SK SSA ELA 4 key terms

The most important point an author wants readers to understand about a topic. It is often stated in a topic sentence or must be inferred from details spread across the text.

A specific fact, example, reason, or quotation that explains, proves, or develops the main idea. Strong readers check whether details actually connect to the point being made.

A word, phrase, sentence, or passage quoted or paraphrased from a text to support an answer or claim. Good evidence is relevant, accurate, and explained in the reader's own words.

A conclusion drawn by combining clues in the text with background knowledge. An inference is not guessed randomly; it must be supported by what the author actually wrote.

Details stated directly and clearly in a text, so the reader does not need to figure them out. Questions asking what the text says usually call for explicit information.

The way an author organizes ideas, such as comparison, cause and effect, chronological order, problem and solution, or description. Recognizing structure helps readers follow and remember information.

A transition word or phrase that shows how ideas connect, such as because, however, first, or as a result. Signal words guide readers through a text's organization and logic.

A relationship in which one event or condition makes another happen. Authors often use words like because, since, therefore, and as a result to link the cause to its effect.

A brief restatement of a text's main idea and most important details in the reader's own words. A good summary leaves out minor examples and personal opinions.

The reason an author writes a text: to inform, explain, persuade, entertain, or describe. Purpose shapes the author's choice of details, tone, and organization.

The perspective from which a text is told or written. In informational text it may mean the author's stance on a topic; in literary text it means who narrates the story.

Narration using I, me, my, and we, told by a character inside the story. Readers learn only what that narrator knows, thinks, and experiences.

Narration using he, she, it, and they, told by a voice outside the events. It may be limited to one character's thoughts or omniscient, knowing many characters' thoughts.

The voice or character who tells a story. The narrator is not the same as the author, and a narrator's knowledge and reliability affect what readers can learn.

A message or lesson about life that a story explores, such as honesty matters or change is difficult. A theme is a full statement, not a single topic word.

The sequence of events in a story, usually built from a problem, rising action, a turning point, and a resolution. Plot shows how characters respond to conflict.

The central problem or struggle in a story, which may be between characters, between a character and nature, or within a character's own mind. Conflict drives the plot forward.

The point in a story where the conflict is settled and the outcome becomes clear. A resolution may answer the reader's questions or leave some deliberately open.

A lasting quality of a person in a story, such as generous, stubborn, or curious. Traits are revealed through actions, dialogue, thoughts, and other characters' reactions.

The reason a character acts or feels a certain way, often rooted in wants, fears, or values. Identifying motivation helps readers understand choices that might otherwise seem puzzling.

Language that goes beyond literal meaning to create images or comparisons, including similes, metaphors, personification, and idioms. It affects mood and helps readers picture ideas.

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as, such as brave as a lion. A simile highlights a shared quality rather than stating that the things are identical.

A comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, such as the classroom was a zoo. Metaphors often reveal a writer's attitude toward a subject.

Information in nearby words or sentences that helps a reader figure out an unfamiliar word's meaning. Clues may be definitions, examples, contrasts, or restatements.

A word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes its meaning, such as un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. Knowing common prefixes helps readers unlock new words.

A word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or part of speech, such as -less in hopeless or -tion in celebration. Suffixes often signal whether a word is a noun, verb, or adjective.

The basic part of a word that carries its core meaning and can stand alone or combine with prefixes and suffixes. For example, help is the root of helpful and unhelpful.

A word with a meaning similar to another word, such as quick and rapid. Synonyms are rarely identical, so writers choose the one whose shade of meaning fits best.

A word with the opposite meaning of another word, such as scarce and plentiful. Antonyms can help readers understand a word through contrast in a sentence.

One of two or more words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings, such as their, there, and they're. Correct spelling depends on the word's job in the sentence.

The agreed rules of written English, including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Readers and scorers expect consistent, correct use of conventions in finished writing.

A sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main point. It guides the details that follow and helps readers track the writer's argument.

A word, phrase, or sentence that links one idea, paragraph, or section to the next. Transitions show relationships such as addition, contrast, or result and keep writing flowing.

To restate a source's idea in your own words and sentence structure while keeping the meaning. Paraphrased information still needs a source citation in research writing.

Presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own without credit. Copying text, paraphrasing too closely, or using another's data without citation all count as plagiarism.

Writing that tells a story with characters, setting, and a sequence of events. Effective narratives use dialogue, description, and pacing to engage the reader.

Conversation between characters in a story, written inside quotation marks with correct punctuation and speaker tags. Dialogue reveals personality, advances plot, and adds realism.

A description that appeals to sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. Sensory details help readers imagine a scene vividly and create a stronger mood.

Mixing sentence lengths and beginnings so writing sounds natural and holds attention. Too many short or identically started sentences make a piece choppy or repetitive.

Paying close attention to a speaker, taking notes, and responding to what was said rather than rehearsing your own reply. It includes asking clarifying questions when a point is unclear.

Agreed expectations for respectful group talk, such as taking turns, building on others' ideas, disagreeing politely, and staying on topic. Norms help every voice contribute to a discussion.

The ability to access, analyze, and evaluate messages in print, video, and online sources. It includes identifying a source's purpose, audience, and techniques used to persuade.