NB Grade 7 FI Reading cheat sheet

Text structure signals: cause-effect uses "because," "as a result," "therefore"; comparison uses "whereas," "both," "unlike"; sequence uses "first," "then," "finally."

Main idea = the claim the whole passage supports; it is usually stated in the introduction or conclusion and restated in the title.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, how much, or why; a detail that appears once and is never referenced again is usually not the main idea.

A heading or subheading names the topic of the section beneath it, not the main idea of the whole text.

Author's purpose decision rule: if the text gives steps or data to help the reader act, purpose is to inform or explain; if it urges a choice, purpose is to persuade.

Graphic aids (tables, captions, diagrams) carry information that may not appear in the body text; a question about them must be answered from them alone.

Chronological order is signaled by dates and time words; problem-solution is signaled by a stated difficulty followed by remedies.

Objective tone uses neutral verbs ("reports," "found"); persuasive tone uses evaluative words ("shocking," "must," "only").

Plot arc: exposition sets place and characters, rising action builds conflict, climax is the turning point, falling action resolves loose ends, resolution closes the story.

Conflict types: person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. society, person vs. self; the type is decided by what the protagonist struggles against.

Characterization is direct when a narrator states a trait and indirect when it is shown through speech, action, thoughts, or others' reactions.

Setting affects plot when weather, time period, or location limits or enables what characters can do.

Theme is a statement about life the whole story supports; it is never a single word like "friendship" but a sentence such as "trust must be earned."

First-person narration uses "I" and reports only what that narrator knows; third-person omniscient can enter any character's mind.

Foreshadowing plants hints about later events; suspense is the uncertainty about how events will turn out.

A symbol is a concrete object that stands for an abstract idea and recurs at key moments in the text.

Inference = text evidence + background knowledge; an answer with no textual support is a guess, not an inference.

Prediction rule: base it on stated clues plus established character traits, then check it against later text.

Tone versus mood: tone is the narrator's or author's attitude; mood is the feeling created in the reader.

Connotation decides word choice: "thrifty" is positive, "stingy" is negative, though both mean careful with money.

Figurative language must be read non-literally: simile uses like/as, metaphor states one thing is another, personification gives human traits to non-human things.

To infer an unstated cause, look for the effect described and the most plausible preceding event that explains it.

When two interpretations are possible, the stronger one is supported by more separate details and contradicts no stated fact.

Quotation marks signal a character's exact words; unquoted summary of the same event is the narrator's report.

Context clue types: definition (a dash or "means"), example ("such as"), contrast ("but," "unlike"), and cause-effect ("so," "because").

Prefix meanings: un-/in-/dis- = not; re- = again; pre- = before; sub- = under; inter- = between; trans- = across.

Suffix meanings: -tion/-ment = noun (process or state); -able/-ful = adjective; -ly = adverb; -ize = verb.

Greek and Latin roots: bio = life, graph = write, tele = far, port = carry, spect = look, dict = say, aqua = water.

Homophones differ in spelling and meaning but not sound: their/there/they're, its/it's, to/too/two, your/you're.

Subject-verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb even when a prepositional phrase sits between them ("The box of tools is heavy").

Pronoun antecedent rule: a pronoun must match its noun in number and gender, and the nearest possible antecedent is usually the intended one.

Punctuation for quoting: quotation marks enclose exact words, and the comma or period goes inside the closing quotation mark in French and English usage taught in class.

A strong response states a claim, gives at least one direct quotation or precise detail, and explains how that evidence proves the claim.

Quotation format: introduce the source, place the exact words in quotation marks, then add a sentence of commentary linking it to the claim.

Paraphrase instead of quoting when the idea matters more than the wording; paraphrased evidence still needs a page or paragraph reference.

Evidence quality test: the detail must be relevant to the claim, sufficient (more than one point for a broad claim), and accurately quoted.

Counter-argument move: acknowledge an opposing view, then show with evidence why the stated claim is stronger.

Answer structure for a short response: restate the question as a statement, answer it, cite evidence, explain, conclude.

When asked how the author supports a point, name the technique (statistic, example, expert quotation, anecdote) and cite where it appears.

Avoid "I think" or "I liked it" in an evidence-based response unless the prompt explicitly asks for personal reaction; evaluative claims need textual proof.