TSIA2 ELAR key terms

The central message or insight about life that a literary work conveys, usually expressible as a full sentence rather than a single word. Themes develop through characters, events, and repeated ideas.

The methods an author uses to reveal a character's personality, motives, and traits, either through direct description or through the character's actions, speech, thoughts, and other characters' reactions.

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. It controls what information and whose thoughts readers can access.

The use of a concrete object, person, or event to stand for a larger abstract idea, such as a dove representing peace. Symbols gain meaning through repetition, context, and character reaction.

A gap between what is expected and what actually happens, or between what is said and what is meant. It appears as situational, verbal, or dramatic irony.

The most important point a passage makes about its topic, broad enough to cover the whole text but specific enough to be meaningful. It is often stated in a thesis or topic sentence.

A sentence, usually at the start of a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main point and signals what the rest of the paragraph will explain or support.

A specific fact, example, statistic, or quotation that explains, illustrates, or proves a main idea. Strong details are relevant to the point and accurate.

A brief restatement of a text's main ideas in your own words that leaves out minor details and examples. A good summary preserves the original's meaning and emphasis.

A logical conclusion drawn from evidence in a text combined with your own background knowledge, rather than from a statement the author makes directly.

Specific words, phrases, facts, or examples from a passage that support an answer or interpretation. Correct answers on a reading test should be traceable to such evidence.

Words, phrases, or punctuation near an unfamiliar word that help a reader figure out its meaning, such as definitions, examples, contrasts, or restatements.

The author's or speaker's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice, details, and sentence style, for example humorous, bitter, or objective.

An author's choice of words, including their level of formality and precision. Diction shapes tone and can be described as formal, casual, technical, or poetic.

The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as the warm feeling of 'home' compared with the neutral word 'house'.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from the feelings or associations it may suggest to readers in a particular context.

Language that departs from literal meaning to create vivid comparisons or effects, including metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses-sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch-to create a picture in the reader's mind and evoke emotion.

The feeling or atmosphere a text creates in the reader, produced by setting, word choice, imagery, and rhythm. Mood differs from tone, which is the author's attitude.

A group of words containing both a subject and a verb. A clause may stand alone as a sentence or may depend on other words to complete its meaning.

A clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence because it contains a subject and a working verb.

A clause that has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone because it begins with a subordinating word such as 'because', 'although', or 'which'.

A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a complete verb, or a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone.

Two or more independent clauses joined without correct punctuation or a connecting word, which makes the sentence hard to follow.

A run-on error in which two independent clauses are joined by only a comma, with no coordinating conjunction such as 'and' or 'but'.

Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or for elements joined by a conjunction, which makes sentences clear and balanced.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, so a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

The noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to or replaces, such as 'Marta' in the sentence 'Marta lost her keys.'

The rule that a pronoun must match its antecedent in number and gender, so a singular noun takes a singular pronoun such as 'it' or 'she'.

A pronoun that refers to no specific person or thing, such as 'everyone', 'each', 'none', or 'several'. Most singular forms take singular verbs and pronouns.

A word or phrase such as 'however', 'therefore', or 'in addition' that shows the relationship between ideas and guides readers from one point to the next.

Combining ideas so that one clause depends on another, showing which idea is main and which is secondary, often by using a word like 'because' or 'although'.

A descriptive phrase that does not clearly attach to the word it is meant to describe, often because the intended subject is missing from the main clause.

The way sentences and paragraphs stick together through repeated key words, pronouns, and transitions so readers can smoothly follow the flow of ideas.

Using more words than needed to express an idea, which weakens writing. Concise revision cuts empty phrases, repetition, and unnecessary qualifiers.

A sentence that states the main claim of an essay and previews the reasoning or structure that will follow. It usually appears near the end of the introduction.

An opposing view that a writer acknowledges and answers, which can strengthen an argument by showing the writer has considered other positions.

The writer's explanation of how a piece of evidence supports a claim-the analysis that connects a quotation or fact to the argument instead of just dropping it in.