SAT Vocabulary Suffixes and Meanings

SUPPLEMENTAL HANDOUT: SAT Vocabulary Suffixes and Meanings Guide

English 1 (2012-2013) / Knight

DIRECTIONS: This is a comprehensive guide to understanding the various suffixes that we will encounter throughout our study of the SAT vocabulary terms. In addition to the meanings of the suffixes, you are also provided with examples to help you gain a better grasp on this essential component of vocabulary study.

NOUNS
Nouns perform the function of naming. Nouns name persons, places animals or things, as well as groups, ideas and qualities. In a sentence, nouns can be subjects, objects, or appositives. -acy, -cy
o Noun: state or quality
 privacy: the state of being alone
 priv + acy
 infancy: the state of being a baby or young child
 in + fan + cy -age
o Noun: activity, or result of action
 courage : having the spirit to overcome fear
 cour + age -al
o Noun: action, result of action
 referral : the action of directing a person to another place, person or thing
 re + ferr + al -an
o Noun: person
 artisan : a craftsperson
 arti + san -ance, -ence
o Noun: action, state, quality or process
 resistance : the action of opposing something
 re + sist + ance
 independence: the state of not being under the control of others, free, self-governing
 in + de + pend + ence -ancy, -ency
o Noun: state, quality or capacity
 vacancy : an empty room or position
 vac + ancy
 agency: the capacity to exert power or influence, a position or person that performs a function
 ag + ency -ant, -ent
o Noun: an agent, something that performs the action
 disinfectant : an agent that destroys germs, somthing that cleans
 dis + in + fect + ant
 dependent: a thing supported by another, a thing determined by another
2
 de + pend + ent -ate
o Noun: state, office, fuction
 candidate : a person nominated for an office or position
 candid + ate -ation
o Noun: action, resulting state
 specialization : the result of being distinguished by one quality or ability
 spec + ial + iz + ation
-dom
o Noun: place, state of being
 wisdom : possessing knowledge
 wis + dom
-er, -or
o Noun: person or thing that does something
 porter : a person who carries things
 port + er
 collector: a person who collects or gathers things
 col + lect + or -ful
o Noun: an amount or quanity that fills
 mouthful : an amount that fills the mouth
 mouth + ful -ian, an
o Noun: related to, one that is
 pedestrian : a person who walks
 ped + estr + ian
 human: a person
 hum + an -ia
o Noun: names, diseases
 phobia : an illogical fear of something
 phob + ia -iatry
o Noun: art of healing
 psychiatry : branch of medicine that deals with the mind and emotions
 psych + iatry -ic, ics
o Noun: related to the arts and sciences
 arithmetic : a branch of math that usually deals with non-negative numbers
3
 arithm + et + ic
 economics: the social science related to studying business
 eco + nom + ics -ice
o Noun: act
 malice : the desire to do evil
 mal + ice -ing
o Noun: material made for, activity, result of an activity
 flooring : a material made for floors
 floor + ing
 swimming: the activity of swimming or moving through water
 swim(m) + ing
 building: the result of making a structure
 build + ing -ion
o Noun: condition or action
 abduction : the action of carrying someone away by force
 ab + duct + ion -ism
o Noun: doctrine, belief, action or conduct
 formalism : a belief in sticking to prescribed forms or artistic styles
 form + al + ism -ist
o Noun: person or member
 podiatrist : a foot doctor
 pod + iatr + ist -ite
o Noun: product or part
 graphite : a black material used in making pencils
 graph + ite -ity, ty
o Noun: state or quality
 lucidity : clear thinking
 luc + id + ity
 novelty: something new or unusual
 nov + el + ty -ive
o Noun: condition
 native : a person born in a specific place
 nat + ive -ment
o Noun: condition or result
 document : an official paper usually showinf proof or evidence of something
4
 docu + ment -ness
o Noun: state, condition, quality
 kindness : the quality of being kind or nice
 kind + ness -or
o Noun: condition or activity
 valor : bravery, courage
 val + or -ory
o Noun: place for, serves for
 territory : an area around a place
 territ + ory -ship
o Noun: status, condition
 relationship : the state of being related or connected to something or someone
 re + lat + ion + ship -ure
o Noun: act, condition, process, function
 exposure : the condition of being exposed or unprotected
 pos + ure -y
o Noun: state, condition, result of an activity
 society : companionship
 soci + et + y
 victory: the result of winning something
 vict + or + y
VERBS
Verbs make statements about nouns, ask questions, give commands, or show states of being. Verbs can be active or passive. Verbs also show tense or time of action. -ate
o Verb: cause to be
 graduate : to give a degree to, to pass from one stage to the next
 gradu + ate -ed
o Verb: past tense
 attained : something that has been reached or grasped
 at + tain + ed -en
o Verb: to cause to become
 moisten : to cause to become moist or damp
 moist + en -er, -or
o Verb: action
5
 ponder : to think about
 pond + er
 clamor: to make noise, to call for loudly
 clam + or -ify
o Verb: cause
 specify : to name or indicate in detail
 spec + ify -ing
o Verb: present participle
 depicting : showing, describing with images or pictures
 de + pict + ing -ize
o Verb: cause
 fantasize : to dream about something, to create images in the mind
 fant + as + ize -ure
o act
 Verb: conjecture : to come to a conclusion by supposition or guesswork
 con + ject + ure
ADJECTIVES
Adjectives describe or modify nouns. Adjectives tell the reader more about the noun used in the sentence. -able, -ible
o Adjective: worth, ability
 solvable : able to be solved or explained
 solv + able
 incredible: not able to be believed, amazing
 in + cred + ible -al, -ial, -ical
o Adjective: quality, relation
 structural : related to the physical make up of a thing
 struct + ure + al
 territorial: related to nearby or local areas
 territ + or + ial
 categorical: related to a category, aboslute
 cate + gor + ical -ant, -ent, -ient
o Adjective: kind of agent, indication
 important : marked by worth
 im + port + ant
 dependent: determined or relying upon something else
 de + pend + ent
 convenient: at hand, easy to use
 con + ven + ient
6
-ar, -ary
o Adjective: resembling, related to
 spectacular : related to something that is eye-catching or amazing
 spectac + ul + ar
 unitary : related to units or single groups representing quantities
 unit + ary -ate
o Adjective: kind of state
 inviolate : not disturbed, pure
 in + viol + ate -ed
o Adjective: having the quality of
 terraced : having terraces or steps
 terrac + ed -en
o Adjective: material
 silken : made from silk, a fiber produced by worms
 silk + en -er
o Adjective: comparative
 brighter : more light
 bright + er -est
o Adjective: superlative
 strongest : having the most strength
 strong + est -ful
o Adjective: having, giving, marked by
 fanciful : marked by imagination
 fanci + ful -ic
o Adjective: quality, relation
 generic : related to a whole group
 gener + ic -ile
o Adjective: having the qualities of
 projectile : something thrown with an outside force
 pro + ject + ile -ing
o Adjective: activity
 cohering : the act of sticking together
 co + her + ing -ish
7
o Adjective: having the character of
 newish : modern, recent
 new + ish -ive, -ative, -itive
o Adjective: having the quality of
 festive : having the quality of a festival or party
 fest + ive
 cooperative : being able or willing to work with another person or thing
 co + oper + ative
 sensitive: easily felt, responsive to the senses
 sens + itive
-less
o Adjective: without, missing
 motiveless : a reason for someone to do something
 mot + ive + less
-ous, -eous, -ose, -ious
o Adjective: having the quality of, relating to
 adventurous : charcterized by the desire to seek new experiences or risks
 ad + vent + ur + ous
 courageous : characterized by courage, brave
 cour + ag + eous
 verbose: having more words than needed
 verb + ose
 fractious: characterized by being difficult or troublesome
 fract + ious
-y
o Adjective: marked by, having
 hungry : having hunger, marked by a desire
 hungr + y
ADVERBS
Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. -fold
o Adverb: in a manner of, marked by
 fourfold : being four times as great
 four + fold
8
-ly
o Adverb: in the manner of
 fluently : marked by ease of movement, effortlessly smooth
 flu + ent + ly -ward
o Adverb: in a direction or manner
 homeward : toward home
 home + ward -wise
o Adverb: in the manner of, with regard to
 timewise : with regard to time
 time + wise
NOTES

Four Types of Context Clues

SUPPLEMENTAL HANDOUT: Studying Vocabulary through Context Clues

English 1 (2012-2013) / Knight

Four Types of Context Clues [1]
When you're working on the reading section of a standardized test, you're going to have to employ some serious reading prowess to get you through.
Knowing the various types of context clues can help you understand difficult vocabulary words in context, which is a must on a long reading section. You'll also need to know how to determine the main idea and make inferences, and context clues can help you out there, too.
Context Clue #1: Definition or Restatement
The meaning of the vocabulary word is in the sentence itself, usually following the vocabulary word.
Jack's duplicity – crafty dishonesty – caused him to steal his coworker's pensions by funneling their money into an offshore account.
Context Clue #2: Synonym
The sentence uses a similar word to help explain the meaning of the vocabulary word.
The baseball coach punished the team's duplicity or deceitfulness after they admitted to using steroids to boost their batting averages.
Context Clue #3: Antonym /Opposite/Contrast
The sentence uses a word with an opposite definition to give the meaning of the vocabulary word.
It was your duplicity that caused me to break up with you! Had you been honest, I wouldn't have felt the need.
Unlike my last employee who had integrity to spare, you have nothing more than duplicity and will not receive a recommendation from me for another job.
Context Clue #4: Example or Explanation
This type of context clue uses examples to help the reader infer the meaning of the vocabulary word.
His duplicity involved lowering his employee's salaries, increasing their stock options, and then stealing the money he saved by doing so.
I was aghast at her duplicity when she stole my diamond earrings, sold them on eBay and lied to me about it the whole time.
[1] http://testprep.about.com/od/readingtesttips/a/Con_Clue_Types.htm
Understanding Vocabulary Words in Context [2]
Reading comprehension is one of the most difficult things to master on a standardized test, especially if English is your second language. The test-makers evaluate whether you can find the main idea, make inferences, find the author's purpose, and understand vocabulary words, some of which you may have never been introduced to before.
The good news? You can understand vocabulary words based on the context of the passage - the words, clauses and phrases around the unknown vocabulary word. You don’t have to memorize all the vocabulary words in the dictionary!
For example, you might not understand the word, acerbity, by itself, but this sentence, “The acerbity of the lemon caused the little girl to spit out the bite she had just taken. ” makes you understand that the general meaning of acerbity must be “bitter or sour”. The context clues "lemon" and "spitting out the bite", which provide more information in the sentence, help you understand what the vocabulary word means.
A question on a standardized test may look something like this:
“After the first day on the job, the bank’s new manager realized he would be busier than he had been led to believe. Not only was he assisting the bank tellers with their work, but his new boss had decided to inundate him with other tasks like creating security systems, managing the bank’s deposits and refunds, securing loans, and maintaining the daily operations. The new manager was exhausted as he locked the bank up for the night.”
The word “inundate” from the passage is closest in meaning to
1. overload
2. provide
3. assault
4. underwhelm
Hint: A way to figure out if your choice is correct is by putting the answer choice in the sentence in place of the vocabulary word. Which one fits the intended meaning the best?
[2] http://testprep.about.com/od/readingtesttips/a/Vocab_Context.htm

Six Types of Context Clues

Six Types of Context Clues

Clue
Description
Sample Sentence

Definition
Readers use the definition in the sentence to understand the unknown word.
Some spiders spin silk with tiny organs called spinnerets.

Example-Illustration
Readers use an example or illustration to understand the unknown word.
Toads, frogs, and some birds are predators that hunt and eat spiders.
Contrast
Readers understand the unknown word because it is compared or contrasted with another word in the sentence.
Most spiders live for about one year, but tarantulas sometimes live for 20 years or more!
Logic
Readers think about the rest of the sentence to understand the unknown word.
An exoskeleton acts like a suit of armor to protect the spider.
Root Words and Affixes
Readers use their knowledge of root words and affixes to figure out the unknown word.
People who are terrified of spiders have arachnophobia.
Grammar
Readers use the word’s function in the sentence or its part of speech to figure out the unknown word.
Most spiders molt five to ten times.
Notes about Context Clues
The six types of context clues do not operate in isolation; two or three types of contextual information are often included in the same sentence.
The readers’ differing levels of background knowledge affect the types of word-identification strategies they can use effectively.
Context clues rarely provide enough information in a sentence to help students learn a word. The clues may seem to be useful to someone who already knows a word, but context clues often provide only partial information, and the information can be misleading. Researchers do recommend that students be taught how to use context clues because some clues are useful, and they do help students develop word-learning strategies to use on their own.
Students who read books at their grade level had a 1 in 20 chance of learning the meaning of any word from context. That might seem insignificant, but if students read 20,000 words a year, and if they learn 1 of every 20 words from context, they would learn 1000 words. That could be done if student s read 30 minutes daily.
The best way to teach students about context clues is by modeling.
It is interesting to note that capable and less capable readers learn from context at about the same rate. Researchers have speculated that the difference in vocabulary growth is due to differences in the amount of words that students read, not the differences in their reading achievement.
-Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach (Gail Tompkins)

The Soapstone Method

THE SOAPSTONE METHOD

Who is the
SPEAKER?
• The voice that is speaking. Identification of the historical person (or group of people) who created the primary source.
• What do we know about this historic or contemporary person?
• What role does he play in an historic event?
What is the
OCCASION?
• What is the time and place? The context in which the primary source was created?
• What is the Geographic and Historic intersection at which this source was produced?
Who is the
AUDIENCE?
• The readers to whom this document is directed
• The audience may be one person, a small group, or a large group; it may be a certain person or a certain people.
What is the
PURPOSE?
• What is the reason behind the text;
• Why was it written? What goal did the author have in mind?
What is the
SUBJECT?
• What is the general topic, content, or idea contained in the text?
• Summarize in a few words or phrase.
What is the
TONE?
• What is the attitude expressed by the speaker?
• Examine the choice of words, emotions expressed, imagery used to determine the speaker’s attitude.
2011-2012 Designed by Larry Knight (#3153)

Non-fiction Unit Concepts and Terms

SUPPLEMENTAL HANDOUT: Non-fiction Unit Concepts and Terms

English 1 (2012-2013) / Knight

MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

The mode of development of a piece of writing is the method used to develop the main idea. Although each is different, their purposes are all to provide the reader with specific information needed to support or clarify the main idea.

There are several modes of development used in non-fiction writing:

1. Narration: the recounting of the events of a situation or incident, usually for a specific purpose. Narratives are usually told in two ways:
a. Chronological order (time)
b. Flashback style (time)
2. Description: the presentation of details about how something looks, tastes, smells, sounds, feels, or a combination thereof. Descriptive writing is usually organized in two ways:
a. Order of importance (less important to more important details)
b. Spatial order (according to space…or how things are arranged)
3. Examples: the use of specific examples that both illustrate and support the main idea. The signal words and phrases that are used are “for example” and “for instance.”
4. Classification and Division: Classification involves taking a group of one thing and organizing it into categories. For example, sorting clothing. Division involves taking one thing and dividing it into its component parts. For example, dividing a car into parts: “motor, tires, transmission, brakes, etc.”
5. Comparison and Contrast: To compare is to show how items are alike. To contrast is to show how items are different. Comparison and contrast involves pointing out the similarities and differences between two or more items.
6. Process: this is a method of doing a task or job, usually in orderly steps, to achieve a desired result. When using this mode, the writer must try to give clear and accurate guidance or directions, making the steps as simple as possible.
7. Cause and Effect: A cause and effect explanation tells why something turns out the way it does. There may be a single cause or multiple causes to an effect, or there may be a single cause and multiple effects. The initiator of an effect is a catalyst. Some signal words for cause and effect are “because,” “therefore,” “as a result,” or “consequently.”
8. Definition: this provides an explanation of a word or concept by actually defining it. Once the word or concept is defined the writer usually uses another mode of development (such as examples or description) to enhance the definition.
9. Persuasion: involves convincing the reader that you are right about a topic. Persuasion includes an appeal to the emotions, is subjective in tone, one-sided, and uses connotations of words to grab the reader’s feelings, empathy, or sympathy.
10. Argumentation: it is less emotional, more logical, and is objective. Argumentation must be based on a controversial idea, one that people disagree on; it also contains these elements:
a. statement of problem (the writer presents the issue or problem at the center of the piece)
b. solution (the writer offers a rational solution to the problem often through a proposal)
c. evidence (the writer offers evidence that supports the solution)
d. refutation (the writer anticipates and counters opposing points of view)
e. conclusion (the writer closes the piece with sentences or paragraphs that brings it to a satisfying and logical end)
Sometimes a piece of writing will be a combination of modes of development. Though this true, one mode of development will dominate and this dominant mode of development will reflect the writing’s purpose.
RHETORICAL TERMS
The rhetorical terms are used by writers to help in the attainment of purpose. Like the prose literary terms, these terms are often found in the works and often help the reader better understand the intended meaning or purpose.
There are several rhetorical terms used in non-fiction writing:
1. Anecdote (ANN-ik-dote): a brief story of an incident that took place that is used to illustrate a point being made in a piece of writing.
2. Aristotle’s Three Appeals: When Aristotle wrote his ‘Rhetoric’ in the 4th century BCE, he began a process of codifying the possible ways that speakers or writers could persuade their audiences by the use of evidence. His process has proven so useful that it has been the foundation for philosophers and writers for more than a millennium, and will likely endure as long as civilization does. Aristotle’s outline of the use of evidence for persuasive writing was just as useful for the ancients as it will be in the next century. The three appeals are:
a. Rational Appeal (Logos): persuasive language that contains an appeal based on logic. There are several forms:
i. facts
ii. case studies
iii. statistics
iv. experiments
v. logical reasoning
vi. analogies
vii. anecdotes
viii. authority voices
b. Ethical Appeal (Ethos): persuasive language that contains an appeal based on the writer’s reputation or authority. There are several elements:
i. trustworthiness
ii. credibility
iii. reliability
iv. expert testimony
v. reliable sources
vi. fairness
c. Emotional Appeal (Pathos): pronounced “PAY-thos,” it is persuasive language that an appeal based on the emotions. This can be categorized in two areas:
i. higher emotions: belief in fairness love pity
ii. lower emotions: greed lust revenge avarice
3. Audience: the group for whom the piece of writing is written. The writer’s audience will influence the subject, tone, style, and choice of language. A writer’s audience may possess several characteristics:
a. young
b. old
c. sophisticated
d. unsophisticated
e. educated
f. uneducated
g. close and personal
h. distant and impersonal
4. Allusion: a short, informal reference to a famous person or event.
5. Ambiguity (am-big-YOU-it-tee): doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation.
6. Analogy: compares two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one. While simile and analogy often overlap, the simile is generally a more artistic likening, done briefly for effect and emphasis, while analogy serves the more practical end of explaining a thought process or a line of reasoning or the abstract in terms of the concrete, and may therefore be more extended.
7. Anaphora (ah-NAF-oh-rah): the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences, commonly in conjunction with climax and with parallelism. Example:
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”
-Winston Churchill
8. Antithesis (an-TITH-uh-sis): a concept used to establish a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them together or juxtaposing them, often in parallel structure. Human beings are inveterate systematizers and categorizers, so the mind has a natural love for antithesis, which creates a definite and systematic relationship between ideas. Example:
“Brutus: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” –William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
9. Apostrophe: a device that interrupts the discussion or discourse and addresses directly a person or personified thing, either present or absent. Its most common purpose in prose is to give vent to or display intense emotion, which can no longer be held back. Example:
“For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him.” –William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
10. Connotative Language: language that is emotionally charged and is used for the purpose of evoking emotions in the reader.
11. Dialogue: a conversation between two persons. This is used to create an impression of a person or a situation.
12. Diction: the choice and use of words in speech or writing.
13. Euphemism (YOO-fuh-miz-em): the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive. Example:
“When the final news came, there would be a ring at the front door -- a wife in this situation finds herself staring at the front door as if she no longer owns it or controls it--and outside the door would be a man... come to inform her that unfortunately something has happened out there, and her husband's body now lies incinerated in the swamps or the pines or the palmetto grass, "burned beyond recognition," which anyone who had been around an air base very long (fortunately Jane had not) realized was quite an artful euphemism to describe a human body that now looked like an enormous fowl that has burned up in a stove, burned a blackish brown all over, greasy and blistered, fried, in a word, with not only the entire face and all the hair and the ears burned off, not to mention all the clothing, but also the hands and feet, with what remains of the arms and legs bent at the knees and elbows and burned into absolutely rigid angles, burned a greasy blackish brown like the bursting body itself, so that this husband, father, officer, gentleman, this ornamentum of some mother's eye, His Majesty the Baby of just twenty-odd years back, has been reduced to a charred hulk with wings and shanks sticking out of it.” -Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff
14. Figurative Language and Imagery: Descriptive language that helps the writer to get the point across.
15. Hyperbole: the counterpart of understatement deliberately exaggerates conditions for emphasis or effect. In formal writing the hyperbole must be clearly intended as an exaggeration, and should be carefully restricted. That is, do not exaggerate everything, but treat hyperbole like an exclamation point, to be used only once a year. Then it will be quite effective as a table-thumping attention getter, introductory to your essay or some section thereof.
16. Main Idea: A main idea is important information that tells more about the overall idea of a paragraph or section of a text. There are two types:
a. Implied Main Idea: the main idea of a piece of writing that is not actually stated outright, it is often suggested.
b. Stated Main Idea: the main idea of a piece of writing that is actually stated in a thesis statement and should be easily detected.
17. Medium: a means of conveying something. It can also be regarded as a mode, channel or system of communication, information, or entertainment. Mediums are can legitimately be either fiction or non-fiction. Although they are mostly either one or the other it is not uncommon for there to be a blend of both, particularly non-fiction with a dash of fiction for added spice. There are several examples of medium:
a. biographies
b. autobiographies
c. travelogues (travel writing)
d. newspaper articles
e. magazine articles
f. advertising
g. user instruction manuals
h. posters
i. pamphlets
j. leaflets
k. essays
l. journals
m. documentaries
n. scientific papers
o. photographs
p. textbooks
q. blueprints
r. technical documentation
s. diagrams
t. letters
u. speeches
18. Metaphor: a device that compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other. Unlike a simile or analogy, metaphor asserts that one thing is another thing not just that one is like another. Very frequently a metaphor is invoked by the ‘to be’ verb. Example:
“Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage.” – William Shakespeare, Macbeth
A metaphor is the concept of understanding one thing in terms of another; it is a figure of speech that constructs an analogy between two things or ideas. The analogy is conveyed by the use of a metaphorical word in place of some other word. For example: “The streets were a furnace, the sun an executioner.” (Cynthia Ozick, “Rosa”)
The components of a metaphor are tenor and vehicle; tenor refers to the concept, object, or person meant, and the vehicle being the image that carries the weight of the comparison. The words were first used in this sense by the critic I.A. Richards (1893-1979). In the first stanza of Abraham Cowley’s poem “The Wish,” the tenor is the city and the vehicle is a beehive:
Well then; I now do plainly see, This busy world and I shall ne’er agree; The very honey of all earthly joy Does of all meats the soonest cloy; And they, methinks, deserve my pity... There are several common forms of metaphors:
1. Dead metaphor: one in which the sense of a transferred image is absent. Examples: “to grasp a concept” and “to gather what you’ve understood” use physical action as a metaphor for understanding. Most people do not visualize the action — dead metaphors normally go unnoticed. Some people distinguish between a dead metaphor and a cliché. Others use “dead metaphor” to denote both. 2. Extended metaphor (conceit): establishes a principal subject (comparison) and subsidiary subjects (comparisons). The As You Like It quotation is a good example, the world is described as a stage, and then men and women are subsidiary subjects further described in the same context. 3. An implied or unstated metaphor is a metaphor not explicitly stated or obvious that compares two things by using adjectives that commonly describe one thing, but are used to describe another comparing the two. For example: “Golden baked skin,” comparing bakery goods to skin or “green blades of nausea,” comparing green grass to the complexion of a nauseated person or “leafy golden sunset” comparing the sunset to a tree in the fall.
19. Mood: a state of mind or emotion.
20. Occasion (or reason): the circumstances surrounding the writing. A writer may have a host of reasons for writing the work. Occasion and purpose are connected. There are a few generic occasions that may make a writer write:
a. celebration
b. tragedy
c. school assignment
d. friendly note
e. sharing of expertise
21. Onomatopoeia: is the use of words whose pronunciation imitates the sound the word describes. “Buzz,” for example, when spoken is intended to resemble the sound of a flying insect.
22. Oxymoron: a paradox reduced to two words, usually in an adjective-noun (“eloquent silence”) or adverb-adjective (“inertly strong”) relationship, and is used for effect, complexity, emphasis, or wit. EXAMPLE:
“I must be cruel only to be kind.” –William Shakespeare, Hamlet
23. Paradox: a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true. EXAMPLE:
“What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.” -George Bernard Shaw
24. Perspective: it is a particular evaluation of something; it may be a situation or facts, especially from one person’s point of view. There are two studied types of perspective:
a. Objective Perspective: fact based presentation. The writer uses provable information rather than opinions and emotions.
b. Subjective Perspective: opinion based presentation. The writer will first use facts to present his point, then use opinion to express his own feelings, emotions, and ideas in regards to the subject.
25. Point of View: the perspective from which the work is written. The mode of development often dictates the point of view.
26. Purpose: the reason a writer is writing a piece of writing. The writer’s purpose may vary and it will also influence the choices of mode of development and language. There are several basic purposes that are commonly used in non-fiction writing:
a. To describe
b. To explain
c. To instruct
d. To persuade
e. To retell information about a person or past event (non-fiction narrative)
f. To explore and maintain relationships with others
g. To advise
h. To entertain
i. To inform
27. Repetition and Parallelism: the repeating of words, phrases, or patterns of words and phrases for the purpose
of emphasis. Repetition is a major rhetorical strategy, basically, the use of repeated words and phrases for
producing emphasis, clarity, amplification, or emotional effect.
28. Rhetorical question: a question posed, often as part of a persuasion or argumentation essay, for the purpose of
supporting the point of the writing. This question is not meant to be answered, but the answer is supposed to be
obvious as a result of the points of argumentation. It is a question that is not answered by the writer, because its
answer is obvious or obviously desired, and usually just a yes or no. It is used for effect, emphasis, or
provocation, or for drawing a conclusionary statement from the facts at hand.
29. Rhetorical Triangle: a diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship primarily among the
elements of speaker, subject, and audience. The elements of tone, medium, purpose, and message are also
considered within this diagram. Communication is essentially a ‘trilateral’ relationship, meaning, each point of
the triangle influences the others, and all are influenced by the context of the communication. Each point of the
triangle bears some responsibility for the success of the communication, and each point of the triangle
corresponds with one of Aristotle’s three appeals (i.e., general means of persuasion). (see Supplemental
Handout labeled ‘The Rhetorical Triangle’)
30. Simile: a comparison between two different things that resemble each other in at least one way. In formal prose
the simile is a device both of art and explanation, comparing an unfamiliar thing to some familiar thing (an
object, event, process, etc.) known to the reader.
31. Subject: a basic matter of thought, discussion, investigation, etc. in a piece of writing. The subject of a writer’s
work will influence the tone, modes of development, purpose, and many other elements. The subject is the
‘topic’ that the writer is writing about.
32. Syntax (SIN-taks): the study of the rules whereby words or other elements of sentence structure are combined to
form grammatical sentences. Simply put, it is the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences.
33. Tone/Attitude: The manner in which an author expresses his/her attitude; the intonation of the voice that
expresses meaning. Attitude is the author’s personal view or outlook toward a subject. This attitude often
determines the way an author approaches the content of his writing. It can also represent the attitude of the
speaker in the work towards his subject.
34. Transition: words and phrases that carry the focus of the writing from one thought or idea to another. (see
Supplemental Handout labeled ‘Transitions’) Transitions are often used to indicate the mode of development
being used:
a. Contrast essay (on the other hand)
b. Narrative writing (then, next, the following day)
35. Understatement: to deliberately express an idea as less important than it actually is, either for ironic emphasis
or for politeness and tact. When the writer’s audience can be expected to know the true nature of a fact which
might be rather difficult to describe adequately in a brief space, the writer may choose to understate the fact as
a means of employing the reader's own powers of description.
For example, instead of endeavoring to describe in a few words the horrors and destruction of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, a writer might state:
“The 1906 San Francisco earthquake interrupted business somewhat in the downtown area.”
The effect is not the same as a description of destruction, since understatement like this necessarily smacks of flippancy to some degree; but occasionally that is a desirable effect.
KEYS TO STUDYING RHETORICAL TERMS
Study Skills: Reading[1]
In an AP English course, you may feel you have never been given so much to read. AP English demands plenty of serious reading, and you might be tempted to “speed-read.” You may try to scan paragraphs and pages as fast as you can while hunting for main ideas. In a word: Don't. First, main ideas usually aren’t quickly accessible from “speed-reading” complex texts.
Also, if you race through good writing, you are likely to miss the subtlety and complexity. A paragraph of text by Frederick Douglass or Joyce Carol Oates, a poem by W.H. Auden, or a play by Shakespeare cannot be appreciated -- or even minimally understood -- without careful, often-repeated readings.
In reading your AP assignments, keep in mind to: Read slowly Reread complex and important sentences Ask yourself often, “What does this sentence, paragraph, speech, stanza, or chapter mean?”
Make Your Reading Efficient
How can you balance the careful reading AP English requires with your demanding chemistry and calculus workloads, plus get in play practice, soccer games, and whatever else you've got on your busy schedule? We’ve compiled some helpful tips to make your AP reading more efficient, fun, and productive.
1. Get a head start. Obtain copies of as many assigned texts as you can. Then you won’t waste time searching for a text when you absolutely need it.
2. Preview important reading assignments. By previewing, you carefully note:
 Exact title
 Author's name
 Table of contents
 Preface or introduction; this section often states the author’s purpose and themes
 In essays and certain types of prose, the final paragraph(s).
3. Pause to consider the author’s principal ideas and the material the author uses to support them. Such ideas may be fairly easy to identify in writings of critical essayists or journalists, but much more subtle in the works of someone like Virginia Woolf or Emily Dickinson.
4. Know the context of a piece of writing. This technique will help you read with greater understanding and better recollection. Knowledge of the period in which the authors lived and wrote enhances your understanding of what they have tried to say and how well they succeeded. When you read John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, find other sources to learn about the difficult conditions for migrant laborers in California in the 1930s.
5. Read text aloud. Slow down when you are having trouble with poetry or complex prose passages, and read them aloud. Reading aloud may help you to understand the tone of the poem or passage.
6. Reread difficult material to help you understand it. Complex issues and elegant expression are not always easily understood or appreciated on a first reading.
7. Form the habit of consulting your dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, or atlas. Through such resources, you'll discover the precise meanings of words as well as knowledge about the content of what you are reading. Similar resources are available online or as computer software.
[1] The College Board. (2009). AP English Literature Reading Study Skills. Retrieved October 29, 2009, from http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lit/reading.html?englit

Main Idea

SUPPLEMENTAL HANDOUT: Identifying the Main Idea

English 1 (2012-2013) / Knight

All comprehension revolves around the reader’s ability to answer two important questions.

1) Who or what was the topic of this reading?
2) What is the main point or points the author is expressing about the topic?
Topic - the topic of a paragraph or reading selection answer the basic question:
"Who or what have I just read about?"

Main Idea - the main idea of a paragraph answers the question:
"What is the main point or points the author is expressing about the topic?"
Topic Sentence - is a term often used in English classes to describe a statement found in a paragraph which states the topic and the main idea of the paragraph. In reading, this term is synonymous with a Stated Main Idea Sentence. The topic sentence or stated main idea sentence guides or controls what can be expressed in the paragraph.
The main idea sentence controls the individual paragraph and answers two important questions:
1) Who or what have I just read about?
2) What was the main point or points the author made about this topic?
The topic sentence may be clearly stated (explicit) or implied.
A stated (explicit) main idea sentence is a SENTENCE FOUND IN THE PARAGRAPH which states two pieces of information:
1) The topic of the paragraph 2) The main point or points being made about the topic
Stated main idea sentences may be anywhere in the paragraph, but are typically found in the following locations:
1) First sentence 2) Last sentence 3) Middle of paragraph 4) Combination of two sentences
Sometimes an author may choose to only hint or suggest the topic and main idea rather than providing a topic sentence or stated main idea sentence.
An Implied Main Idea is a sentence the reader composes rather than a statement found in the selection. This reader developed sentence provides the same information as a topic or stated main idea sentence.
1) Who or what did I just read about? 2) What was the main point or points made by the author?
Author Thesis - is a term often used in English classes to describe the main idea of an entire reading selection or an essay.
2
It refers to the controlling or guiding statement for a reading selection that is composed of several paragraphs.
A main idea may be recognized by:
1) The significance of its content or the force with which it is expressed.
2) The summation of the passage’s content.
3) An idea expressed as a well-written, formal-sounding statement and a complete thought.
4) If the passage seems to have only one general point, it includes the main idea. If it has two or more seemingly equal general points, the relationship between the points includes the main idea.
Main ideas must be backed up, supported, restated, or reinforced by the rest of the passage. On standardized tests be especially cautious of sentences posing as main ideas. These sentences are often:
1) A partial statement of the main idea.
2) A reference to the main idea, but not the main idea.
3) A reference to an idea in the passage that is expanded in the answers with information not found in the passage.
4) A misinterpretation (often slight) of the main idea information in the passage that results in choosing an answer that feels correct.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The main idea of a passage or reading is the central thought or message.
In contrast to the term topic, which refers to the subject under discussion, the term main idea refers to the point or thought being expressed.
Here’s an example to show you the difference between a topic and a main idea:
Imagine yourself overhearing a conversation in which your name is repeatedly mentioned. When you ask your friends what they were discussing, they say they were talking about you. At that point, you have the topic but not the main idea. Undoubtedly, you wouldn’t be satisfied until you learned what your friends were saying about this particular topic. You would probably pester them until you knew the main idea, exactly what they were saying about your personality, appearance, or behavior.
The same principle applies to reading. The topic is seldom enough. You also need to discover the main idea.
Reading Tips:
1. As soon as you can define the topic, ask yourself “What general point does the author want to make about this topic?” Once you can answer that question, you have more than likely found the main idea.
2. Most main ideas are stated or suggested early on in a reading; pay special attention to the first third of any passage, article, or chapter. That’s where you are likely to get the best statement or clearest expression of the main idea.
3. Pay attention to any idea that is repeated in different ways. If an author returns to the same thought in several different sentences or paragraphs, that idea is the main or central thought under discussion.
3
4. Once you feel sure you have found the main idea, test it. Ask yourself if the examples, reasons, statistics, studies, and facts included in the reading lend themselves as evidence or explanation in support of the main idea you have in mind. If they do, your comprehension is right on target. If they don’t, you might want to revise your first notion about the author’s main idea.
5. The main idea of a passage can be expressed any number of ways. For example, you and your roommate might come up with the same main idea for a reading, but the language in which that idea is expressed would probably be different. When, however, you are asked to find the topic sentence, you are being asked to find the statement that expresses the main idea in the author’s words. Any number of people can come up with the main idea for a passage, but only the author of the passage can create the topic sentence.
6. If you are taking a test that asks you to find the thesis or theme of a reading, don’t let the terms confuse you, you are still looking for the main idea.

Agenda Day Nine, Ten, Eleven

Agenda Day Nine & Ten September 11 & 12, 2013 Wed/Thur

Objective  1.6.3 Students will be able to identify and use context clues to find meaning in unfamiliar words and phrases.

Essential Question  1.6.3 How can context clues reveal the meaning of unfamiliar words?

Activities: 

·         Students study with a buddy for 10 min. pre Voc. #1 test.  Next, students participate in quia game for review.  Finally, students take Voc. #1 test.

·         Students complete “American History” test Open Book.

Home Learning: 

·         Read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  Purchase books at Books a Million

·         Complete “American History” author’s purpose essay; turn in next class.

http://my.hrw.com lewis473   m5e8p

_______________________________________________________________________________

Agenda Day Eleven September 13 & 16, 2013 Fri/Mon

Activities: 

·         Review “American History” essay using model student essays.

·         Students work in grammar groups based on their diagnostic test results.

·         Begin vocabulary study for list #2.  Write definition, synonyms, antonyms, companion forms.  Write an original sentence for each word using context clues.  Identify the type of clue.

Home Learning: 

·         Read Ch. 1-11; answer corresponding discussion questions from handout.  Purchase The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks books at Books a Million.

·         Revise “American History” author’s purpose essay; submit to turnitin.com before next class.

http://my.hrw.com lewis473   m5e8p (online textbook)