Literary elements power point

Combining SentencesA semi-colon ; is used to connect clauses and is the most important punctuation mark for combining sentences.. If no substitution is necessary, choose “Leave as is.”

Figurative Language

is also called figures of speech

It changes the literal meaning of

words • to express complexity,

• to capture a physical or sensory

effect, or

• to extend meaning

There are a number of

figures of speech Some of the more common ones are:

Making a comparison between unlike

things, using “like” or “as.”

Forrest Gump’s famous simile is

“Life is like a box of chocolates You

never know what you’re gonna get.”

Making a comparison between unlike

things without the use “like” or “as.”

An example is, “Your eyes are the

windows to your soul.” – Immanuel Kant.

The teacher gave us tons of work.

He ate a thousand pounds of pizza

Giving human qualities to an

animal, thing or idea

The wind screamed my name.

The window flew open.

The book jumped out of my locker.

There are 3 types:

Protagonist - main character

Observer - person who is indirectly involved in the story

Non-participant - not at all involved, can be omniscient (knows everything)

Someone who tells the story

The attitude an author takes toward the

audience, subject or character

The tone is conveyed through the

author’s words and details.

Think of when someone says, “Don’t use

that tone with me!” Your tone can

change the meaning of what you say

A theme is the main idea of a story,

or the message the author is

conveying This message is usually

about life, society or human nature

Flashbacks

A scene in a narrative that returns to an

earlier time.

is a literary device for conveying meaning

by saying the exact opposite of

what is really meant

(Sarcasm is one kind of irony

It is praise which is really an insult

Sarcasm generally involves malice, the desire to put someone down, for example

“ This is my brilliant son who failed

out of college.”

Life is filled with ironies

Listen to the following TRUE accounts…

1 The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000 At

a special ceremony, two of the most expensively

saved animals were released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers A minute later, they were both eaten by a killer whale.

2 Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn’t pay enough postage on a letter bomb It came back with “return

to sender” stamped on it Forgetting it was the

bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits.

Dramatic Monologue

• Dramatic says that it could be acted

out, and is a form of drama,

• while monologue defines it as a speech

that one person makes, either to

themselves or to another

• A dramatic monologue is written to

reveal both the situation at hand and the character herself.

Genre is a French word

meaning kind or type

The major genres in literature are

poetry, fiction, drama and essays.

It can also refer to more specific

types of literature such as

comedy, tragedy, epic poetry or

science fiction.

Persuasive Essay is writing

designed to convince reader to view things from the author’s point of view

Biographical text is an account

of an individuals life, written by

another person

Proverbs or Maxims

are old sayings which illustrate a truth

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”

doesn’t mean you have to eat apples everyday The general truth being communicated is that a diet that is rich in fruits can keep one healthy and

not in need of medical care.

Literary Terms

Theme Tone Mood Stanza Drama Foil Character

Mood is the emotion that YOU feel

while you’re reading

Some literature makes you feel sad, others joyful, still others angry

When a poem is divided into

groups of lines, often with a

regular pattern, these groups are

known as stanzas or verses.

This is another word for play.

That’s when characters tell a story in a theatrical performance.

Foil Character

This may be an unfamiliar term.

A foil is a person who is paired with

another character to develop the latter’s

traits and personality by contrast.

A foil is much like the twin character in class, rank, and background, but has

opposing characteristics that provide a mirror to those of the paired character.

Combining Sentences

Sentences can be combined by using three punctuation marks:

the dash (-), the colon (:), the semi-colon (;).

You can also use coordinating conjunctions

(and, or, but, so)

To combine sentences (clauses) that are

grammatically equal.

Combining Sentences

A dash (-)

is used to add more information about

some part of your sentence

It is rather informal and although you may see it when you read, it is better to

avoid this punctuation in your writing.

Combining Sentences

A colon (:)

is also used to add more information

and especially to give examples of

something in the sentence

What follows a colon may be a clause (He is

a great athlete: he plays soccer, baseball and basketball.) or a group of words that

cannot stand by themselves (He plays many

sports: soccer, baseball and basketball.)

Combining Sentences

A semi-colon (;)

is used to connect clauses and is the

most important punctuation mark for

combining sentences.

It can be used alone to connect clauses

(He’s not heavy; he’s my brother.)

It can also be used to connect clauses

together with special linking words such as

however, moreover, therefore.

Combining Sentences

Sample Question: Choose the answer that is the

most effective substitute for each underlined part

of the sentence If no substitution is necessary, choose “Leave as is.”

The Alaska rivers are clear and sparkling in

summer however; they are frozen in winter.

(A) in summer, however they are frozen in winter (B) in summer, however, they are frozen in winter (C) in summer: however they are frozen in winter (D) Leave as is.

Combining Sentences

Solution: What punctuation mark joins the two

thoughts into one sentence?

A semicolon joins them, but the semicolon is in the

wrong place “However” goes with the second

sentence, so the semicolon needs to be placed

before it The correct answer is B.

The Alaska rivers are clear and sparkling in summer

however; they are frozen in winter.

(A) in summer, however they are frozen in winter.

(B) in summer, however, they are frozen in winter.

(C) in summer: however they are frozen in winter.

(D) Leave as is.

Writing on the CAHSEE

There are three strands:

Writing Strategies Writing Conventions Writing Applications

Writing on the CAHSEE

Writing Strategies

12 test questions that ask you to read a rough draft of an essay and make modifications to

improve the thesis statement or topic sentences

You will also have to use synthesize information or

revise the writing to improve the logic and

coherence of the paragraph

Combining sentences is included

in this section.

Writing on the CAHSEE

(e.g semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens)

You will also have to identify and use clauses and

understand sentence construction (parallel

structure, proper placement of modifiers, etc.)

Writing on the CAHSEE

Writing Application

On the writing portion of the

CAHSEE exam, you will be given a

“ Writing Task” which is an essay question

You may be asked to do one of the following:

Biographical Narrative Response to Literature

Expository Essay Persuasive Essay Business Letter

Writing on the CAHSEE

Biographical Narrative:

This writing is often about a real person who is

important to you.

Writing on the CAHSEE

Response to Literature:

You read a passage

[literature], and write an

essay [response] based on

that passage

Writing on the CAHSEE

Expository Essay:

Exposition is most often nonfiction,

meaning that it deals with real

people, things, events and places.

The question may ask you to write about a moment in history and its

importance in today’s world

Writing on the CAHSEE

Persuasive Essay:

A persuasive essays ask you to defend a position or issue you support

An issue is something about

which people disagree

The individuals who score these essays want you to

include arguments of those who disagree with you, then

explain why your argument is stronger

A sample question may ask you to write an essay for your school paper in which you convince the readers of the importance of getting

rid of the trash and making the school more attractive

Writing on the CAHSEE

Writing on the CAHSEE

Make sure to answer all parts

of the writing task

If the question is asking you to describe the main characters

personality and emotions,

make sure to address both

Writing on the CAHSEE

# 2 Remember

Make sure you have the correct structure with

a strong introduction, body and conclusion.

Use specific details and examples from the passage to demonstrate your understanding of the main idea’s and the author’s purpose

Vary your sentences to make your writing

more interesting.

Writing on the CAHSEE

# 3 Remember

Check for mistakes

in grammar, spelling, punctuation,

capitalization and sentence

formation.

Writing on the CAHSEE

Other Key Points

Writing on the CAHSEE

Other Key Points

When you give evidence

to support your argument,

it should be explicit and direct

(or specific textual details and

quotes to support the thesis and

main idea) instead of implicit or indirect (in the form of summary).