1. Unit 1 assessment Preparation
Figurative
Language
Inference
Main/Central Idea
Unit 1 assessment Preparation
Textual Evidence
DEFINITIONS D
Connotation/Denotation
Informative Text
Story Structure
Point of View

2. First person point-of-view:
The point-of-view is position from which the story is told to the reader. The point-of-view refers to who is telling the story. The speaker will most always be either the main character (protagonist/antagonist) OR a narrator.
First person point-of-view:
If the main character is the speaker then the story is being told from the first person p-o-v (point-of- view). In this case, the character will refer to his/herself as I, me, and we.
Third person point-of-view: 
If instead there is a narrator telling the story, the story is written from the third person p-o-v. When the narrator is a speaker who can be either omniscient (all-knowing) or limited (knowing only what the characters actually say or do but not their inner thoughts and feelings). The narrator uses words such as her, him, theirs, etc.
Second person point-of-view: 
If the main character is the speaker AND tells the story as though speaking DIRECTLY to the audience, then the story is being told from the second person p-o-v (point-of-view). In this case, the character will refer to his/herself as I, me, and we, but will speak to the audience using words like you, y’all, you people, and the like. The speaker will also on occasion ask the audience questions. You won’t come across this point very often. You know what I mean? The underlined sentences make this second person p-o-v. 

3. TEXTUAL EVIDENCE/INFERENCE
Textual evidence may be a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph that led you to make an inference or draw a conclusion. When you cite textual evidence, someone else can look back at a particular part of a text you read and understand how you came to your inferences or conclusions.
For example: In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” the speaker describes coming to a fork on a forest path and having to choose which one to take, it might state:   The difficulty of making choices is an important theme of Frost’s poem.
The same analysis(examination) is strengthened by going on to cite textual evidence:   Frost comes up with this theme in the first few lines. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” the speaker begins, “and sorry I could not travel both/and be one traveler,/long I stood ” Immediately, we see that the speaker is faced with a tough choice: which way to go.
            Whether you’re making inferences from a short passage or drawing conclusions based on an entire text, textual evidence is the most important tool for helping you explain your ideas.

4. DENOTATION/CONNOTATION
The denotation of a word is its dictionary definition—the true meaning of the word.
For example: The word “plump” in the dictionary means “something that has a round and full shape.” The word “house” in the dictionary means “a dwelling or shelter to protect individuals.”
The Connotations of a word can be positive, negative, or neutral (neither positive or negative). The connotation of a word is the meaning that our culture or our emotions give the word. It can be based on an experience.
For example: If you said a car engine was greasy (covered in oil), it would have a neutral connotation; however, if you said a plate of food or a person’s hair was greasy, it would have a negative connotation.
When writers decide what words to use, they have to consider the denotations and connotations of each word.

5. ***SEE NOTES IN YOUR JOURNALS***
You’re chicken
The train screamed for me to get out of the way!
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Figurative language is the use of non-literal meaning of a phrase or sentences. It uses figure of speech such as metaphors, similes, hyperboles, personifications, and idioms.
For Example: Simile is the comparison of two unlike things using like, as, or seems.
Metaphor is the comparison of two unlike things by saying that one thing IS the other.
Personification is the comparison where a non-human being or object is given human qualities and characteristics.
Hyperbole is a grand exaggeration used to make a stronger point and many times (but not always) also to be humorous (funny).
Idioms are culture specific phrases and sayings that just mean something different than their literal meaning. They are common and familiar phrases that only people o that country, region, or culture might understand.
***SEE NOTES IN YOUR JOURNALS***

6. STORY STRUCTURE/PLOT ELEMENTS
Exposition: The beginning of any narrative story is called the exposition. You will always learn these three things in the exposition: characters (main characters), setting, and the introduction to conflict.
Rising action: The Rising action is put into motion by the conflict. The rising action contains plot point, which are main events that happened while the main character(s) tried to solve the conflict.
Climax: The Climax is also called the turning point in short stories; it is the most suspenseful part of the story where the main character(s) solves the problem or makes some major life changing decision or discovery. The actions of the main character or events that happen at the climax affect the resolution (how the story will end).
Falling action: Things that happen after the climax but before the real ending/resolution of the story collectively, are called falling action, and the action slows down. The conflict/problem is already solved.
Resolution: The actions, decisions, and even character traits of the main character affect the resolution. Resolution is how the story finally ended as a result of what the character(s) did or discovered during the climax.

7. STORY STRUCTURE/PLOT ELEMENTS CONTINUE
Themes are lessons about life that the readers are expected to learn through reading the story. Moral is a synonym for theme. Sometimes themes of a story are directly stated at the end, but you will also be expected to infer some of the story themes just by observing what happened throughout the story.
DO NOT GET THIS CONFUSED WITH THE PLOT OF THE STORY (what the story is about)

8. WORD CHOICE
Word choice is very important when writing. A writer’s choice of words is never random. In fact, writers have always chosen their words carefully, to achieve a specific effect. Writers like to use denotation and figurative language (as mentioned earlier) to give a specific effect.
For Example: In the mythology story of “Perseus”, the author uses denotation (scathing/festers) and a simile in these lines to make more of an impact on the reader and the situation…
a scathing image dire as hated truth the mind accepts at last and festers on.

9. MAIN IDEA/CENTRAL IDEA
Main idea/central idea: The main idea is what the story, passage, essay, etc. is mainly about. Ask yourself this question… What is this all about?
The main idea is another word for thesis statement in your essay.
For Example: “Jackie Robinson had life changing events throughout his life.”

10. INFORMATIONAL TEXT
Informational text: This is a piece of writing that informs the reader about a topic. News articles, business letters, and even online blogs are examples of informational texts. Informational texts can be organized in four basic ways: cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution, and sequential order.
Cause/effect order means that a writer is showing how and why something happened. One example is an article about the causes or factors that led to the Civil War.
Compare/contrast means that a writer is showing how two things are similar and different. One example is a text that explains how life in a city and life in the country are similar and different.
Problem/solution means that a writer is showing the reader a problem and offering a solution. For example, a writer might tell readers the dangers of getting the flu and how to avoid it.
Sequential order means that a writer is showing the steps in a process or a sequence of events. An example is an online blogger giving readers step-by-step instructions on how to make a homemade pie.