NYS ELA Grade 4 flashcards

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

Theme

The message or life lesson a story conveys, such as courage or honesty, usually implied rather than stated and supported by events and character choices across the whole text.

Main idea

The most important point an informational text makes about its topic, stated in a sentence or implied, with supporting details that explain or prove it.

Summary

A brief retelling of a text's most important ideas or events in order, in your own words, leaving out minor details and personal opinions.

Cause and effect

A text structure that explains why something happened and what resulted, often signaled by words such as because, since, therefore, and as a result.

Compare and contrast

A text structure that shows how two or more things are alike and different, often signaled by words such as both, unlike, similarly, and however.

First-person point of view

A narrator who participates in the story and uses I or we, revealing only what that character knows, thinks, and observes.

Third-person point of view

A narrator outside the story who uses he, she, or they; limited narration follows one character's knowledge, while omniscient narration knows all characters' thoughts.

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as, such as cheeks like roses, that helps a reader picture the idea.

Metaphor

A comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, such as the classroom was a zoo, creating a vivid image.

Personification

Giving human qualities to an animal, object, or idea, as in the wind whispered through the trees, to make description more vivid.

Claim

A statement an author or writer argues is true, which must be supported by reasons and evidence from the text rather than by feeling alone.

Text evidence

A quotation, paraphrase, or specific detail taken from the text that directly supports an answer, claim, or inference.

Extended response

A multi-paragraph written answer with an introduction stating a focus, body paragraphs each built on one reason with text evidence, and a conclusion that restates the focus.

Short constructed response

A brief written answer of a few sentences that states the answer directly, adds at least one specific text detail or quotation, and links back to the question.

Introduction paragraph

The opening paragraph that names the topic or claim and previews the reasons or events the body paragraphs will develop.

Conclusion paragraph

The closing paragraph that restates the focus or claim in fresh words and summarizes key points without introducing new ideas or evidence.

Transition words

Words and phrases such as first, in addition, because, however, and finally that show how ideas and sentences connect.

Revising

Changing a draft's content by adding or removing details, reordering ideas, and improving word choice and sentence variety to make meaning clearer.

Editing

Correcting a draft's conventions, including spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar, after the content is fully developed.

Sentence fragment

A group of words punctuated as a sentence that is missing a subject, a predicate, or a complete thought, such as Ran to the bus.

Run-on sentence

Two or more complete sentences joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction; fix it with a period, semicolon, or comma plus and, but, or so.

Narrative writing

Writing that tells a story with characters, setting, a problem, ordered events, dialogue, and a resolution, using sensory details and precise verbs.

Dialogue punctuation

Quotation marks enclose a speaker's exact words, a comma sets off the tag, and end punctuation goes inside the closing quotation mark.

Context clues

Surrounding words and sentences that hint at an unknown word's meaning, including definition, example, contrast, and inference clues.

Prefix

A word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes its meaning, such as un- meaning not or re- meaning again.

Suffix

A word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or part of speech, such as -ful meaning full of or -less meaning without.

Homophone

One of two or more words that sound the same but differ in spelling and meaning, such as their, there, and they're.

Synonym

A word that has nearly the same meaning as another word, such as begin and start, though the words may differ in shade of meaning.

Antonym

A word that means the opposite of another word, such as ancient and modern, often used to sharpen contrast in writing.

Shades of meaning

Small differences in intensity or manner among similar words, such as walk, stroll, and march, that affect how a sentence feels.

Dictionary entry

A reference entry giving a word's spelling, pronunciation, part of speech, and meanings, sometimes with an example sentence.

Glossary

An alphabetical list at the back of a book that defines special or technical words used in that text.