NYS ELA Grade 4 cheat sheet

Literary text asks about characters, setting, plot, problem/solution, and theme; informational text asks about main idea, supporting details, text structure, and author's purpose.

Theme is the life lesson or message that applies beyond the story (for example, honesty matters); main idea is what a text is mostly about and is stated or implied in one sentence.

A summary of a story names the characters, setting, main problem, key events in order, and the solution; it excludes minor details and personal opinions.

Text structures in informational text: description, sequence/chronological, compare-contrast, cause-effect, and problem-solution; signal words such as because, however, first, and unlike reveal the structure.

First-person point of view uses I or we and gives only the narrator's inside knowledge; third-person uses he, she, or they and can be limited or omniscient.

A claim in an argument must be supported by reasons and evidence drawn from the text; an opinion is a personal judgment that needs no proof.

Compare two texts on the same topic by naming what each covers, where they agree, and where they differ in facts, focus, or viewpoint.

Figurative language: a simile compares using like or as, a metaphor states one thing is another, and personification gives human traits to nonhuman things.

Extended response structure: introduction with a clear claim or focus, body paragraphs each built on one reason or event with text evidence, and a conclusion that restates the focus without adding new ideas.

Short constructed response answers the prompt in two to five sentences: a direct answer first, then at least one specific detail or quotation from the text, then a closing sentence linking back to the question.

Quote or paraphrase evidence accurately and name where it comes from (paragraph, scene, or section); evidence must directly support the stated claim, not merely relate to the topic.

Use transition words to show relationships: for example, in addition, because, therefore, however, and finally.

Narrative writing includes characters, setting, a problem, a sequence of events, dialogue, and a resolution; sensory details and precise verbs replace vague words such as nice or good.

Revising changes content (adding detail, reordering, strengthening word choice); editing corrects conventions (spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar).

A complete sentence has a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought; a fragment lacks one of these, and a run-on joins two independent clauses without correct punctuation.

Answer the prompt's exact task verb: explain, describe, compare, or argue each calls for a different organizational pattern.

Context clues: definition clues restate meaning nearby, example clues list instances, contrast clues use words such as but or unlike, and inference clues require combining surrounding sentences.

Common prefixes: un- and dis- mean not, re- means again, pre- means before, mis- means wrongly, and over- means too much.

Common suffixes: -ful means full of, -less means without, -able/-ible means capable of, -tion/-ment form nouns, and -ly usually forms an adverb.

Homophones sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning (their/there/they're, to/too/two, its/it's); choose by the word's job in the sentence.

A synonym has nearly the same meaning; an antonym has the opposite meaning; shades of meaning separate close words such as walk, stroll, and march by intensity or manner.

Reference tools: a dictionary gives spelling, pronunciation, part of speech, and meaning; a thesaurus lists synonyms and antonyms; a glossary defines terms used in a text.

Capitalize proper nouns (names, places, days, months, titles of works) and the first word of a sentence; do not capitalize common nouns.

Punctuation of dialogue: quotation marks enclose the speaker's exact words, a comma separates the tag from the quote, and end punctuation sits inside the closing quotation mark.