SK SSA ELA 4 cheat sheet

Central idea = the single point the whole passage supports; supporting details each answer who, what, when, where, why, or how about that point.

Text structure signals: cause/effect (because, as a result, therefore), compare/contrast (both, unlike, whereas), problem/solution (issue, remedy, fix), chronological (first, then, finally), description (for example, such as).

A summary states the central idea plus the most important details in your own words and omits examples, anecdotes, and minor facts.

Firsthand account: narrator took part in the event and uses I/we; secondhand account: narrator reports what others saw or researched.

Primary source = created at the time by a participant (diary, photograph, letter); secondary source = later interpretation (textbook, encyclopedia article).

An inference is a conclusion built from text evidence plus background knowledge; it must be supported by a quoted or paraphrased detail, not a guess.

Author's point of view in informational text = the position or claim the author argues; reasons and evidence are the support offered for it.

Graphic features carry meaning: a diagram shows parts or steps, a timeline shows sequence, a map shows location, a caption explains a visual.

Story elements: characters, setting, plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), conflict, and theme.

Theme is the message about life or human nature stated as a full sentence; the topic is only one or two words (topic: courage; theme: courage can appear in small everyday choices).

Character traits are inferred from what a character says, does, thinks, and how others respond; feelings are temporary states, traits are lasting qualities.

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

Figurative language: simile uses like/as, metaphor states a comparison directly, personification gives human qualities to nonhuman things, hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration.

Context clues for an unknown word include definition restatement, example, contrast (antonym signal), and the overall sentence meaning.

Dialogue and stage directions in drama reveal character and move the plot; the speaker tag tells who talks and how.

A summary of a story keeps the main conflict and resolution and drops minor characters and side events.

Relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) introduce adjective clauses: use who/whom for people, which for things, that for either in restrictive clauses.

Relative adverbs where, when, and why introduce clauses about place, time, and reason (the town where she grew up, the day when we met).

Progressive verb tense shows ongoing action: was walking (past progressive), is walking (present progressive), will be walking (future progressive).

Modal auxiliaries can, may, must, should, and will express ability, permission, obligation, advice, and future; they never take -s or -ed.

Ordering adjectives: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose (a lovely small old round red French wooden serving bowl).

Fragments lack a subject or predicate; run-ons join two independent clauses without punctuation or a conjunction; fix with a period, semicolon, or comma plus conjunction.

Correct capitalization: proper nouns and adjectives, titles before names, first word of a quotation, days, months, holidays, and languages.

Homophones to distinguish by meaning: their/there/they're, to/too/two, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's.

Reference sources: dictionary for meaning and pronunciation, thesaurus for synonyms, glossary at the back of a book, index for page locations of topics.

Explanatory structure: introduction states the topic and focus, body paragraphs each develop one subtopic with facts, conclusion restates the focus without adding new claims.

Each body paragraph needs a topic sentence, supporting evidence or examples, and a linking sentence to the next idea.

Transition words by purpose: addition (also, moreover), example (for instance), cause (therefore, as a result), contrast (however, on the other hand), sequence (first, next, finally).

Precise language beats vague wording: replace good, nice, and a lot with specific nouns, verbs, and quantities.

Domain-specific vocabulary should be defined the first time it appears if the reader may not know it.

Formal tone for informational writing means no slang, contractions in strict formal style, and no addressing the reader as you in most cases.

Paraphrased evidence must be restated in your own words and sentence structure, not just one or two synonyms swapped.

Formatting features such as headings, bulleted lists, and captions help readers locate information and should match the purpose.

Narrative arc: establish characters and setting, introduce a conflict, build events toward a climax, resolve the conflict, and show what changed.

Show, don't tell: replace She was nervous with concrete action, dialogue, and sensory detail such as a tapping foot or a cracking voice.

Dialogue punctuation: commas and periods go inside the closing quotation mark; a new speaker starts a new paragraph.

Sensory detail draws on sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to make a scene concrete.

Pacing tools: short sentences and quick dialogue speed a scene up; longer descriptive sentences slow it down.

Point of view must stay consistent; a first-person narrator cannot report another character's private thoughts.

Transitional words for time and place (later that night, back at the cabin, without warning) keep the sequence clear.

A strong ending resolves the conflict and reflects on the lesson rather than introducing a new problem.

Discussion moves: build on a peer's idea (I'd add that...), ask for clarification (What do you mean by...?), and disagree politely with evidence.

Paraphrase a speaker's point before responding to confirm understanding and to keep the discussion on topic.

Formal vs informal English depends on audience and setting; slang and contractions suit peers, not a presentation to adults.

A claim in a speech needs reasons plus evidence such as facts, examples, or quotations from a source.

Multimedia elements (images, audio, video, charts) should support the message; each one needs a purpose and, in a report, a caption or credit.

When presenting, control volume, pace, and eye contact, and use visuals to clarify rather than to repeat every spoken word.

Evaluate a speaker by checking whether claims are supported, whether sources are named, and whether the reasoning has gaps.

Audience questions call for a direct answer; if you do not know, say so and offer to find out rather than inventing a fact.

Distinguish fact (can be verified) from opinion (a judgment or belief); words like best, worst, and should often signal opinion.

An author's reasons support a claim; evaluate whether each reason is relevant and whether the evidence is sufficient.

Correlative comparisons must be complete: compare like with like (this year's rainfall with last year's, not with last year).

When two texts address one topic, compare central ideas, evidence types, and how each author treats the same facts.

Quoting uses exact words in quotation marks; paraphrasing restates the idea in your own words; both require naming the source.

Charts and tables should be read by checking the title, labels, units, and scale before interpreting the numbers.

Common prefixes: un-/non- (not), re- (again), pre- (before), mis- (wrongly), sub- (under), inter- (between), anti- (against).

Common suffixes: -ful (full of), -less (without), -able/-ible (capable of), -tion/-ment (act or state), -ly (in that manner).

Greek and Latin roots: bio (life), graph (write), tele (far), phon (sound), aud (hear), spect (look), port (carry), dict (say).

Synonyms share a general meaning but differ in strength or tone (walk, stride, march, shuffle).

An idiom's meaning cannot be read from its individual words (break the ice = start a conversation).

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun; it can act as an adjective or adverb.

A research question should be narrow enough to answer with available sources and specific enough to guide searching.

Take notes in your own words and record the source title, author, and date at the same time to avoid later plagiarism.

Plagiarism includes copying words without quotation marks, copying sentence structure, and using another's idea without credit.

Use the most reliable sources first: official organizations, peer-reviewed work, and primary documents over anonymous web posts.

A direct quotation should be short, exactly copied, and explained in the surrounding sentence.

A concluding section may restate the main findings and suggest further questions, but it must not introduce a new claim.

Character motivation explains why a character acts; it should be revealed through choices, not stated outright.

Sensory and figurative language in narrative should serve the mood; a simile that distracts from the scene weakens it.

Dialogue should do work: reveal character, advance the conflict, or provide information the reader needs.

A flashback interrupts the present action to show earlier events; it must return clearly to the present.

Pronoun reference must be clear so readers know which character a he or she refers to.

Verb tense should stay consistent within a scene unless the time frame deliberately shifts.

A discussion goal keeps the group on task; restate it before the conversation begins.

Roles in collaborative work include facilitator, note-taker, timekeeper, and reporter; each has a defined responsibility.

Active listening includes facing the speaker, taking notes, and asking a follow-up question about the point.

Disagreeing with an idea is not attacking a person; frame disagreement around evidence (The data in the second paragraph suggests...).

When reporting group results, summarize the main points and note any unresolved disagreements.

Visual presentations should limit text per slide and use one clear idea per visual.

Figurative language in poetry includes imagery, simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole.

Sound devices: alliteration (repeated initial consonants), rhyme, repetition, and rhythm affect mood and emphasis.

Stanza and line breaks control pace and emphasis; a short final line can create a sharp or lingering effect.

A symbol is an object that stands for a larger idea within the story (a locked door for a character's fear).

Theme is developed through repeated details, character change, and the resolution, not through a single sentence.

Mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader; tone is the author's attitude toward the subject.