1. English 12 A – British literature 449-1798
Final Exam Review

2. The Basics 16 questions over the literature 9 questions on vocabulary
13 grammar questions
2 sentence structure questions
5 questions on verbs
4 short answer questions

3. The Literature Beowulf “The Seafarer”
What is “pagan”? How is this portrayed in Beowulf?
How are Christian terms used to describe Grendel?
What is the order of events? What does the word “aftermath” mean?
What is a protagonist? Who is the protagonist in Beowulf?
What is an antagonist? In Beowulf?
What does Beowulf hope about his battle with the dragon? What does he know?
“The Seafarer”
What is the tone of the poem? (hint: it is an elegy)

4. The Literature The Canterbury Tales
What is the purpose of the pilgrimage?
Why does Chaucer include the “Prologue”?
What does spring symbolize?
What is a Franklin?
Why does the Pardoner preach?
What is the difference between the Knight traveling as a pilgrim and the knight in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”?
What does the knight in the Wife’s tale think of his new wife? Who is she?

5. The Literature - poetry
Wyatt
What is the metaphor in “Whoso List to Hunt”?
Spencer’s “Sonnet 30” (Fire and Ice)
What is the paradox?
What is his conclusion?
Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”
What does Donne claim is the most powerful force in the world?
How does he reinforce this idea?

6. The Literature - Shakespeare
“Sonnet 29” (“When, in disgrace”)
What is the speaker’s tone in the beginning?
What causes the change?
What does he envy?
“Sonnet 116” (“The Marriage of True Minds”)
What is Shakespeare’s message about true love?

7. The Literature - Restoration
Gray
What are typical symbols of “the end”?
What does he think about the poor and unknown?
Swift
What is Swift’s tongue-in-cheek point about the wealthy in “A Modest Proposal”?
What type of irony does Swift use?
Pope
What does it mean to be petty? How are people petty today?
What role does fate play in a (mock) epic?
Pepys
Who wrote his diary? What person is it written in ? How do you know?

8. Vocabulary blithe ignoble brooch ignominy cask laity commodity martyr
covetous
parley
craven
penury
crone
pestilence
decree
profanation
deeds
rude (not attitude)
despondence
semblance
epidemic
sovereignty
fickle
stature
flushed (appearance)
tribulation
forlorn
valediction
genial
virtuous

9. Grammar Adjectives Verbs Pronouns
Proper, indefinite, interrogative, demonstrative
Verbs
transitive, action, auxiliary, linking
Pronouns
concrete, compound, proper, collective,
Intensive, reflexive, indefinite, demonstrative,

10. Grammar Simple vs. complete subject Simple vs. complete predicate
Compounds
direct object, predicate nominative, subject, verb
Objective complement
Conjunctions
correlative, coordinating, subordinating

11. Grammar Clauses Phrases Independent, adverbial, noun, adjectival,
Appositive, participial, gerund, infinitive

12. Sentence Structure Simple? Compound? Complex? Compound-complex?
How do you decide if a clause is independent?

13. Verbs
Look at the tense of other verbs in the sentence and make sure your answer choice matches.
pArticiples are used as Adjectives and Adverbs to describe (end in –ing and –ed)
geruNds are used as Nouns and subjects
(end in –ing)

14. Verbs
Going
Was
understood
Future
past

15. How do I answer essay questions?

16. What is an Essay Question?
An essay question is a test item which contains the following elements:
1. Requires examinees to compose rather than select their response.
2. Elicits student responses that must consist of more than one sentence.
3. Allows original responses and response patterns.
4. Provides students with an indication of the types of thinking and content to use in responding to the essay question.

17. For each of the following essay questions, decide whether it matches the definition given for effective essay questions.
1. Restate the definition for ‘opportunity cost’ that was provided in class. 2. Should Olympic games ever be cancelled because of the threats of terrorist attacks? 3. What are the 3 basic steps of photosynthesis? 4. Compare and contrast descriptive research and empirical research?

18. Read The Question
1. READ the Question 3 times. 2. UNDERSTAND the Question and the TASK completely. 3. WRITE in Complete Sentences!! 4. Use correct conventions!

19. UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION
1. How many parts are there to the Question?
2. Answer each part separately.
3.What are you being asked to do?
4. Pull everything together for a cohesive paragraph or essay.

20. WHAT ARE YOU ASKED TO DO? EXPLAIN WHY? DESCRIBE? Support your Answer?
COMPARE?
CONTRAST?
GIVE AN OPINION?

21. Ways to Answer COMPARE: 3 ways things are ALIKE or Different
EXPLAIN WHY: Give 3 Reasons after ‘BECAUSE…’
DESCRIBE: Give 3 Details
COMPARE: 3 ways things are ALIKE or Different
CONTRAST: 3 ways things are DIFFERENT
OPINION: State the way you think, feel, or believe and tell 3 reasons ‘WHY”

22. Write in Complete Sentences
1.They have a subject, predicate and descriptive words. 2. They are punctuated with a capital letter at the beginning, and a period, question mark, or exclamation point at the end. 3. They make sense and answer the question!

23. Essay Answer NO-NO’s
1. One word answers 2. Incomplete Sentences 3. One sentence answers

24. REMEMBER… THE POWER OF THREE
1. READ CAREFULLY
2. ANSWER COMPLETELY
COMPLETE SENTENCES
COMPLETE ALL PARTS
3. CHECK YOUR WORK
SPELLING GRAMMAR
NEATNESS PUNCTUATION
ACCURACY

25. Two Point Values A four point question requires:
At least 3-5 sentences
At least 1 specific example from the text
A 16 point essay requires:
At least 16 sentences (approx. 2 paragraphs)
At least 3 specific examples from the text.