VOCABULARY WORDS FOR DRAMA

 

ACT	Large units of narrative that make up a PLAY. Plays can be divided into one, two, three, four, or five acts. Usually, the five-act play is the longest type of play.
ASIDE	A short speech delivered by an actor in a play expressing the character’s thoughts. Traditionally, an aside is delivered to the audience and not meant to be heard by the other characters on the stage.
DIALECT	The form of language spoken by people in a particular region or particular group. People from different parts of the world or from different cultures tend to speak with unique dialects.
DIALOGUE	A conversation between two or more characters in a story.
DICTION	The author’s choice of words. The specific words used by an author affects the way the audience responds to the work of literature.
PLAY	A type of story meant to be performed on a stage by actors in front of an audience.
EXPOSITION	Information provided at the start of the story that introduces the audience to the story’s SETTING (time and place), CHARACTERS, and basic PLOT.
FOIL	A character that CONTRASTS (is the opposite of) with another character. In many stories, FOILS help build dramatic tension.
FORESHADOWING	Clues provided by the author that allow the audience to PREDICT events that will occur later in the story.

 

MONOLOGUE		A speech by one character in a play or poem. A monologue may be addressed to another character or to the audience.
	MOTIVATION	The force that drives a character to act. This is the reason a character says or acts a particular way. This is driven by the character’s wants or needs.

 

SOLILOQUY	A speech that presents the character’s thoughts as though the character were overheard when alone. A soliloquy is usually NOT MEANT to be heard by other characters.
STAGE DIRECTION	Notes included in a drama to describe how the work is to be performed or staged. Stage directions are usually written in (PARENTHESES) or in ITALICS.
THEME	The main idea or central message of a story. Common UNIVERSAL THEMES include (but are not limited to) FAMILY, LOVE, HATE, VIOLENCE, FEAR, GREED, COURAGE, FRIENDSHIP, HONESTY, etc.
TRAGEDY	In the classic Greek sense of drama, TRAGEDY is a story in which a character rises high in society and suffers a downfall due to his / her own weakness (the tragic flaw). In a broader dramatic sense, TRAGEDY is a type of literature that results in a catastrophe for the main character. A tragedy does not end happily; tragedies tend to end with suffer, pain, loss, and / or death.
COMEDY	A type of story that is lighthearted in MOOD and TONE. A comedy primarily serves to make the audience laugh. Comedies tend to end happily. Many classic comedies end with a wedding
TRAGIC HERO	The main character (the protagonist) in a tragedy.
TRAGIC FLAW	The weakness of a tragic hero. A tragic flaw is usually an INTERNAL WEAKNESS, like fear, pride, hate, or greed.
SCENES	Smaller units of a play. Scenes can change when one character exits and another character enters. Scenes make up ACTS.

 

 

LITERARY TERMS FOR THE ODYSSEY

WORD	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE
1. ARCHETYPE	A type of character, detail, image, or situation that appears in literature from around the world and throughout the ages.	Harry Potter is an archetype of the young hero. Darth Vader is an archetype of the powerful villain. Any story where characters travel a great physical distance is the archetype of the journey story.
2. ATMOSPHERE	The emotional quality of a story, or the emotional effect a story has on the audience. This is another word for MOOD.	The atmosphere for a particular scene in a story can be exciting, scary, depressing, joyful, etc.
3. CHARACTERIZATION	The way an author develops a character in a story.	A character can be developed by what the character does and says.
4. DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION	This is when the author tells the audience exactly how they should feel about a particular character.	The knight was a handsome, brave, and intelligent young man.
5. INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION	The reader forms his/her own opinions about a character based on what the character says, what the character does, and how other characters react to him / her.	In order to save the entire kingdom from a deadly dragon, the knight has to sacrifice the life of his brother. What is YOUR opinion of the knight?
6. MYTHOLOGY	A story that uses the SUPERNATURAL to explain the natural world or to explain human nature.	Greek myth stories
7. EPIC POEM	A long, narrative poem about the adventures of a hero or a god / goddess.	The Odyssey was first created in the form of an epic poem.
8. NARRATIVE	A type of writing that tells a story.	The Odyssey, "The Most Dangerous Game," any movie you have seen.

9. FLASHBACK	The author presents material that occurred earlier the present tense of the narrative. This may be done through a character's memories, dreams, or accounts of past events.	The movie Forest Gump uses flashbacks to tell the life story of the protagonist.
10. FOIL	A character who provides a contrast to another character.	In a movie (for example), the two main characters may be best friends, but they may also contrast one another. One may be serious and brooding, while the other may be silly and funny.

11. FORESHADOWING

A literary technique where the author gives clues that may help the audience PREDICT future events of the story.

A character has a dream where she is in a car accident. Later in the story, that character is in a car accident.

12. MORAL	A lesson taught by a literary work.	The moral of "The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind" is to not let fear and distrust of others destroy you; instead, learn to work with others towards a common goal.
13. SENSORY LANGUAGE	Language that uses words that specifically appeal to one or more of the five senses (sight, taste, touch, sound, smell).	The mouth-watering aroma of the crisp, sizzling bacon floated from the smoky kitchen up to my cozy, warm bedroom.
14. SUPERNATURAL	Anything that is beyond our human understanding of the natural world; anything that does not fit within our concept of the natural world (ghosts, aliens, monsters, etc.).	The gods and monsters that appear in The Odyssey.
15. ICON	Comes from the Greek word " eikōn," which means "image." An icon is an image or symbolic representation often with sacred significance	A crown is an icon of royalty and power. A cross is traditionally an icon of a Christian religious faith.

ENGLISH I LITERARY TERMS FOR

THE NONFICTION UNIT

LITERARY TERM	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE OF TERM
1. ALLUSION	In literature, an allusion is reference to a famous person, place, object, previous work of art, or historical event as a comparison. Its purpose is to provide a figurative image that links the literary work to that well-known person, place, object, work of art, or event to increase the range of meaning through the context of the alluded work.	“He has HERCULEAN strength.” In the example above, there is an allusion to the Greek hero Hercules.

2. AUDIENCE	The person or persons for whom an author writes. The audience does determine the STYLE in which an author will present his/her ideas.	Peers / friends School officials The general public Lawmakers
3. AUTOBIOGRAPHY	A type of writing in which the author writes about his/her own personal life experiences.	The Diary of Anne Frank The Autobiography of Malcolm X

4. BIASED	Influenced or prejudiced against someone or something; favoring one point of view over another.	Example: If you don’t like Country music at all, then you have a BIAS against any Country song that you may hear on the radio.
4. DICTION	The choice of words which an author uses.	Examples: Glistening, shining, sunny, joyful, jubilant, warm, snug. Dark, dreary, foggy, cold, cramped.
5. EDITORIAL	A type of writing where the writer expresses a personal (usually biased) opinion on a controversial topic.	Letters to the Editor of a newspaper.
6. EXPOSITORY WRITING	Any type of writing that has the primary purpose of providing INFORMATION to the reader.	· Newspaper articles · Science and history textbooks · Biographies and autobiographies · Recipes

7. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Language NOT MEANT to be taken seriously exactly as it is written. This is SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE. Many times, authors use SIMILES, METAPHORS, and HYPERBOLES to create figurative language.

He smile was as warm as they sun. He ran as fast as lightning.

8. FORMAL LANGUAGE

A manner of speaking or writing in which the AUDIENCE and PURPOSE of the communication is more serious and structured. When using formal language, the speaker chooses his/her words carefully and avoids using contractions, cultural slang, profanity, crude humor, or any other type of language that does not convey a strong sense of professionalism and intelligence.

A letter to a high-ranking official. A speech presented to a professional committee A formal argument presented in a courtroom. A political speech

9. HYPERBOLE

An intended exaggeration done for effect; a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without in-tending to be literally true. A hyperbole (also called overstatement) may be used for serious, comic, or ironic effect.

He is as big as a house. I told you a million times to put your name on your paper. I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.

10. INFORMAL LANGUAGE

Informal language refers to language used in an informal setting, such as at home or with peers. Slang and jargon are acceptable when it comes to informal language.

A letter or text message to a friend or family member. A humorous piece of writing meant to entertain. A personal journal

11. LITERAL LANGUAGE	Language meant to be taken seriously exactly as it is written, word for word.
12. MEMOIR	Like an AUTOBIOGRAPH, a memoir is when an author writers about his / her own personal life experiences.

13. METAPHOR	A comparison between two unlike things WITHOUT using “as” or “like.”	She has sunshine eyes. He speaks with a thunderous voice.
14. MOOD	The emotional effect the words of a piece of writing has on the reader. It is the emotional quality of a piece of writing.	Words like “dark” and “stormy” create an unsettling, disturbing mood. Words like “shining” and “glistening” create a positive and happy mood.

15. NARRATIVE	Any type of writing that tells a story.	“The Most Dangerous Game.” “The Interlopers” “The Dark Knight”
16. NONFICTION	Writing that is based on factual information; writing based on truth. Nonfiction is not about the imagination; it is about facts and opinions.	Newspaper articles Biographies Recipes

17. OBJECTIVE	The goal of a piece of writing. The desired effect a piece of writing attempts to achieve.	The objective of this article is to inform you about the presidential candidates.
18. PERSUASIVE WRITING	A type of writing with the main objective of trying to affect the way the reader feels and thinks about a particular subject. Persuasive writing presents the author’s particular point of view on a topic and then attempts to persuade the reader that the author’s point of view is the correct point of view to have.	Examples: Political speeches Movie reviews Music review
19. PERSONIFICATION	A type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.	Example: The clouds cried cold, wet tears. The ocean waters licked salty lips against the jagged rocks

20. PURPOSE

The reason an author writes. People usually write for the following basic reasons: To inform To persuade To entertain

J.K. Rowling writes her Harry Potter books with the primary purpose of entertaining her readers.

21. RHETORICAL DEVICE	Rhetorical devices are the ways an author uses language to create a particular effect in the reader. They are special patterns of words and ideas that create emphasis and stir emotion. Common rhetorical devices include: repetition, rhyme, figurative language, and parallelism.	Example: Martin Luther King, Jr. creates a sense of rhythm in his speech “I Have a Dream” by repeating the same phrases and words and using descriptive metaphors and similes to convey his message.
22. SATIRE	A type of writing that ridicules (makes fun of ) the foolishness and faults of individuals, institutions, society, or humanity in general. Satire uses humor to address a more serious issue.	Examples: Saturday Night Live South Park The Simpsons “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
23. SIMILE	A comparison between unlike things USING “AS” or ‘LIKE.”	She is as beautiful as the summer sky. He runs like the wind.
24. SPEECH	A type of writing that is created with the main purpose of being presented orally in front of a live audience.	“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

25. STYLE	An author’s unique way of writing. An author’s use of DICTION, TONE, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, DIALECT, RHYTHM, etc. help determine an author’s style.	Snoop Dawg and Lil Wayne each have their own unique styles.
26. THEME	The main idea or central message of a story. Common universal themes include: LOVE, HATE, FAMILY, COURAGE, CHOICE, etc.	One major theme of “The Most Dangerous Game” is survival.
27. TONE	The writer’s attitude towards his or her audience and subject. Tone can be described with adjectives: positive, negative,
28. VOICE	Voice is a writer’s distinctive “sound” or way of “speaking” on the page. It is related to such elements as word choice, sentence structure, and tone.

ENGLISH I VOCABULARY WORDS

Power Verbs

The words listed below are words that commonly appear on many standardized tests. To help students better prepare for such tests, it is important that students fully understand what these words mean. If a student doesn't understand a question, how can a student effectively answer the question? Learning the words below can help.

Trace	create a time line of events; show what happened, from beginning to end
Analyze	Break into pieces and then examine/explain each piece
Infer	Make an educated guess, based on clues; come to a conclusion, based on facts you have been given
Evaluate	Judge the worth or value of the statement, item or subject matter; decide how good or bad a thing is
Formulate	Put together a theory, idea, or hypothesis (educated guess)
Describe	Tell about; use specific details; paint a picture using words
Support	Prove; give reasons for; give evidence
Explain	Tell the details related to the subject matter; examine and give evidence
Summarize	Re-tell, in fewer words, the event
Compare	Show similarities; point out how things are alike
Contrast	Show differences; point out how things are not alike
Predict	Tell what will happen; make a guess about what the future holds - based on the information given

ENGLISH I E.O.C. VOCABULARY PRACTICE I

Directions: Using the words below, complete each activity below.

We will have a quiz on these words on Tuesday, Feb. 3

TRACE	ANALYZE	INFER	EVALUATE	FORMULATE	CONTRAST
DESCRIBE	SUPPORT	EXPLAIN	SUMMARIZE	COMPARE	PREDICT

1. If I ask you to ______________________________________ a story we read in class, I am asking you to give me the details of the story or give me evidence that you read and understood the story.

2. If I ask you to explain how two characters in a story are SIMILAR or THE SAME, then I am asking you to _________________________________ these two characters.

3. If I ask you to explain how two characters in a story are DIFFERENT, then I am asking you to _________________________________ these two characters.

4. Movie critics ____________________________________ whether or not a movie is good. They will write about what is good and what is bad about a movie.

5. If your history teacher asks you to create a timeline of the events that lead up to the American Civil War, then your history teacher is asking you to ________________________________ the events that lead up to the American Civil War.

6. We read a story in class, and I ask you to SUMMARIZE the story. What am I asking you to do?

7. Whenever a teacher asks you to give reasons or evidence for an answer you give to a question, the teacher is asking you to ____________________________ your answer.

8. We read a story in class and the story ends with the characters lost in a jungle. I then ask you to use the information provided in the story to make an educated guess about what might happen next in the story. When you do this, you ______________________________ what will happen next in the story.

9. If I ask you to DESCRIBE the setting of a story, what am I asking you do to?

10. You read a story where a character has a large scar across his face, he walks with a limp, and he is afraid to ride on any motorcycle. Based on this information, what can we INFER about this character?

11. If you break a story down into its basic parts in order to better understand the story, then you ____________________________________ the story.

12. Your science teacher tells you that the Earth’s overall climate is getting warmer each year, and you are then given an assignment where you have to put together a theory, idea, or hypothesis that explains WHY the Earth is getting warmer. In this assignment, your science teacher is asking you to ___________________________________ a possible reason the Earth’s climate is changing.