PSSA Glossary Terms!

figurative language that compares two unlike things without using the words like or as

literary tech convey info-biographies, food writing, journalism, memoir, essays, travel writing

to read a passage quickly to get an overview of the main ideas in the text

words that have the same or nearly the same meaning

hints within a sentence or paragraph that can help you understand the meaning of unknown words

a prefix or suffix that is added to a base word to create a new word

a group of letters added to the beginning of a base word that creates a new word

an expression of feeling, belief, or taste that cannot be proved true or untrue

instructions in a drama that indicate how characters should speak act react and move on stage

A method of text organization in which actions or events are presented in a time order

a poem that tells a story and has a plot, setting, and characters

a relationship between words, events, or ideas in which one thing leads to another

facts and information that support the central idea of a text

series of events that make up a story, including the conflict characters face and how resolve

the central idea that an author wants to convey by telling a story

the selection of words an author uses to convey and develop a work's tone

the time place, and circumstances in which a story occurs

a statement an author makes in a nonfiction text

the attitude an author takes toward a selection's topic

the way an author arranges ideas in text to help readers easily understand what they're reading

a visual representation that clearly displays the order in which events occurred over time.

to form a mental image inside your head

an expression whose meaning can't be understood from the words alone-it's raining cats and dogs

the viewpoint from which a story is told, the attitude, perspectives that characters have

the perspective from which a story is told, usually first person or third person

firsthand accounts of authors who were present at the time events happened (diaries, letters)

the most important concept an author wants to convey

a speech given by a character alone on stage in which the character directly addresses audience

a form of informational writing that focuses on real people and events of the past

something that happens as a result of a cause

facts and details in a text that support the reader's analysis of it

an outside narrator knows everything and has access to what every character says, thinks, does

timeless stories that can be reworked to fit a specific cultures needs (universal themes)

to identify how two things are the same, how they are different, and how they are related

a story made up of acts and scenes that is performed by actors

data, details, statistics, dates, or accounts that can be proved true

figurative language that assigns human attributes to nonhuman things

writer's opinion on a topic, as expressed in an argument or a set of claims made about argument

to restate briefly the main ideas and most important details of a text in your own words

figure out what an author means but doesn't state, using clues from the text & knowledge

something that happens as a result of a cause

a text that explains how things work or how to do things

the facts an author provides to support his or her claim or opinions

to use your own words to restate a text

a text that provides factual information about a topic related to science

stories set in a specific time period with historical settings and characters

the dictionary definition of a word

the people or animals that take part in a story or drama

to identify details from the information an author provides to support the analysis of a text

a persuasive technique that encourages the reader to join a supposed majority

a division of a drama within an act that moves the plot along

an outside narrator has access to the thoughts, feelings, and memories of main character

legendary stories involving the heroes or gods of a particular culture

stories that teach a lesson, usually involving animal characters that behave and speak

stories such as folktales, myths, and fables that have been handed down generations

the positive, neutral, or negative association that a word carries

words that have the opposite or nearly the opposite meaning

a reference to a well known, real or literary characters or situations that represent an idea

ideas presented in graphic form, such as charts, time lines, photos, and illustrations

the repetition of similar VOWEL sounds within words

something that makes something else happen

A division of drama composed of one or more scenes

texts that are written after an event occurs and rely on information found in primary sources

writing that seeks to convince readers of a particular point of view or to behave that way

an illustration that makes an idea, object, or process easier to understand