Literary Terms and Concepts

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Literary texts

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Passages that are stories, dramas, or poems.

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Inference

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To come to a reasonable conclusion based on evidence found in the text.

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Theme

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The lesson or message of a story.

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Central idea

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The most important point or idea that the author is making in a text. Also known as the main idea.

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Objective summary

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An overview of a text. It captures the main points but does not give every detail and does not include opinions.

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Plot

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The specific order of a series of events that form a story.

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Resolution

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The solution to the problem or the end of the main dramatic conflict.

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Characterization

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The way an author develops a character over the course of a text.

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Tone

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The attitude of an author about a subject or an audience.

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Setting

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Refers to where and when a story takes place, including the time of day, the season, or the location.