Main Idea
The argument that the author is trying to make about a particular topic
Topic
Sometimes the main idea
Topic Sentence
Usually appears early in the passage
Supporting Details
Reinforce the author's main idea
Summary Sentence
Sums up the passage, often by restating the main idea and the author's key evidence supporting it
Signal Words
Look for them when looking for supporting details, they tell when a supporting fact or idea will follow (for example, specifically, in addition, furthermore, for instance, others, in particular, some)
Fact
A statement or thought that can be proven to be true
Opinion
An assumption not based in fact, that cannot be proven to be true
Types of Passages
Entertain, Persuade, Describe, and Explain
Categories a passage fits into
Narrative writing, Informational, Technical, and Persuasive
Text Structure
Use the logical relationship between ideas to improve the readability and coherence of a text
Problem-Solution
The author outlines a problem and then discusses a solution
Comparison-Contrast
The author presents two situations and then discusses the similarities and differences
Cause-Effect
The author recounts an action and then discusses the resulting effects
Descriptive
The author describes an idea, object, person, or other item in detail
Primary Source
An unaltered piece of writing that was composed during the time when the events being described took place; often written by the people involved
Secondary Source
Might address the same topic but provides extra commentary or analysis
Sentence Context Clues
Within the sentence that contains the word
Restatement Clues
The definition of the word in the sentence; set apart by a comma, parentheses, or a colon
Contrast Clues
Include the opposite meaning of the word (but, on the other hand, and however)
Positive/Negative Clues
Tell whether a word has a positive or negative meaning
Denotation
Or definition, the author intends for the reader to look at the surrounding text
Connotation
Which are the implied meaning and emotions a word evokes in the reader
Figurative Language
The use of the a word to imply something other than the word's literal definition
Roots
The building blocks for all words
Prefixes
Elements added to the beginning of the word
Suffixes
Elements added to the end of the word
Ast(er)-
Star (asteroid, astronomy)
Audi-
Hear (audience, audible)
Auto-
Self (automatic, autograph)
Bene-
Good (Beneficent, Benign)
Bio-
Life (biology, biorhythm)
Cap-
Take (capture)
Ced-
Yield (Secede)
Chrono-
Time (chronometer, chronic)
Corp-
Body (corporeal)
Crac- or Crat
Rule (autocrat)
Demo-
People (democracy)
Dict-
Say (dictionary, dictation)
Duc-
Lead or Make (ductile, produce)
Gen-
Give Birth (generation, genetics)
Geo-
Earth (geography, geometry)
Grad-
Step (graduate)
Graph-
Write (graphical, autograph)
Ject-
Throw (eject)
Jur- or Jus-
Law (justice, jurisdiction)