Common Exam for English 9 MSL Common Exam for English 9

90 minutes 3 passages 30 items The Basics 3 constructed response 27 multiple choice

The Passages 3 total passages 2 passages from literature (including short story and poetry) 1 passage from history/social studies or science 9 multiple choice questions per passage 1 constructed response per passage

Constructed Response Short Constructed Response (2) 2 points each can be answered well in a paragraph or less Extended (Long) Constructed Response up to 4 points can be answered well in 3 paragraphs Answer Sheet

To Prepare You should: review literary terms (on list from the beginning of the year) review the Important Terms

Important Terms Analyze – examine closely; break the text down into its various parts that make up the whole Analogy – a comparison of one situation to another Annotate – take notes on a literary text Author’s Claim – argument the author makes Author’s Counterclaim – a claim the author makes to offset another claim

Important Terms Author’s Point of View – perspective an author takes Author’s Purpose – the point the author wants to get across to his or her readers Author’s Tone – the attitude an author takes toward his or her work (Ex: Critical, Sympathetic, Bitter) Clarity – clearness of understanding Coherent – easily understood

Important Terms Connotative Language – meaning suggested, not directly stated, by the author’s choice of words Connotation – a suggested meaning of a word (Ex: snake: a treacherous or deceptive person) Denotation- a direct or explicit meaning of a word(Ex: snake: a scaly reptile) Diction – words writers use to express ideas (Word Choice) Effect – a result OR to influence or cause something to happen or to change

Important Terms Exemplify – show how or illustrate Explicit – direct Ethos – stance an author takes in an argument when he or she appeals the readers through ethics, morality, rightness, fairness

Important Terms Idiom – an expression that cannot be translated into another language and should not be taken literally http://www.buzzle.com/articles/idiom- examples-of-idioms.html

Important Terms Impact – a strong effect OR to make a strong effect Imply – when someone suggests something rather than directly states it Infer – when someone draws a conclusion or makes a guess based on what they’ve read or heard Intent – purpose Irony – the opposite of what you would expect (See your literary terms for the differences in dramatic, verbal, and situational)

Important Terms Figurative language – expressive use of language through imagery, metaphor, simile, or other poetic devices Literary or Poetic Device – use of imagery, metaphor, simile, alliteration, etc. to create a vivid image for the reader Logos – stance an author takes in an argument where he or she relies on logic or facts/statistics to make his or her point Parallelism /Parallel Structure– repetition of words or phrases or sentence structure to emphasize meaning and make the writing flow Pathos – stance an author takes in an argument where he or she uses emotion to prove his or her point

Important Terms Point of View of the Story – first person, third person limited, third person omniscient **Primary Sources – the literary texts you use to write a paper on those texts Relevance – importance or significance of something Satire/Satirical – a type of writing where the author is criticizes or makes fun of someone or something to bring about change

Important Terms **Secondary Sources – articles, books, columns, etc ABOUT the literary texts you are writing about in a paper Syntax – the pattern or structure of the word order in a sentence or phrase Word Choice – choice of words author uses in his or her writing (If you are asked a question about how the author’s word choice impacts the meaning, include specific words he or she uses in your response to make his or her point.)