ELA Vocabulary Terms

What the text is mostly about. The ____ helps us understand the structure.

• gist

• theme

• retell

Answer explanation

The gist is only about 1-2 sentences long.

The message or main idea relevant to the real world that the author wants the reader to take away.

• main idea

• theme

• story

• gist

A brief statement outlining the main points.

• gist

• theme

• summarize / summary

• retell

Answer explanation

A summary (or to summarize) is longer than a gist, but shorter than a retell.

A feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify it

• Person

• Theme

• Imagery

• Characteristics

Chunks of lines in a poem

• Stanza

• Imagery

• Lines

• Poetry

Answer explanation

A stanza is made up of groups of lines.

Words and phrases that help the reader imagine with the senses

• Symbolism

• Theme

• Imagination

• Imagery

When two words have similar ending sounds or sound the same

• Meter

• Rhyme

• Structure

• Synonym

Answer explanation

An example of rhyming words include: book - cook, loud - proud, drink - sink.

Beat or rhythm of a poem

• Rhythm

• Rhyme

• Meter

• Structure

How a text is organized

• Meter

• Stanza

• Lines

• Structure

Poems that don't rhyme or have a rhythm (beat) to it.

• Free verse

• Haiku

• Acrostic

• Stanzas