Reading Flashcards
Main idea
The argument or message the writer is trying to make about a topic
Topic
The subject of the passage. What the passage is about
What is one way to find the main idea?
ask “what is the author trying to say about the topic”?
What are Supporting details?
details that support the main idea or argument
What are signal words?
words or phrases that indicate a supporting detail
What is the purpose of an index?
shows which pages words are located on to help readers find specific details about a topic
When are italics used?
When writing titles of long works (novels, books, movies, plays, magazines)
What are the four common purposes of writing?
entertain, explain a process, persuade, describe, inform
Narrative writing
Tells a story (entertains)
What is the purpose of informational (expository) writing?
To inform (news article)
What is the purpose of Technical writing?
To Explain (instructions)
What is the purpose of persuasive writing?
tries to attempt to persuade the reader
What is a problem and solution text structure?
the author outlines a problem and then discusses a solution
What is a comparison and contrast text structure?
author presents two ideas then compares and contrasts them.
What is a cause and effect text structure?
author recounts an action then discusses the resulting effects
What is a descriptive text structure?
author describing something
What is a primary source?
A source that was made during an event
What is a secondary source?
A source that was made after the event.
What are some rules about making inferences and drawing conclusions?
Inferences and conclusions must logically follow the ideas of the passage and are not mentioned at all in the passage
Logos
Appeals to logic and reason. Facts, statistics,
Pathos
Appeals to emotion
Ethos
Credibility
What are some characteristics of formal language?
- Third person (no first person pronouns)
- No slang
- Objective language
- No exclamation marks
-No contractions
What are some characteristics of informal language?
- First or 2nd person
- Slang/casual language
Where is the main idea and topic usually located in a text?
Beginning of the text, the topic sentence or title
When answering questions where you have to rewrite a sentence, what should you do?
Find out what the original sentence is saying then make sure the answer choice matches the ideas of the original sentence.
What are some strategies when making inferences of texts?
Inferences are supported in the text. Eliminate the answer choices that contradict or aren’t supported by details in the text.
What are some strategies when picking answer choices that support or weaken the author’s argument or main idea?
- Sum up the main idea/argument then see which answer choices support or go against that main idea
- the answer choice must support or weaken the argument
When should you use quotations?
When writing the title of shorter works like songs. Put the song name in quotation marks but the album in italics since it’s a longer piece of work
What are the steps in writing a summary?
- Identify topic, main idea, and key points
- Include the thesis, topic sentences and the details supporting each topic sentence.
Topic sentence are a type of…
Key detail/supporting detail of the main idea
Footnote
comment(s) at the bottom of a text or page that includes additional information about what’s covered in the text
Glossary
A list of words and their meanings
Table of contents
Lists chapter titles and their page numbers
Difference between heading and sub heading
Sub heading is always smaller than the heading
Side bar
Comments located to the side of a text that include additional information. Similar to footnotes
What are italics used for?
Titles of longer works
foreign words/phrases
emphasis
Where would the most relevant information regarding a topic come from?
First hand accounts, people involved or directly related to
