Reading Study Guide for 1st Semester Exam
Vocabulary:
critical – something of great importance
elite - something that has special skills or qualities that makes it the best
commotion - a lot of noise and confusion
clammy – cold, sticky, and damp to the touch
basking - resting in or enjoying warmth
ordeal – a difficult experience
fatal – causing death
unison - a instance of saying the same words or sounds at the same time; a group that sounds like one
submerge – to put under water
dismal – not good; depressing; dreary; bleak
Antonyms, Synonyms, and Homonyms:
antonym – word that means the opposite
synonym- word that means the same
homonym – words that sound the same but have different meanings
Figurative Language:
Simile – uses the words like or as to compare two things
Example: The kittens were like gymnasts performing tricks.
Metaphor – a direct comparison of two things not using the words like or as
Example – Diego is a mountain goat when it comes to rock climbing.
Idiom- a phrase that says one thing but actually means something different
Example: My parents will foot the bill for my birthday party.
Personification – a figure of speech in which a thing, and idea, or an animal is given a human quality
Example: The wind whispered through dry grass.
Alliteration - first consonant sounds occur close together
Example: A big bully beats a baby boy.
Onomatopoeia- natural sounds of things
Example: Moo, Bang
Students will read passages and answer questions using the following skills.
Cause and Effect
Fact and Opinion
Compare and Contrast
Sequencing
Theme
Story Structure (Setting, Characters, Plot, etc.)
Context clues
Multiple meaning words
English 1st Semester Exam
sentence- a group of words that contain a subject and a verb.
Example: The young boy tripped over his bicycle.
fragment- a group of words that does not have a complete thought
Example: The little boy on a sunny day
Types of Sentences:
Declarative – makes a statement
Example: The girl ate a huge hamburger.
Imperative – gives a command
Example: Pick up some milk at the store.
Interrogative – asks a question
Example: What is your favorite movie?
Exclamatory – shows great emotion or excitement
Example: The house is on fire!
Compound and Complex Sentences:
Compound sentence- two sentences joined together by a comma and a conjunction.
Conjunctions - and, but, or, so, for, nor, yet
Example: The boy rode his bike to school, but the girl went to school in a car.
Complex Sentence – one independent and one dependent clause joined together
Example:
The party will begin when the birthday girl arrives.
When the birthday girl arrives, we will begin the party.
When the dependent clause is at the beginning of the sentence, add a comma to separate the two clauses.
Nouns:
noun – a person, place, thing, or idea
Common noun- any person, place, thing (Ex. city, library, boy)
Proper noun – a specific person, place, or thing, (Ex. Cleveland, Robinson Memorial Library, Larry) Proper nouns are capitalized.
Singular and Plural Nouns:
Singular – one person, place, or thing
Plural - more
How to make nouns plural:
Most nouns are made plural by adding an s to the word. (Ex. boys, girls, cars)
If the noun ends in s, x, ch, or sh, add –es to make the noun plural. (Ex. dishes, glasses, churches, boxes)
If the noun ends in a consonant and y, change the y to i and add es. (Ex. parties)
Irregular Plural Nouns
man = men child = children goose = geese
sheep = sheepdeer = deermouse = mice
moose = moose
If the noun ends in f or fe, change the f to v and add –es (Ex. leaf = leaves, wolf = wolves)
Subjects and Verbs:
The subject of the sentence tells who or what is doing something in the sentence.
The verb of the sentence tells what the subject is doing or has done.
Example: The boy rode his bicycle to school every day.
Subject and Verb Agreement:
If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular.
If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
To make verbs singular, add an s to the verb.
Example: The boy cares for his sick mother. (Singular)
The boys care for their sick mother. (Plural)
Singular and Plural Possessive Nouns:
Possessive nouns show ownership.
To make a singular noun possessive, add an apostrophe (‘) and
-s. (Example: Sally’s room)
To make a plural noun possessive, add an apostrophe (‘) after the noun.