english test review sept 12

8/10/2019 English Test Review Sept 12

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English Review

Literature = any type or style of writing or book

Genre = a specific kind or style of writing

Three Main CategoriesFiction Non Fiction PoetryRealistic Fiction InformationalHistorical Fiction BiographyScience FictionFantasyFolk Tales/Fairy TalesMystery

Fiction

Fiction = stories that are not true

Realistic Fiction= fiction that could be real or could actually happen, these stories are make

believe but have real characters doing real things in a real way.

Hint: the story could actually happen to someone like you

Historical Fiction = make believe fiction set in the past. The setting, timing and even some

of the characters may have been real, but the story or plot is made up.

Hint: set in the past, people you learn about in social studies

Science Fiction = stories use technology, outer space or futuristic settings to tell a story.

Sometimes they sound like they might someday be true.

Hint: aliens, outer space, technology, future, superheroes, robots

Fantasy = completely make believe stories with settings, characters and/or plots that could

never happen. Many childrens books are fantasy.

Hint: talking animals, magic, new worlds

Folk tales = stories that have been passed down from parent to child for a long time. Theyoften have the same elements as a fantasy story. There are many types of folk stories: fairy

tales, myths, legends, and tall tales.

Hint: once upon a time

Mystery = stories that revolve around a problem that needs solving.

They often are full of suspense and may have crimes that need solving.


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Hint: crime, detective, problem solving, clues to follow

Non Fiction

Non Fiction = stories that are true

Informational = informational texts are true books that give facts and information.

Textbooks are informational books.

Hint: facts, data, photographs, information that can be proven

Biography = biographies are true stories about real people written by other people. They are

factual.

Autobiographies = are true stories about real people written by themselves.

Hint: facts about a real persons life, photographs, information.

Poetry

Poetry can be written in any way, shape or form

Often has rhyme or rhythm

Its not always punctuated or capitalized.

Is usually not a narrative, has shorter sentences and no paragraphs.

Can be about any topic, both fiction and nonfiction.

Short Story Elements

There are two meanings for the word character:

1) The person in a work of fiction.

2) The characteristics of a person.

Character: Person in a work of fiction Protagonist and Antagonist

Short stories use few characters.

One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance tothis character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST.

The rival of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.The Characteristics of a Person

In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real.

Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the charactersthemselves.

The author may reveal a character in several ways:

a) his/her physical appearanceb) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams


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c) what he/she does or does not dod) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her

The time and location in which a story takes place. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.

Place- geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?

Time- When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)

Weather Conditions- Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?

Social Conditions- What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain localcolor (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, customs, etc. of a particular place)?

Mood or Atmosphere- What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it brightand cheerful or dark and frightening?

Plot Structure Through Short Stories

The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence of events in a

story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end.

There are five essential parts of plot:

middle

Beginning End

Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts

Rising Action:the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax

Climax: the turning point, the most intense momenteither mentally or in action

Falling Action:all of the action which follows the climax

Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads


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Plot: Another Point of View

1. Introduction/Exposition- The beginning of the story where the characters and the settingis revealed.

2.

Rising Action- This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict

in the story is revealed.

3. Climax- This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The readerwonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?

4. Falling action- The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The readerknows what will happen next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climaxand denouement).

5. Denouement/Resolution - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

Conflict

Conflict is essential to plot.

It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes theplot move.

Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form ofopposition that faces the main character.

Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may beone dominant struggle with many minor ones. Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without

conflict, there is no plot.Types of Conflict

External Conflict

Human vs Human

Human vs Nature

Human vs Society

Internal Conflict

Human vs Self

english test review sept 12

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