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High School English Notes

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620 views4 pages

High School English Notes

Uploaded by

Craig Conway
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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High School English Notes

Chapter: Introduction to Literary Elements

1. Parts of Speech:

●​ Nouns:​

○​ A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.


○​ Types of nouns:
■​ Proper Nouns: Specific names (e.g., New York, Sarah).
■​ Common Nouns: General names (e.g., city, woman).
■​ Abstract Nouns: Ideas or concepts (e.g., love, freedom).
■​ Concrete Nouns: Things that can be physically touched (e.g., book,
table).
●​ Pronouns:​

○​ A pronoun takes the place of a noun (e.g., he, she, they, it).
○​ Examples: Maria went to the store. -> She went to the store.
●​ Verbs:​

○​ A verb expresses action or a state of being.


○​ Action Verbs: Describe physical or mental action (e.g., run, think).
○​ Linking Verbs: Connect the subject to more information (e.g., am, is, are).
○​ Helping Verbs: Assist the main verb (e.g., will, have, can).
●​ Adjectives:​

○​ An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun (e.g., tall, beautiful,


loud).
●​ Adverbs:​

○​ An adverb modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g.,


quickly, very, gently).
●​ Prepositions:​

○​ A preposition shows a relationship between a noun or pronoun and


another word in the sentence (e.g., in, on, at, under).
●​ Conjunctions:​

○​ A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., and, but, or,


because).
●​ Interjections:​

○​ An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses strong emotion (e.g.,


wow, ouch, hey).
2. Sentence Structure:

●​ Simple Sentences:​

○​ A simple sentence consists of one independent clause (e.g., I ran).


●​ Compound Sentences:​

○​ A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a


coordinating conjunction (e.g., I ran, and I won).
●​ Complex Sentences:​

○​ A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one


dependent clause (e.g., I ran because I was late).
●​ Compound-Complex Sentences:​

○​ A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and at least


one dependent clause (e.g., I ran because I was late, and I missed the bus).

3. Literary Devices:

●​ Metaphor:​

○​ A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as" (e.g.,
Time is a thief).
●​ Simile:​

○​ A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as" (e.g., She is
as brave as a lion).
●​ Personification:​

○​ Giving human characteristics to non-human things (e.g., The wind


whispered through the trees).
●​ Alliteration:​

○​ The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (e.g., Peter


Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers).
●​ Onomatopoeia:​

○​ Words that imitate sounds (e.g., buzz, crack, pop).


●​ Irony:​
○​ A contrast between appearance and reality.
■​ Verbal Irony: Saying the opposite of what is meant (e.g., “Great!
Another rainy day.”).
■​ Situational Irony: When the opposite of what is expected occurs.
■​ Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something that the
characters do not.

4. Reading Comprehension:

●​ Theme:​

○​ The central idea or message of a work of literature.


○​ Examples: Friendship, loyalty, good vs. evil.
●​ Plot:​

○​ The sequence of events in a story.


○​ Components:
■​ Exposition: Introduction of characters, setting, and situation.
■​ Rising Action: The development of the story’s conflict.
■​ Climax: The turning point or most intense part of the story.
■​ Falling Action: Events that lead to the resolution.
■​ Resolution: The conclusion or outcome of the story.
●​ Characterization:​

○​ The process by which the author reveals a character's personality.


○​ Types:
■​ Direct Characterization: The author directly describes a character.
■​ Indirect Characterization: The author reveals the character’s
personality through actions, thoughts, and dialogue.
●​ Point of View:​

○​ The perspective from which the story is told.


■​ First Person: The narrator is a character in the story (uses "I" or
"we").
■​ Third Person: The narrator is outside the story (uses "he," "she,"
"they").
■​ Omniscient: The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all
characters.
■​ Limited: The narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of one
character.
5. Writing Skills:

●​ Thesis Statement:​

○​ A clear, concise statement of the main argument or point in an essay.


●​ Introduction:​

○​ The first paragraph in an essay, designed to introduce the topic and thesis
statement.
●​ Body Paragraphs:​

○​ Each paragraph supports the thesis statement with evidence and analysis.
●​ Conclusion:​

○​ The final paragraph that summarizes the essay and restates the thesis in a
new way.
●​ Citations:​

○​ Properly crediting sources of information using formats like MLA or APA.

Conclusion:

●​ Mastering English involves understanding grammar, literary techniques, and how


to effectively communicate through writing and reading.
●​ Strong English skills are essential for academic success and effective
communication in everyday life.
●​

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