English Exam Review PDF

Literary Elements: ​ Plot~ The story’s plan of action: a series of events that make up the story ○​ Introduction→ Introduces the characters, setting, and conflict ○​ Inciting Incident→ KEY event that causes or initiates the action in the story ○​ Rising Action→ Part of t...

Literary Elements: ​ Plot~ The story’s plan of action: a series of events that make up the story ○​ Introduction→ Introduces the characters, setting, and conflict ○​ Inciting Incident→ KEY event that causes or initiates the action in the story ○​ Rising Action→ Part of the story where the character tries to solve their problem ○​ Climax→ The biggest turning point in the story, usually someone needs to make a choice that will result in the big change ○​ Falling Action→ The result of the climax ○​ Conclusion→ The end or resolution of the story ​ Conflict~ Conflict is a problem of struggle in a story that the main character as to solve or face ○​ Conflict is created in four classic ways: ​ Human VS Self ​ Human VS Human ​ Human VS Nature ​ Human VS Society ​ Setting~ This is WHERE the story takes place. For example, the time, day, season, country, weather, era, ect. This helps with the MOOD of the story ​ Imagery~ A picture created by the writer using concrete details, adjectives, and figures of speech, which gives the reader a vivid impression of what or who is being described ○​ Ex. Outside the dark blue of the rock wall trapped closer to us, the house disappeared, swallowed by the stone; then, just as quickly, the walls spread wide and we shot out into the sea of green grass. ​ Theme Topics and Theme Statements~ A main message that is generally expressed. Often created to send an underlying message or value to the world about life or human nature. ○​ Blue Beaders theme is to respect people’s boundaries/ curiosity kills the cat ○​ The Lottery’s theme is that mindlessly following old traditions can cause harm Literary Elements and Devices: ​ Oxymoron~ Two contrasting words/ideas put together ​ Jumbo Shrimp ​ Cold Heart ​ Imagery~ When images are created by a writer using concrete details, adjectives and figures to speech ○​ Any literary references to the 5 senses is imagery (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) ​ Blossoming flower, reaching towards the sun ​ Simile~ A comparison between two unlike things using the buzzwords LIKE or AS to signal a particular meaning to the reader ​ Even under all the mental strain, the student remained cool as a cucumber ​ Personification~ When something non-human is given human qualities ​ Death is knocking at my door ​ The sun extended its hand to keep me warm that day ​ Metaphor~ Comparing two things WITHOUT using “like” or “as” ​ I am a bear in the morning  ​ My students are angles ​ Flashback~A useful devices that provides information about an earlier event; the writer shifts from the present to the past to illustrate an important point ○​ The story is told in the past tense and relieved through a characters memory ​ When Simba remembers childhood memories with his father ​ Foreshadow~ When hints or clues are given about events that will happen later in the story ​ A character breaks a mirror, a black cat crosses his path and then later on in the story something bad happens to him. ​ Irony (dramatic irony, verbal irony, situational irony) ○​ Verbal Irony~ Occurs when a character says one thing literally, but really means something else ○​ There is an implied meaning opposite to what is said ​ When you don't complete your homework, and I say, “I can see that you are working hard in this course!” (Verbal irony + sarcasm) ○​ Situational Irony~ The actual outcome is different from what is expected ​ Olympic swimmer drowns in bathtub ○​ Dramatic Irony~ When we the reader or audience member is aware of something that is about to occur, but the character in the text is not ​ Horror films use it all the time– the monster in the closet, the audience knows but the character doesn't ​ Pun~ A play on words exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings ​ Sea captains don't like crew cuts ​ Symbol~ An object, image, character or action that stands for an idea beyond its literal meaning ​ Rose= Love ​ Cross= Sacrifice ​ Chiche~ A phrase or expression that is tired or overused ​ Let’s touch base ​ The apple doesn't fall far from the tree ​ Onomatopoeia~ Words that sound the way they are spelled ​ Bang ​ Meow ​ Woof ​ Allusion~ When casual references are made to a famous historical or literary figure or event. It can also be a mythological and biblical reference ​ “That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles/And my daddy said stay away from Juliet.” ​ Hyperbole~ An exaggeration or overstatement ​ “I called you a thousand times last night” ​ Alliteration~ A repeated consonant sound, usually at the beginning of a series of words, that produce a rhythm and particular meaning within a story ​ The sleepy sun sank slowly to the sea ​ Antagonist~ The major character opposing the main character, usually the villain in the story  ​ The joker challenged Batman to understand whether or not he had the strength to defeat him ​ Aside~ when a character in a work of fiction addresses the audience directly for a moment to either express a truth, reveal a feeling, or comment on the events of the story (breaking the fourth wall) ​ Inferred~ when you go beyond the evidence and reach some further conclusion ​ “I don't see Anne. She said she was tired, so she must have gone home to bed.” ​ Protagonist~ The protagonist is the main character of the story. The story is usually told from this point of view ​ Harry Potter and Bella Swanson are both protagonist ​ Melancholy~ a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause. ​ "an air of melancholy surrounded him" ​ Tone~ The attitude the author has towards the subject ○​ This is most often created through the author’s choice of words (DICTION) ○​ The mood is different– its the way YOU feel when reading the story ​ Dark ​ Light ​ Serious ​ POV~ POV refers to the position from which the events of the story are presented to the reader. There are two MAIN points of view usually associated with storytelling: first person and third person narrative ○​ First Person Narrative~ The story is told through ONE character's eyes and the events are coloured through that character's experience. There is the use of first person pronouns such as “I” ○​ Third Person Narrative~ Third person narrative means that the story is told by an onlooker or narrator. There are two kinds– OMNISCIENT (the narrator knows everything about the characters and events) and LIMITED (the author chooses to tell the story through one character's eyes). There is the use of Third person pronouns such as “he” or “she.”