Midterm Exam Study Notes - English 300

Midterm Exam Study Notes - English 300

• Exam Format: 90-minute exam covering CommonLit, IXL exercises, and class texts (Spoon River Anthology and Hamlet). Includes multiple choice, matching, and an essay question. Thorough study is essential.

CommonLit Passage Analysis

• Main Idea: The core point the author intends to communicate.
• Author's Purpose: The reason the author wrote the text (e.g., inform, persuade, entertain).
• Text Structure: How the author organizes information (cause/effect, comparison/contrast).

IXL Sentence Structure Review

• Sentence Fragment: An incomplete sentence lacking a subject or verb.
• Run-on Sentence: Two or more complete thoughts joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
• Prepositional Phrase: A group of words beginning with a preposition and ending with a noun.
• Sentence Types:
• Compound: Two complete sentences joined by a conjunction.
• Complex: One independent clause and one dependent clause.
• Compound-Complex: Two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Spoon River Anthology Study Guide

• Author: Edgar Lee Masters.
• Setting: The fictional town of Spoon River.
• "American Dream": Characters often have dreams that are unfulfilled, leading to disappointment.
• Themes: Death, regret, unfulfilled dreams, self-perception in death.
• Epitaph: A short statement on a tombstone summarizing a person's life or thoughts.
• Examples of Notable Epitaphs:
• George Gray: Regrets missed opportunities.
• Margaret Fuller Slack: Disappointment and social injustices.
• Samuel Gardner: Reflection on societal judgment.

Hamlet Study Guide

• Author: William Shakespeare.
• Globe Theatre: London theater where Shakespeare's plays were performed.
• "To be or not to be": Hamlet's contemplation on life and death.
• "Play within a Play" (The Mousetrap): Hamlet uses a play to test Claudius' guilt.
• Hamlet's Mental State: Confusion, sadness, anger, feigned madness.
• Key Characters:
• Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, seeking revenge.
• Ghost: Hamlet's father, catalyst for the plot.
• Horatio: Hamlet's loyal friend.
• Claudius: King, murderer of Hamlet's father.
• Gertrude: Hamlet's mother, married to Claudius.
• Polonius: King's advisor.
• Ophelia: Polonius's daughter, loves Hamlet.
• Laertes: Ophelia's brother, seeks revenge.
• Fortinbras: Prince of Norway, seeks Danish territory.
• Themes: Revenge, life/death, madness, family, corruption.
• Symbols: Yorick's skull (death), Ophelia's flowers (innocence/madness).
• Key Quotes and Their Meanings:
• "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark": Corruption in Denmark.
• "I must be cruel, only to be kind": Hamlet's justification for hurting others to help them.
• "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio": Reflection on death and mortality.
• "The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king": Hamlet's plan to expose Claudius' guilt.
• Lines and Speakers: (See provided list)

Literary Devices Review

• Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in words.
• Allusion: Reference to another literary work, historical figure, or event.
• Characterization: How the author reveals a character's personality.
• Epitaph: Brief saying on a gravestone.
• Foil: A character who contrasts with another character to highlight differences.
• Free Verse: Poetry without a regular rhyme scheme or meter.
• Irony: Discrepancy between expectation and reality.
• Soliloquy: A character's speech expressing their thoughts aloud, alone on stage.
• Symbolism: Use of objects or actions to represent abstract ideas.
• Theme: The central message or idea of a literary work.

Essay Writing Tips

• Structure: Introduction, body paragraphs (support with textual evidence), conclusion (restate main point).
• Organization: Ensure logical flow of ideas.

Prepare for your English 300 midterm exam with this comprehensive study guide. Covering key topics such as CommonLit analysis, IXL sentence structure, and critical understanding of texts like Spoon River Anthology and Hamlet, this guide will help you excel in multiple choice, matching, and essay questions.