1 st SEMESTER

 55 questions on the test  Multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, short answer

 Theme- the moral or lesson of the story  Exposition- a statement that sums up the purpose of a story or part of a story.  Inference– an educated guess based on information given

 Symbolism- the use of symbols in a literary work  Climax- the highest point of action in the story; all events have led to this big one  Falling action- after the climax; loose ends are being tied up  Resolution- solution to the story

 Tone- a writer’s or speaker’s attitude towards a subject  Imagery- figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.  Lessons learned from story  Determine the effect of dialogue on a narrative

 Keeping the verb tense in a story consistent  How best to revise a paragraph  How to delete extraneous information from a passage  How to add information to a passage to add clarity  Past, present, and future tense of verbs: Yesterday I ran. Today I run. Tomorrow I will run.  Identifying sentence errors

Comma: 6 basic rules: Use when there is a list: red, black, and yellow. Use in compound sentences. Use in complex sentences where the dependent clause is at the beginning. Use in introductory phrases: by the way, in order to… Use with transition words. Use when introducing a quote.

Hyphen: basic rules- Use hyphens with compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and with fractions used as modifiers. Use hyphens in a compound adjective only when it comes before the word it modifies. However, some compound adjectives are always hyphenated, such as well-balanced. Look up compound adjectives in the dictionary if you are unsure whether or not to hyphenate them. Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex-, self-, and all-; with the suffix -elect; and with all prefixes before a proper noun or proper adjective.

Dash: basic rules- In the middle of a sentence, a dash can put special emphasis on a group of words or make them stand out from the rest of the sentence.  E XAMPLE : Linda Simpson's prescription for the economy, lower interest rates, higher employment, and less government spending, was rejected by the president's administration.  B ECOMES : Linda Simpson's prescription for the economy— lower interest rates, higher employment, and less government spending—was rejected by the president's administration. The dash can also be used to attach material to the end of a sentence when there is a clear break in the continuity of the sentence or when an explanation is being introduced.  E XAMPLE : The president will be unable to win enough votes for another term of office—unless, of course, he can reduce unemployment and the deficit soon.  E XAMPLE : It was a close call—the sudden gust of wind pushed the helicopter to within inches of the power line.

Semicolon: basic rules- Semicolons join independent clauses in a compound sentence if no coordinating conjunction is used.  E XAMPLE : Michael seemed preoccupied; he answered our questions abruptly. Semicolons are used before a conjunctive adverb (transition word) that joins the clauses of a compound sentence.  E XAMPLE : The emergency room was crowded; however, Warren was helped immediately. Semicolons help avoid confusion in lists where there are already commas.  E XAMPLE : We traveled to London, England; Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; and Sofia, Bulgaria.

Colon: basic rules- Colons come after the independent clause and before the word, phrase, sentence, quotation, or list it is introducing.  E XAMPLE : Joe has only one thing on his mind: girls. (word) Joe has only one thing on his mind: the girl next door. (phrase) Joe has only one thing on his mind: he wants to go out with Linda. (clause) Joe has several things on his mind: his finals, his job, and Linda. (list) Never use a colon after a verb that directly introduces a list.  I NCORRECT : The things on Joe’s mind are: finals, work, and Linda.  C ORRECT : The things on Joe’s mind are finals, work, and Linda.

 Rhyme scheme: A consistent pattern of rhyme throughout a poem.  Incident- A distinct piece of action, as in an episode of a story or play. It is made up of a sequence of events.  Tone- A writer’s or speaker’s attitude towards a subject.

 Characterization- The methods a writer uses to reveal character: the character’s appearance, what the character says or does, and what others say about the character.  Transitions- Words or phrases that connect ideas, details, or events in writing.  Sensory details- Words that appeal to the five senses.  Folklore- A general term that describes the stories. Traditions, sayings, and customs of a culture or society.

 Plot- The sequence of related events that make up a story.  Theme- A central idea, message, or purpose of a literary work.  Symbol- An object, a person, or a place that stands for something else.  Symbolism- The use of symbols in a literary work.  Personal narrative- A narrative from first person point of view. (ie biographies & anecdotes)

 Know the prefix re- means again  Know the root word vis- means to see again  Know the root word vert- means turn

 First step: UNDERSTAND THE PROMPT  2 types of FCAT essays: EXPOSITORY and PERSUASIVE  Key support for Expository essays: REASONS  Key support for Persuasive essays: ARGUMENTS

 Second step: PLANNING  Thirst step: INTRODUCTION  What the Introduction must include: ATTENTION GETTER/GRABBER  Fourth step: WRITING THE BODY  Each paragraph should begin with a TRANSITION.  Final step: CONCLUSION