students must apply their understanding of syntax to comprehend, analyze, condense, and combine ideas and information. This application is intended to enhance the clarity, style, and meaning of their communication.

• Clarity: In writing, clarity refers to the ease with which a reader can understand a text. To achieve clarity, an author must clearly identify their purpose, the goals for their audience, and the markers of successful writing.

• Active Voice: This term describes a writing style where the subject of the sentence directly performs or controls the action.

• Style: Style is defined as the unique presence of the text’s creator. It is "the how" that distinguishes one text from another and makes it effective. It represents the culmination of all craft moves, including specific ways of composing and creating that set an author apart.

• Syntax: Syntax involves the arrangement of words and phrases within a sentence. It is frequently analyzed through sentence structure patterns, including simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex formations.

Parts of Speech and Word Modifiers

• Adjectives: Adjectives are modifiers that describe nouns or pronouns. They answer specific questions about a noun, such as:

  • What kind?

  • How many?

  • To what degree?

• Comparative Adjectives: These are used to compare two people, places, things, or ideas. They generally end in "-er" or function with the words "more" or "less." Although this is a Grade $4$ skill, it may still be assessed at Grade $6$.

• Superlative Adjectives: These compare $three$ or more people, places, things, events, or ideas. They typically end in "-est" or function with the words "most" or "least." This is a Grade $4$ skill that may be assessed at Grade $6$.

• Proper Adjectives: These are capitalized adjectives formed directly from proper nouns, such as American, European, or Shakespearean.

• Adverbs: Adverbs are parts of speech that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They address the following questions:

  • How?

  • When?

  • Where?

  • To what extent?

• Conjunctions: These are parts of speech used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. There are $three$ primary types:

  • Coordinating Conjunctions: These connect two independent clauses to create compound sentences. Examples include: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

  • Correlative Conjunctions: These connect two parts of a sentence that have equal value or correlate. Examples include: either/or, both/and, neither/nor, not only/but also.

  • Subordinating Conjunctions: These connect a dependent clause to an independent clause to form a complex sentence. Examples include: after, although, as, because, before, if, since, so, though, unless, until, whether, while. Use of these is a Grade $5$ skill that may be assessed at Grade $6$.

• Interjections: These express strong emotion through exclamations or interruptions. They may stand alone or be used as parentheticals within a sentence. This Grade $4$ expectation may be assessed at Grade $6$.

• Nouns: Nouns identify people, places, things, or ideas.

• Prepositions: Prepositions indicate the relationship between an object and another word in the sentence. They initiate prepositional phrases.

• Pronouns: Pronouns substitute for nouns to improve text flow and minimize repetition. Effective use requires clear antecedents.

  • Indefinite Pronouns: These replace unknown or nonspecific nouns and can be singular or plural. This is a Grade $5$ skill that may be assessed at Grade $6$.

  • Intensive Pronouns: These end in "-self" or "-selves" and are used for emphasis. They are placed immediately next to the noun or pronoun they emphasize. This is a Grade $5$ skill that may be assessed at Grade $6$.

  • Relative Pronouns: These connect an antecedent to a clause or phrase that provides extra information. This is a Grade $4$ skill that may be assessed at Grade $6$.

• Antecedent: An antecedent is the specific noun that a pronoun replaces. Mastery is expected by Grade $4$, but it remains assessable in Grade $6$.

Punctuation and Mechanical Conventions

• Apostrophes: Punctuation marks used for the following:

  • Singular nouns: add 's.

  • Plural nouns ending in s: add '.

  • Plural nouns not ending in s: add 's.

  • Contractions: Joining $two$ words by replacing omitted letters (e.g., "isn’t" for "is not").

  • Omitted letters: Used for stylistic purposes.

• Commas: Multi-functional marks used for:

  • Introducing introductory elements such as phrases, clauses, or interjections.

  • Separating $three$ or more items in a series.

  • Setting off direct addresses or specific names.

  • Separating coordinate adjectives.

  • Following salutations or closings in letters.

  • Setting apart direct quotations when used with quotation marks.

  • Note: Comma usage is a Grade $4$ skill often assessed at Grade $6$.

• Capitalization: The practice of capitalizing acronyms, initials, proper nouns, the pronoun "I", and the first word of a sentence. This Grade $4$ skill remains assessable at Grade $6$.

• End Punctuation: Signs that indicate the end and the type of a sentence.

  • Periods (.): Signal declarative (statements) and imperative (commands) sentences.

  • Question Marks (?): Signal interrogative sentences.

  • Exclamation Points (!): Signal exclamatory sentences.

• Quotation Marks: Marks used to indicate a direct quotation (spoken by a person or character) or to indicate the titles of short works like songs or short stories. This is a Grade $4$ skill assessable at Grade $6$.

• Semicolons: These join $two$ independent clauses. They can be used with a conjunctive adverb (e.g., nevertheless, thus, however) followed by a comma.

• Italics: A formatting tool for emphasis or to indicate the titles of long works such as books, films, or podcasts. This is a Grade $5$ skill assessable at Grade $6$.

• Frequently Confused Words: Words that sound the same (homonyms) or similar (e.g., than/then, affect/effect, their/there/they’re, to/too/two, loose/lose, advise/advice) but have different meanings. This Grade $4$ skill remains assessable at Grade $6$.

Verbs, Verb Aspect, and Tense

• Verbs: These form the predicate of a sentence and show action, occurrence, or state of being. The $three$ main types are action, linking, and auxiliary verbs.

• Action Verbs: Show physical or mental action and may utilize direct or indirect objects (complements).

• Linking Verbs: Link a subject to a word in the predicate. They require a complement, such as a predicate nominative (noun) or predicate adjective. This is a Grade $4$ skill assessable at Grade $6$.

• Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs: Paired with a main verb to form a verb phrase. This is a Grade $4$ skill assessable at Grade $6$.

• Participles: Verbals that function as part of a verb phrase or as an adjective.

  • Present Participles: Built by adding "-ing" to the base verb.

  • Past Participles: Built by adding "-ed", "-en", or "-t" to the base verb. Irregular forms exist for both groups.

• Verb Tense: Indicates the timing of an action:

  • Past Tense: Indicates completed action; usually formed by adding "-ed", though many irregulars exist.

  • Present Tense: Indicates habitual or individual current actions; uses base form or adds "-s/es" for third-person singular.

  • Future Tense: Indicates actions that will occur; formed using "will" or "shall" with the base verb.

• Verb Aspect: Refers to the state of the action (e.g., ongoing or complete).

  • Simple Aspect: Used for habits or facts across past, present, and future.

  • Progressive Aspect: Shows ongoing action. Formed with helping verbs (am, are, is, was, were) + present participle.

  • Perfect Aspect: Shows completed action linked to a later time. Formed with helping verbs (has, have, had, will have) + past participle.

  • Perfect Progressive Aspect: Shows ongoing action that started in the past or is ending. Formed with helping verbs (had been, have been, has been, will have been) + present participle.

Sentence Structures and Clauses

• Sentence: A group of words containing a subject and predicate that expresses a complete thought, begins with a capital letter, and ends with punctuation.

• Clause: A group of words with a subject and predicate.

  • Independent Clause: Expresses a complete thought (simple sentence).

  • Dependent Clause: Does not express a complete thought despite having a subject and predicate.

• Phrase: A group of related words (e.g., "the wayward dog").

  • Prepositional Phrase: Contains a preposition, its object, and modifiers. This is a Grade $4$ skill.

• Sentence Types:

  • Simple Sentence: One independent clause. Can have compound subjects or predicates.

  • Compound Sentence: $Two$ independent clauses joined by a semicolon, an em dash, a comma and coordinating conjunction, or a semicolon and conjunctive adverb.

  • Complex Sentence: One independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Usually introduced by subordinating conjunctions.

  • Compound-Complex Sentence: $Two$ or more independent clauses combined with one or more dependent clauses.

• Subject-Verb Agreement: The practice of matching subject and verb based on number (singular or plural). "Be" is a common irregular verb requiring specific conjugation by "person."

• Fragment: An incomplete sentence missing a subject, a verb, or both; or a dependent clause left to stand alone.

Vocabulary and Word Analysis

• Standard $6-8.L.V.1$: General, Academic, & Specialized Vocabulary: Building vocabulary across real-life, academic, and disciplinary contexts to analyze and communicate.

• Standard $6-8.L.V.2$: Word Analysis: Using word knowledge to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

• Standard $6-8.L.V.3$: Meaning & Purpose: Analyzing denotative and connotative meanings.

• Vocabulary Tiers:

  • General (Tier I): Words learned through everyday language; usually do not require direct instruction.

  • Academic (Tier II): Words found in educational contexts but not everyday talk; important for navigating multiple subjects.

  • Specialized/Disciplinary (Tier III): Low-frequency terms specific to technical or professional fields; may not transfer to other topics.

• Word Parts:

  • Affix: A morpheme added to the start (prefix) or end (suffix) of a word.

  • Root: The basis of a word that typically cannot stand alone.

  • Root Word: The base form of a word that can stand alone.

  • Etymology: The history or origin of a word (e.g., "example" from Latin "exemplum").

• Word Relationships:

  • Analogy: Comparison highlighting a specific similarity between unrelated things.

  • Antonym: Words with opposite meanings.

  • Synonym: Words with similar meanings.

  • Denotation: The literal, direct meaning.

  • Connotation: The feelings or suggested meanings a word evokes.

• Context/Contextual Clues: Hints within a text used to define unfamiliar words.

Texts: Context, Audience, and Purpose

• Audience: Active engagers with a text who interpret information based on their own knowledge, background, and specific purposes.

• Purpose: The reason a text exists; what the speaker/author hopes to achieve.

• Context: The comprehensive environment surrounding a text, including speaker, audience, purpose, and circumstances like historical, cultural, or literary events.

• Circumstance: The situations and environment involving the text, speakers, and audience, including timing and reasons for the creation.

• Historical Context: The combination of historical, political, religious, cultural, and social events that establish the climate in which a text was produced.

• Background Information: Data that helps a reader contextualize a text.

• Perspective: Attitudes, inner thoughts, and feelings of the author or character. It is more complex than "point of view" (vantage point). Multiple perspectives can exist within a single text.

• Perspective Analysis: Exploring a text from the viewpoint of an antagonist or another character, or researching alternate viewpoints.

• Speaker/Author: The author is the designer; the speaker is the voice driving the text (not always the author).

• Text Mode: The avenue for accessing text: print, digital, visual, auditory/spoken, or kinesthetic.

• Multimodal Texts: Meanings constructed through combining at least $two$ different modes (e.g., video with music).

Textual Structure, Features, and Craft

• Cohesion: Explicit connection of ideas at the sentence or paragraph level to create unity. Influenced by transitions, repetition, and grammar.

• Text Organization: Determines how pieces of a text fit together. It is big (whole text) and small (sections).

• Text Structures: Frameworks used by authors, including:

  • Sequence and Chronological Order.

  • Cause and Effect.

  • Problem and Solution.

  • Compare and Contrast.

  • Description/Explanation.

• Text Features: Elements that clarify info, such as headings, subheadings, chapters, table of contents, bullets, footnotes, citations, bold/italics, hyperlinks, graphs, captions, and charts.

• Transitions: Tools that guide the reader between sentences, paragraphs, or topics.

• Craft Techniques: The "what" of composition; the labels and conventions available to designers of texts.

• Tone: The way authors express opinions about the subject, audience, or themselves.

• Literary Devices: Broad tools authors use to create effects.

• Figurative Language: Language extending beyond literal meaning.

  • Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration for comedy or emotion.

  • Simile: Comparison using "like" or "as."

  • Metaphor: Comparison stating one thing "is" another. A "conceit" is an extended metaphor.

  • Personification: Assigning human traits to non-human entities.

• Facts: Objectively known truths requiring no interpretation.

• Language Variation:

  • Formal: Used for academic/professional settings.

  • Informal: Casual communication; often uses slang, contractions, and first/second-person pronouns.

  • Jargon: Words specific to a particular discipline.

Specialized Techniques: Narrative, Expository, Argumentative, and Poetic

• Narrative Techniques: Used to craft story elements (characters, plot, pacing, theme).

  • Characterization: The process of developing and revealing a character.

  • Conflict: Struggle between opposing forces.

  • Pacing: The speed and shape of a text (fast/slow, linear/curvy).

  • Foreshadowing: Hinting at later impactful events.

  • Narrative Dialogue: Exchange of spoken words. New speakers require new paragraphs.

  • Narrative Plot Structure:

    1. Exposition: Lead and introduction of characters/setting.

    2. Inciting Incident: Event spurs the protagonist into action.

    3. Rising Action: Series of events building complications.

    4. Climax: Most suspenseful "make it or break it" moment.

    5. Falling Action: Consequences are addressed; descent to resolution.

    6. Denouement/Resolution: Problems resolved to provide closure.

• Expository Techniques: Focus on central ideas and logical conclusions. Grade $6$ focuses on key details, facts, closure, and event presentation.

• Argumentative Techniques: Used to convince an audience of a position using claims, counterclaims, expert commentary, and rebuttals. Grade $6$ emphasizes defensible claims and relevant evidence.

• Poetic Techniques: Focus on organization and sound.

  • Stanzas: Divisions based on thought or form, similar to paragraphs.

  • Imagery: Diction appealing to the $five$ senses (visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory).

  • Sound Devices: Emphasize sound effects.

  • Rhyme: Similarity of sounds.

    • True Rhyme: Identical syllables with different preceding letters (e.g., make, bake).

    • End Rhyme: Occurs at the ends of lines.

    • Internal Rhyme: Occurs within a single line.

    • Slant Rhyme: Imperfect correspondence of end sounds.

  • Rhyme Scheme: Pattern of end rhymes labeled alphabetically (a, b, etc.).

Research and Analysis

• Inquiry: Driven by natural curiosity to learn via questions and research.

• Curating: The process of reviewing, gathering, and organizing sources on a topic.

• Textual Evidence: Specific examples (summarized, paraphrased, or quoted) used to support claims.

• Paraphrasing: Putting someone else's ideas into different words while maintaining the same level of detail as the original.

• Citations: References within a body of work (e.g., (Smith $22$) or (Austen)) directing readers to a source.

• Style Guide: A manual (handbook) providing standardized systems for formatting and citations.

• Technical Texts: Educate audiences for industry or business. Genres include: driver's manuals, assembly manuals, industry reports, financial documents, industry regulations, permits, and tax forms.

• Literary Movements: Classifications based on philosophical, thematic, or aesthetic trends (e.g., those following major social/political events).

• Myths: Traditional narratives defining the origin of a people or natural phenomena.