English IV – Mr. Huvane
Final Exam Review
Please review this entire document
The date of exam is 5/4/15; we will be the second exam that day. You must have all appropriate #2 pencils and blue or black ink pens—the writing portion of the test should be completed in legible ink.
120 Multiple-Choice; 2 (minimum 3 paragraph) compositions
The majority of the multiple choice comes from the three works listed below; however, there is a miscellaneous section of multiple-choice questions on short works we have not read as a part of our class syllabus, and a approximately twenty multiple-choice questions on the Grammar reviewed below.
Literary works: Candide / Richard III / Catch 22
Check list:
· Major characters
· Minor characters
· Plot elements
· Major conflicts
· Major themes
· Literary Technique and Artistic Style
Summative Questions about the Literature:
I provide below three questions that they to communicate the most important point or theme I think you should know in each piece of literature we have studied this semester. I hope these questions will help you to prepare for both the multiple-choice and writing portion of the exam. You may find lit-charts helpful in refreshing your memory on, in particular, Candide and Richard III.
Candide:
Is this the best of all possible worlds? (Basically this boils down to the dilemma, Fate vs. Free Will.) Is everything that happens predetermined, with cause and effect nothing more than a facade created to deceive humans into thinking they have a choice; or are we really in control of all our actions?). You might cite5 examples from Candide and 5 examples from your experience or the “real world” to support your opinion.
Richard III:
Is Richard III someone we should hate and dismiss by play’s end or is he a person from which we have the opportunity to learn? How does Shakespeare present Richmond, the force of good in this play? Do you think this is one of Shakespeare’s most produced plays because as an audience we are more interested in evil than we are in good? Is this play more about the audience than it is about a deceased British monarch? How does Richard’s physical disabilities find a symbolic representation in his mental abilities?
Catch 22:
How is this novel a good example of Post-Modernism? Is Yossarian’s goal—to escape the army—admirable or “defeatist”? Which of the characters in the novel do you most resemble? Why? If we assume that the final message of this book that modern institutions—political, medical, religious, etc.—fail the people they should serve, and that they only think a person can do is find a way to disengage with these institutions, why or why not should this novel be taught in high school?
Literary Terms and Devices:
Most of these are reviewed on the following website (though you may need to search the web a little bit): http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Terms/index.html
Hyperbole/Litotes Irony (Dramatic, Situational, Verbal)
Allusion Onomatopoeia
Alliteration Oxymoron
Assonance Paradox
Simile/Metaphor Soliloquy
Iambic pentameter/Blank Verse Apostrophe
Foreshadowing Satire (Juvenlian/Horatian)
Personification (including apostrophe) Antithesis and Parallelism
Satire Postmodernism
Grammar
A portion of the multiple choice will resemble SAT-type grammar questions. Review the following “Grammar Cheat Sheet.” You can take practice tests here: (http://www.majortests.com/sat/grammar.php)
The 3 Types of Grammar Questions
1. Usage Questions
– Take less time than the others
– Procedure
o Read the whole sentence.
o Positive you see the error? Mark it.
o Not sure? Read each underlined portion carefully.
o Mark E for no error. At end of test, check all E’s again.
Example: The children would giggled as they smeared applesauce on each other. No error
A B C D E
2. Sentence Correction
– Take more time than usage questions
– Choice A is always the same as the underlined portion in the sentence.
– Choice A is the correct answer when the original sentence is okay.
– Procedure
o Read the whole sentence. Sometimes the underlined part is correct but is wrong in the context of the whole sentence
o Never read choice A
o If you think A is correct, read the other choices anyway
o Choose A if you were right the first time; otherwise, look for the choice that is right
o If you can’t figure out the answer, choose he shortest one
Example: The doctor warned the students that it are a myth that one cannot get pregnant for 24 hours after taking the SAT.
A. it are a myth that one cannot
B. it are a myth, that one cannot
C. it is a myth that one cannot
D. it is a myth which one cannot
E. its myths are that one cannot
3. Revision-in-Context
(Improving paragraphs)
– Combination of sentence correction questions and reading questions
– It’s basically a short essay full of flaws.
– Procedure
o Read through the entire essay quickly to get the gist of it
o You will see mistakes as you read. Don’t mark them down. The questions will tell you where to look.
Example
1. The jellator is unlike most animals. 2. It is known mainly for what it cannot do. 3. It is known less for what it can do. 4. and so on….)
Which of the following is the best way to combine sentences 1, 2, and 3?
A. The jellator is known mainly for what it cannot do, unlike most animals, and less for what it can do.
B. Known less for what it can do and mainly for what it cannot do, the jellator is unlike most animals.
C. Knowing what it can and cannot do, the jellator is unlike most animals.
D. Unlike most animals, the jellator is known more for what it cannot do than for what it can do.
E. The jellator is more like a desert topping than an animal.
The 13 Grammar Rules Subject to AssessmentRule 1: Subject-Verb Agreement
Rule 2: Noun-Pronoun Agreement
Rule 3: Pronoun Subjects & Objects
Rule 4: Pronoun Consistency
Rule 5: Correct Tense
Rule 6: Adjectives & adverbs
Rule 7: Parallel Construction
Rule 8: Run-on Sentences & Sentence Fragments
Rule 9: Dangling Modifiers (Participles/participial
phrases)
Rule 10: Sentence logic
Rule 11: Fixing commonly messed up expressions
Rule 12: Logical comparison
Rule 13: Comparative/superlative forms of words
But before we begin…
– Noun—person, place, thing, idea (joy), quality (stickiness), or act (drooling)
– Pronoun—word that takes the place of another noun (The Serpent is evil. He is cruel. He is a pronoun because it takes the place of Serpent.
– Verb—word that expresses action (jump) or a state of being (be). Tells what’s happening in a sentence.
– Subject—noun or pronoun that “does” the action of the verb in the sentence (He drooled. He is the subject because he is the thing that drooled.)
– Object—noun or pronoun that the verb acts on. (He tickled me. Me is the object because me is the thing that got tickled.)
– Preposition—Words like to at, in, up, over, under, after, of. They go with objects. (in the house…in is the preposition & house is the object.)
– Singular—single thing or unit (noodle)
– Plural—more than one thing (noodles)
Rule 1: Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject & verb must agree in number, so isolate the subject & the verb & make sure they match.
Incorrect: The proctor, as well as the students, were overcome by the tedious ticking of the timer and fell asleep.
Isolate subject: proctor (singular) verb: were (plural) combine: the proctor were overcome
Correct: The proctor, as well as the students, was overcome by the tedious ticking of the timer and fell asleep.
Problem: the plural students; it is set off by commas, so it’s not part of the subject. Three expressions similar to as well are: in addition to, along with, and together with
Practice:
1. The anguish of the students have been a source of pleasure to the SAT.
· Note: the subject is never in a prepositional phrase
2. Each of the streets were painted green.
· Note: 13 singular subjects: each, every, either, neither, one, no one, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, & nobody. Each takes a singular noun.
Rule 2: Noun-Pronoun Agreement
Singular subjects take singular nouns; plural subjects take plural nouns. The 13 singular subjects above each take a singular pronoun.
Incorrect: Not one of the boys read their SAT book.
Correct: Not one of the boys read his SAT book.
Rule 3: Pronoun Subjects & Objects
You must know when to use the words in the column on the left & when to use those on the right:
Subjects / ObjectsI / Me
He / Him
She / Her
They / Them
We / Us
Who / Whom
Examples
I like hotdogs, but hotdogs don’t like me.
She is good enough for Grape-Nuts, but are Grape-Nuts good enough for her?
Rule 4: Pronoun consistency
Pronouns should be consistent throughout a sentence.
Incorrect: The more you study for the SAT, the more one thinks about moving to Mongolia.
Correct: The more you study for the SAT, the more you think about moving to Mongolia.
Rule 5: Correct Tense
Make sure the action is consistent. Look for key “time words” such as when, as, after, and so forth.
Incorrect: After he ate the newt and brushed his teeth, I will kiss him.
Correct: After he eats the newt and brushes his teeth, I will kiss him.
Rule 6: Adjectives & adverbs
Adjectives describe a noun or pronoun and answer three questions: What kind? Which one? How many?
The _____ wombat (lascivious)
Adverbs tell where, when, how, or to what extent (how often or how much)
The wombat did it ___ (lasciviously)
Rule 7: Parallel Construction
Ideas that are parallel (related) should be expressed the same way.
Incorrect: I like spitting, drooling, and to slurp.
Correct: I like spitting, drooling, and slurping.
Rule 8: Run-on Sentences & Sentence Fragments
A run-on is usually two complete sentences that are incorrectly joined by a comma in stead of separated by a period or semi-colon.
Incorrect: JP ate the mysterious object, it was a noodle.
Correct: JP ate the mysterious object; it was a noodle. OR JP ate the mysterious object. It was a noodle.
Sentence fragments are parts of sentences that are made up to look like real sentences.
Incorrect: All the kids had rashes on their bodies. Especially those with uranium lunch boxes.
Correct: All the kids had rashes on their bodies, especially those with uranium lunch boxes.
Rule 9: Dangling Modifiers (Participles/participial phrases)
Incorrect: Taking the test, his copy of the cheat sheet was in his pocket.
The sentence implies that the cheat sheet was taking the test.
Correct: Taking the test, he had his copy of the cheat sheet in his pocket.
See worksheet…
Rule 10: Sentence logic
These questions will be grammatically correct on the test but don’t do a good job of saying what the writer wants them to say.
Sample: There are often sentences that are sentences that are grammatically correct, and do not say what the writer wants them to say.
A. correct, and do not say what
B. correct and do not say that which
C. correct but do not say what**
D. correct, with the exception that
E. correct saying not what
Rule 11: Fixing commonly messed up expressions
Sometimes “they” will deliberately mess up an expression to try to foil you. The only way to prepare for this type of question is by becoming familiar with standard, formal English and being able to hear or see which words or phrases just sound or look wrong.
Incorrect: Since it’s a beautiful day, I’d just assume walk.
Correct: Since it’s a beautiful day, I’d just as soon walk.
Rule 12: Logical comparison
Make sure that when you make a comparison, you compare two like things.
Incorrect: My mother’s salary is higher than Jane’s mother.
Correct: My mother’s salary is higher than Jane’s mother’s (salary).
Rule 13: Comparative/superlative forms of words
See worksheet
Last few reminders
¾ Don’t split infinitives (incorrect: “to slowly walk” correct “to walk slowly”
¾ Don’t use slang (chirp) or clichés (cold as ice)
¾ Either goes with or; neither goes with nor
¾ When referring to a country, don’t use “they”:
The US is the richest county in the world. They have the highest GNP. (It has the highest GNP.)
Writing
The exam has over five questions from which you must choose two to write a minimum three paragraph composition for each. Therefore, you can expect to write at least six paragraphs. Remember that complete paragraph have at least six detailed sentences as support and, though you may not be able to remember exact quotations, proving specific details from the text (and developed analysis of these details) is the best strategy.
The exam is the second exam on 5/4/15. Though we have been preparing for this exam each class day, we will focus on these particular starting on 4/28/15.
Possible Review Strategy
1) Review three pieces of literature. You might review a summary of the texts, generate a list of major characters/events, and pick out important quotations. A majority of the questions on the final exam on the literature portion will involve your close reading of pieces of the literature. You will be expected to know vocabulary in context, literary terms/elements in context, and how the literary sample refers to a specific character, plot element and/or theme from the entire work. A way to practice is to take sections from the pieces of literature and annotate looking for vocabulary, literary terms / elements, and how this piece functions in terms of plot elements, character development and/or important theme.
2) For the Grammar section: read the above cheat sheet and practice on the sample tests provided at ((http://www.majortests.com/sat/grammar.php).
3) For each piece of literature I have provided at least one possible composition question. There is, however, no guarantee that this will be the question listed on the final exam. The value of these sample questions is they are questions I came up with when I asked myself what major idea should each of you “take away” from the work. Personally, Candide is Voltaire’s satirical jab he hopes will inspire people to remain both compassionate and active in their morality. Richard III is about a man who felt cheated by nature and he did all he could to get back at her: it is possible to see Richard as a natural force that, like the Lisbon earthquake in Candide, is successful to the degree that those around him remain passive and ignorant. Finally, Catch 22 has the aforementioned examples of moral passivity and ignorance; and the postmodern way seems to highlight the need for people to escape society’s institutions: there is no “happy” ending as in Richard III and Candide’s relatively tame assertion to “tend one’s garden” does not communicate the extreme alienation that seems a part of this our final work.