Georgia Milestones Grade 8 ELA flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Theme

A message about life or human nature that a literary work conveys, expressed as a complete statement rather than a single topic word such as "friendship."

Central idea

The single most important point an informational text makes about its topic; every supporting detail should connect back to and develop this point.

Textual evidence

A specific quotation or close paraphrase from a passage, identified by paragraph or line, used to support an analysis or claim about the text.

Inference

A logical conclusion drawn by combining details stated in the text with the reader's background knowledge; it is supported but not directly stated.

Explicit detail

Information stated directly and plainly in a text, requiring no inference; contrast with implied information that the reader must figure out.

First-person point of view

Narration using I, me, and we, told by a character inside the story; the reader knows only what that narrator observes and chooses to reveal.

Third-person limited

Narration outside the story that reveals the thoughts and feelings of only one character, usually the protagonist, while other characters stay external.

Third-person omniscient

Narration outside the story in which the narrator knows the thoughts, feelings, and motives of all characters and can move freely among them.

Dramatic irony

A situation in which the audience or reader knows something important that a character does not, creating tension, humor, or a sense of tragic outcome.

Situational irony

An outcome that differs sharply from what was expected, such as a fire station burning down; the contrast between expectation and result creates the effect.

Verbal irony

A speaker says one thing but means the opposite, often through sarcasm or understatement; the intended meaning is the reverse of the literal words.

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as, as in "her voice was smooth as glass."

Metaphor

A direct comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, as in "the classroom was a zoo."

Personification

A figure of speech giving human qualities or actions to a nonhuman thing, as in "the wind whispered through the trees."

Hyperbole

Deliberate, obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, as in "I've told you a million times," not meant to be taken literally.

Symbolism

Use of a concrete object, person, or place to represent an abstract idea, such as a dove representing peace, adding a layer of meaning.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural association a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning; word choice with different connotations shapes tone and mood.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word, independent of the feelings or associations the word may suggest to readers.

Tone

The author's or narrator's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice, imagery, and sentence structure, such as sarcastic, admiring, or bitter.

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere a text creates in the reader, produced by setting, imagery, diction, and pacing rather than by the author's direct attitude.

Plot

The sequence of events in a story, typically following exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, driven by conflict.

Characterization

The methods an author uses to reveal a character's personality: direct description by the narrator or indirect revelation through speech, actions, thoughts, and others' reactions.

Setting

The time and place in which a story occurs; setting can establish mood, create conflict, and shape characters' choices and opportunities.

Author's purpose

The reason an author writes a text, usually to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain; purpose shapes word choice, structure, and use of evidence.

Claim

A clear, debatable statement that an argument defends; a strong claim is specific, arguable, and can be supported by evidence from the text.

Counterclaim

An opposing viewpoint that a writer acknowledges and then answers; addressing it fairly strengthens an argument by showing the writer considered other positions.

Text structure

The way an author organizes information, such as chronological, cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, or description; structure signals appear in transition words.

Objective summary

A brief restatement of a text's central idea and key supporting details in the writer's own words, without personal opinion or judgment.

Active voice

Sentence construction in which the subject performs the action, as in "The dog chased the ball," producing direct and vigorous writing.

Passive voice

Sentence construction in which the subject receives the action, formed with a form of "to be" plus a past participle, as in "The ball was chased."

Gerund

A verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun, as in "Swimming is her favorite sport," where "swimming" serves as the subject.

Infinitive

A verb form preceded by "to" that can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb, as in "to win" in "She trained to win."