FAST ELA Grade 8 cheat sheet

Theme is the message about life or human nature the whole text develops; topic is only what the text is about ("friendship" vs. "loyalty survives distance").

A central idea must be stated as a full sentence supported by more than one part of the text; a single vivid detail is evidence, not the central idea.

Objective summary rules: include central ideas and key events, exclude personal opinion, minor details, and direct quotations longer than a phrase.

Inference is a conclusion the reader draws by combining two or more text details with prior knowledge; it is never stated outright.

Character motivation is inferred from what a character says, does, thinks, and how others respond - not from narrator labels alone.

Text evidence must be the strongest and most relevant support, not merely the first quotation found; irrelevant accurate evidence still fails.

Chronology matters: a character's change is identified by comparing an early scene with a later scene on the same trait.

When a question asks what a paragraph mainly does, answer with its function (introduces conflict, reveals motive), not its topic.

Connotation is the emotional shading a word carries ("cheap" vs. "affordable"); denotation is its dictionary meaning.

Figurative language types: simile (like/as), metaphor (direct comparison), personification (human traits to nonhuman), hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration).

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; mood is the feeling created in the reader. A single passage can have both.

Word choice analysis answers two parts: what the word suggests, and what effect that suggestion has on meaning or tone.

Text structure options include chronological, cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, and description; signal words reveal which is used.

A shift in structure (narrative to reflection, question to answer) usually marks a shift in purpose or emphasis.

Irony: verbal (saying the opposite of what is meant), situational (outcome reverses expectation), dramatic (reader knows what a character does not).

Point of view: first person uses I/we; third-person limited stays inside one character's mind; third-person omniscient accesses many characters' thoughts.

When two texts address one topic, compare (a) each author's main claim, (b) the evidence type used, and (c) the emphasis or omission.

A film, audio, or graphic version is a separate interpretation; evaluate what it emphasizes, adds, or leaves out relative to the written text.

Evaluate an argument by separating claim from evidence: a claim is what the author wants you to accept; evidence is the support offered.

Reasons are why the author believes the claim; evidence is the data, examples, or expert statements that back the reasons.

Irrelevant evidence can be accurate yet fail to support the claim - check the link between each piece of support and the claim.

Conflicting accounts of one event often differ because of the narrator's role, purpose, or access to information, not because one is lying.

Multimedia adaptations may change pacing, tone, or focus; note whether the change alters the meaning of the original.

Delineating an argument means mapping claim, reasons, evidence, and any counterclaim, then judging whether the evidence is sufficient and relevant.

Argument writing requires a clear claim, logical reasons, relevant evidence, acknowledgment of a counterclaim, and a conclusion that reinforces the position.

Informative/explanatory writing requires a controlling idea, organized facts and definitions, and no persuasive stance.

Narrative writing requires established context and point of view, well-chosen narrative techniques (dialogue, pacing, description), and a reflective or resolved ending.

Transitions must match the relationship: addition (moreover), contrast (however), cause (therefore), sequence (meanwhile).

An effective introduction states the topic or claim and previews the organization; an effective conclusion restates without simply repeating wording.

Precise words and sensory detail strengthen narrative and description; vague intensifiers (very, really, a lot) weaken writing.

Each body paragraph should develop one point with evidence and explanation; a paragraph with two unrelated points needs splitting.

Formal tone for argument and informative writing means avoiding slang, contractions in excess, and second-person address to the reader.

Comma splice: two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Fix with a period, semicolon, or comma plus coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

Run-on: independent clauses fused with no punctuation. Coordinating conjunctions join equals; subordinating conjunctions (because, although) make one clause dependent.

Nonessential information is set off by commas, dashes, or parentheses; essential information is not set off ("The book that I lost" vs. "My book, which I lost").

Subject-verb agreement ignores interrupting phrases: the verb agrees with the simple subject ("The box of letters is").

Indefinite pronouns: each, everyone, anybody, neither are singular; both, few, many, several are plural.

Pronoun case: use subject forms (I, he, they) for subjects and predicate nominatives, object forms (me, him, them) after prepositions and verbs.

Verbals: a gerund acts as a noun (Swimming is fun), a participle acts as an adjective (the running water), an infinitive is to plus a verb.

Active voice is direct (The team won the game); passive voice shifts focus (The game was won) and is chosen deliberately, not by accident.

Dangling modifier: an introductory modifier must describe the subject of the main clause ("Walking home, I saw..." not "Walking home, the rain...").

Context clues types: definition (often set off by commas or dashes), example (such as, for instance), contrast (but, unlike), and inference from surrounding logic.

Greek and Latin roots carry stable meaning: bene- (good), mal- (bad), aud- (hear), dict- (say), spec- (look), port- (carry), cred- (believe).

Common prefixes: un-/in-/dis- (not), re- (again), pre- (before), post- (after), sub- (under), inter- (between), anti- (against).

Suffixes signal part of speech: -tion/-ment/-ness form nouns; -ous/-ive/-al form adjectives; -ize/-ify form verbs; -ly typically forms adverbs.

Use a reference source to verify a word's part of speech and the sense that fits the sentence; many words have multiple senses.

Analogies test relationship types: synonym, antonym, part-to-whole, cause-effect, and category-to-member; state the relationship before choosing.

Precise word choice distinguishes near-synonyms by intensity and connotation ("sprint" vs. "jog"; "curious" vs. "nosy").

Academic verbs in prompts carry specific meanings: analyze (break down), evaluate (judge), delineate (map out), cite (name evidence).