ELA Study Guide 2014
Paquin Study Guide
Tone- the author's perspective or attitude towards the subject matter.
Mood-the emotional quality of a story or other piece of writing as perceived by the reader.
Perspective-the point of view of the author or a character.
Inference-something that is implied, not directly stated.
Connotative-the associated or secondary meaning of a story, word or expression.
Genre-the style and type of a book or story, like mystery or thriller.
Theme-the central or main idea of a piece of writing.
Literal-the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical.
Implicit-indirectly, rather than expressly, stated.
Diction-word choice.
Fable-a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters.
Idiom-an expression whose meaning is not predictable, as in "cat got your tongue" or "a dime a dozen."
Synopsis a summary of the plot of a story.
Metaphor- phrase represents something to which it is not literally applicable
Simile-two unlike things are explicitly compared, using the words like or as
Alliteration: When the beginning of 2 words that are close together start with the same sound
Personification-attribution of character to inanimate objects/abstract notions/animals
Allegory-extended metaphor story, where characters stand in for abstract ideas
Satire-use of irony, sarcasm or ridicule to expose wrong-doing
Imagery-figurative description or illustration used in a story
Symbolism-representing things by symbols/investing things with symbolic meaning
Irony-words conveying a meaning opposite of literal meaning
Figure of speech-expressive language use, words used outside their literal sense
Onomatopoeia-word that imitates sound made by or associated with what it describes
Juxtaposition-placing ideas side by side for comparison or contrast
Paradox-statement that seems self-contradictory but expresses a possible truth
Hyperbole-intentional exaggeration, as in "Your brother is ten feet tall."
1st Personperspective- using “I” in narration
3rd Person Limited- narrator knows the thoughts of one character
3rd person Omniscient- narrator knows the thoughts of one character
Synonym- a word that is similar
Antonym- a word that is the opposite
Low angle- camera is low, looking up
Eye-level angle- camera is at eye level
High angle- camera is above, filming something below
Soft Lighting- lighting in a film or picture that dulls the angles and shadows in the shot
Hard lighting- lighting in a film or picture that sharpens the angles and shadows in the shot
Extreme close up shot- only part of a whole is seen
Close up shot- one object is dominant in the shot
Medium close up shot- shoulders up, no background
Medium shot- waist up, hardly any background
Long shot- whole body, some background
Extreme long shot- mostly background, dwarfed object in frame.
Exposition:The beginning of the story. This is where a writer establishes the setting, main characters, and the conflict.
Rising Action:Here is where the story begins to build
Climax:The culmination of all the story’s events and the most exciting part of the story.
Falling Action:The main conflict is mostly resolved, but a few loose ends still need to be tied up
Resolution:The end of the story. Everything is wrapped up and the world is good again. Curtains close.
Utopia: a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities
Dystopia: a community or society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening
Internal conflict: a problem inside a character- ex: low confidence in themselves. Person vs. self.
External conflict: a problem outside that a character is dealing with- person vs. person or person vs. environment
Dramatic irony: When the audience knows what will happen/what’s going on and the characters do not
Verbal irony: sarcasm, or a sarcastic tone
Situational irony: When an event happens that the audience and/or characters do not expect
Setting: the environment in which a piece of literature takes place