STAAR VOCABULARY

Question 1

exposition

Answer 1

the introduction of the story, where the main characters or other elements are introduced

Question 2

rising action

Answer 2

events leading to the main event/problem of the story

Question 3

turning point/climax

Answer 3

the most exciting part of the story

Question 4

falling action

Answer 4

events that lead to the problem/conflict being solved

Question 5

resolution

Answer 5

events that bring the story to a close (also known as denouement)

Question 6

theme

Answer 6

the underlying message of a story, poem, or play

Question 7

internal conflict

Answer 7

a struggle that takes place in a character’s mind (ex.: man vs. self;

Question 8

external conflict

Answer 8

a struggle between a character and an outside force (ex.: man vs. character, man vs. nature, and man vs. society, man vs. fate)

Question 9

protagonist

Answer 9

the main character in a story or play, usually the hero of the story

Question 10

antagonist

Answer 10

the character or a force in conflict with the main character, usually the villain

Question 11

first person POV

Answer 11

a character in the story is the narrator and is telling the story; Pronouns: uses I, me, we

Question 12

third person limited POV

Answer 12

a character in the story is the narrator and is telling the story; Pronouns: uses I, me, we

Question 13

third person objective POV

Answer 13

focuses on every character’s actions but NOT the emotions and thoughts – the narrator sees and hears everything; uses character’s names, he, she, it, they, him, her

Question 14

third person omniscient POV

Answer 14

knows the actions, emotions, and thoughts of every character – the narrator knows EVERYTHING; uses character’s names, he, she, it, they, him, her

Question 15

foreshadowing

Answer 15

When the author gives a hint about something that will happen

Question 16

irony

Answer 16

an event that is the opposite of what is expected to happen.

Question 17

flashback

Answer 17

an event from the past that is shown in a story

Question 18

idiom

Answer 18

an expression that has a different meaning from the literal meaning (ex: You need to hit the books and study!)

Question 19

simile

Answer 19

a comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as: (ex.: Her new hair do looked like a mop.)

Question 20

metaphor

Answer 20

a comparison of two unlike things that does NOT use “like” or “as” (ex. My teacher was a monster today.)

Question 21

personification

Answer 21

giving human qualities to something that is not human (ex.: The wind whispered my name.)

Question 22

hyperbole

Answer 22

an exaggeration used to emphasize something (ex.: I have told you a million times to spit out that gum.)

Question 23

alliteration

Answer 23

repeating the same beginning consonant sounds (ex.: Silly Sam swam sideways.)

Question 24

onomatopoeia

Answer 24

the use of words to imitate sounds (ex: Pop! Boom!)

Question 25

lines

Answer 25

like sentences but for a poem

Question 26

stanzas

Answer 26

a group of lines in a poem is a stanza

Question 27

rhythm

Answer 27

the flow of beat in a poem

Question 28

meter

Answer 28

the number of syllables in a poem

Question 29

rhyme

Answer 29

words that end with the same sound

Question 30

rhyme scheme

Answer 30

the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line in a poem or song

Question 31

imagery

Answer 31

the use of words to create pictures or images in your mind ( 5 senses sight, see, smell, touch, hear )

Question 32

graphical elements

Answer 32

when the author uses punctuation and capitalization to create effect

Question 33

author’s purpose

Answer 33

the purpose the author wrote the poem ( share feelings, tell a story, send a message, be humorous, provide description )

Question 34

repetition

Answer 34

repeated words, phrases, or lines in a poem

Question 35

tone

Answer 35

the atmosphere or emotion created by the poet to the reader

Question 36

mood

Answer 36

the way the reader feels as they read the poem or story