NB Grade 6 English Reading cheat sheet

Informational text is nonfiction written to inform, explain, or persuade; its central ideas are supported by facts, examples, and statistics.

A main idea is the most important point about the whole passage; a supporting detail explains, proves, or illustrates that point.

A summary states the main idea and key supporting details in your own words, leaving out minor examples and personal opinions.

Text features - headings, captions, bold words, diagrams, timelines, glossaries - help readers locate and understand information.

An objective summary contains only information from the text; a subjective response adds the reader's judgment or feelings.

When two texts address the same topic, compare how each presents facts, which details each emphasizes, and where they agree or differ.

An author's claim is a statement the author wants readers to accept; evidence is the facts or examples offered to support it.

Literary text includes fiction, poetry, and drama; it uses characters, setting, plot, and theme to tell a story.

Plot follows an arc: exposition introduces characters and setting, rising action builds conflict, climax is the turning point, falling action follows, and resolution ends the story.

Character traits are revealed through what a character says, does, thinks, and how others respond; feelings are temporary, traits are enduring.

Theme is the underlying message about life or human nature; it is stated in a full sentence, not in one word like 'friendship.'

Point of view: first person uses I/we, third-person limited follows one character's thoughts, and third-person omniscient knows all characters' thoughts.

Dialogue and stage directions in drama reveal character and advance the plot; poetry uses line breaks, stanzas, rhythm, and rhyme.

A conflict can be internal (a character against himself or herself) or external (character against character, nature, or society).

Context clues are words or phrases around an unknown word that hint at its meaning: definition, example, contrast, and cause-effect are common types.

A definition clue restates the word's meaning nearby, often after 'is' or 'means'; an example clue gives instances introduced by 'such as' or 'for example.'

A contrast clue signals an opposite meaning with words like 'but,' 'unlike,' or 'however'; a cause-effect clue links the word to a result.

A prefix is added to the beginning of a base word (un-, re-, pre-, dis-); a suffix is added to the end (-ful, -less, -tion, -ly) and can change the part of speech.

A synonym has a similar meaning; an antonym has an opposite meaning; a homophone sounds the same but differs in spelling and meaning (their/there).

A word's connotation is its emotional shade (positive, negative, neutral); denotation is its dictionary meaning.

Figurative language - simile, metaphor, personification, idiom - goes beyond literal meaning and must be interpreted from context.

The main idea is the central point of a paragraph or passage; it is often stated in a topic sentence at the beginning or end.

An implied main idea is not stated directly; the reader must combine the supporting details to infer it.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, why, or how and may include facts, examples, reasons, or quotations.

A good summary is brief, in the reader's own words, includes the main idea and key details, and excludes minor details and personal opinions.

A paraphrase restates a short passage in different words; a summary condenses a longer text to its essential points.

To find the main idea, ask: What is the passage mostly about, and what point does the author make about that topic?

Irrelevant details do not support the main idea; recognizing them helps readers build accurate summaries.

An inference is a logical conclusion drawn from text evidence plus the reader's background knowledge; it is not a guess unsupported by the text.

To support an inference, cite specific words, sentences, or details from the passage and explain how they lead to the conclusion.

Author's purpose is commonly to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain; the purpose shapes word choice, tone, and organization.

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject (humorous, serious, critical); mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader.

Persuasive techniques include stating a claim, giving reasons and evidence, using emotional appeals, and addressing counterarguments.

Interpretation requires explaining what a text means, including figurative language, symbolism, and the effect of specific word choices.

An author's perspective is the viewpoint from which the author writes; it may reflect the author's role, experiences, or audience.

Common text structures: chronological (time order), cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, and description (main idea with details).

Signal words reveal structure: 'first, next, finally' (chronological); 'because, as a result' (cause-effect); 'both, unlike, however' (compare-contrast).

Text features include headings, subheadings, captions, bold and italic print, bullet points, sidebars, diagrams, maps, charts, and glossaries.

Genre categories: fiction (realistic, historical, fantasy, mystery), nonfiction (informational, biography, autobiography), poetry, and drama.

A biography tells a person's life written by someone else; an autobiography is written by the person about his or her own life.

Historical fiction blends real historical settings or events with imagined characters and plot.

Recognizing genre helps readers predict how a text is organized and what kind of information or experience to expect.