CREATED BY: STEPHANIE SUTHERLANDENGLISH I INSTRUCTOR

CADDO MILLS HIGH SCHOOL

English Vocabulary for EOC Released Questions

English TermsThese terms are likely to

show up on the English I Reading portion of the

STAAR EOC.

Characteristic

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

Characteristics may be physical or may describe the object's nature

Generosity is his chief characteristic.

Convey

To make an idea known or understandable to someone

On the EOC, you will see questions that ask: “What message does the author convey in the passage?”

“How does the author convey to the reader that. . . .”

This is shown by. . .

You are able to understand this by. . .

Dialogue

Conversation between characters in a literary work. Dialogue can contribute to characterization, create mood, advance the plot, and develop theme.

Evidence

Support for a claim or argument. Evidence comes from the original text in order to prove or back up the statement.

On the EOC, you will see questions that ask you to, “Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.”

This is supported by: . . .

For example, . . .

“_________” is evidence that . . .

Cited

To quote (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work

When using text evidence, you are citing the passage.

Narrative

Writing or speech that tells a story.

The story is told by a narrator and can take the form of a novel, an essay, a poem, or a short story.

Melodrama (Melodramatic)

Exaggerated, sensationalized, or overemotional texts.

Often appeal to emotions or express dramatic emotions.

The man and woman are both being melodramatic.

Persuasive

A type of speech or writing, usually nonfiction, that attempts to convince an audience to think or act in a particular way.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that compares or equates two seemingly unlike things. In contrast to a simile, a metaphor implies the comparison instead of stating it directly.

There is no use of connectives such as “like” or “as.”

The simplest form of metaphor is: "The [first thing] is a [second thing]."

Life is a winding road.

Excerpt

An excerpt is a passage or segment taken from a text. The length of an excerpt may be a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire chapter.

Below is a short excerpt from the preamble.

Plot

The sequence of events in a story, play, or narrative poem.

Revolves around a central conflict, faced by the main characters.

Point of View

The standpoint, or perspective, from which a story is told.

All stories are told by a narrator, and who that narrator is affects the point of view.

First-Person: The narrator is a character in the story and refers to as “I.”

Third-Person: The narrator is someone who stands outside the story and refers to characters as “he” or she.”

Protagonist/Antagonist

Protagonist – The central character in a narrative literary work, around whom the main conflict revolves.

Generally, the reader or audience is meant to sympathize with the protagonist who usually changes after the climax of the story.

Antagonist – A person or force in society or nature that opposes the protagonist.

Generally, the reader is meant NOT to sympathize with the antagonist

Simile

A figure of speech that uses “like” or “as” to compare two seemingly unlike things.

Smart as an owl.

Swim like a fish.

Cool as a cucumbe

r.

Quiet like a mous

e.

Solid as a rock.

Symbolic Imagery

Any object, person, place, or experience that exists on a literal level but is also intended to symbolize something else, usually something abstract.

In O. Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi,” Della’s hair is the symbol of her beauty.

Character Foil

When a character is portrayed as opposite of another character in a particular way.

By putting the two characters next to each other, the different characteristic is emphasized.

InIn Shrek, the donkey and Shrek are two very different types of characters.

Tone

An author’s attitude toward his or her subject matter.

Tone is conveyed through elements of style, including word choice.

A writer’s tone may convey a variety of attitudes, such as sympathy or humor.

Margaret Atwood employs an ironic tone in “Waiting.”

Achieve

Verb

To get or attain by effort

To gain

To obtain

If you study and practice, you will achieve success on your EOC.

Containing

Verb

To restrain or keep within limits

To hold or have within

A jar containing cookies sits on my grandmother’s counter.

Amid

Preposition

In or into the middle of

Synonyms: surrounded by, through, between

Antonyms: from, out of

It was hard to hear amid all the cheering.

Cautionary

Adjective

Warning or admonishment

Synonyms: warning, advisory, counseling

“Little Red Riding Hood” is a cautionary tale reminding children to listen to their parents.

Emphasize (Emphasis)

Verb

To place stress on or to show as important

Synonyms: accent, illuminate, feature, press

Antonyms: play down, de-emphasize

The teacher emphasized the importance of doing well on the EOC.

Conflicting Opinions

Noun

Two or more points of view in opposition to one another.

If one conflicting opinion is true, the other can note be true.

The students had conflicting opinions about whether chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream.

Eager

Adjective

Marked by enthusiastic desire or interest; impatient excitement

Synonyms: excited, impatient, antsy

Antonyms: hesitant, reluctant, unenthusiastic

He was eager for Friday to come.

Displaying

Verb

To make evident or to show

Synonyms: expose, produce, lay out

Antonyms: hide, cover, conceal, camouflage

The characters were displaying a number of emotions.

Enhance

Verb

To increase or improve in value, quality, or attractiveness

Synonyms: improve, help, upgrade

Antonym: worsen

The image enhanced the students’ understanding of the passage.

Ideal

Adjective

Being characteristically without flaw, usually only existing in theory or imagination.

Synonyms: visionary, perfected, unsurpassed

Antonyms: faulty, defective

It was an ideal spot for vacation.

Evoke

Verb

to bring to mind or recollection

Synonym: elicit, raise

His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.

Imply

Verb

To express, suggest, or show something without stating it directly

Synonyms: conclude, deduce, reason, gather

My dad’s gruff manner implied he was in a foul mood.

Phony

Adjective

Not genuine, intended to deceive or mislead.

Synonyms: false, counterfeit, bogus

Antonyms: authentic, genuine, real

He tried to pay with phony money.

Optimistic

Adjective

Characterized by an inclination to expect the best possible outcome

Synonyms: idealistic, hopeful

Antonyms: despairing, hopeless, pessimistic

An optimistic person would say this glass is half full.

Intended

Adjective

Expected to be such in the future

Synonyms: deliberate, intentional, purposeful

Antonym: unintentional

Stephenie Meyer intended for teens to read her books.

Obtaining

Verb

to gain or attain usually by planned action or effort

Synonyms: acquire, come by, get

The information may be challenging to obtain.

Pessimistic

Adjective

Characterized by an inclination to expect the worst possible outcome

Synonyms: defeatist, downbeat, hopeless

Antonyms: hopeful, optimistic, upbeat

A pessimistic person would say this glass is half empty.

Indicate

Verb

To point something out or to present evidence

Synonyms: denote, point to, tell of

The map indicates where the treasure is buried.

Primarily

Adverb

For the most part, in the first place.

Synonyms: firstly, initially, originally, mainly

Ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes.

Rational

Adjective

Having reason or understanding

Synonyms: reasonable, reasoning, thinking

Antonyms: irrational, unreasonable

There was a rational reason for the creaking sound in the house. The dog was walking up the squeaky stairs.

Reveal

Verb

To make something (secret or hidden) publically or generally known.

Synonyms: disclose, uncover, tell, expose

Antonyms: cover up, hide, conceal

The expression on her face revealed how she felt.

Upheaval

Noun

Extreme agitation or disorder, radical change

Synonyms: convulsion, uproar, uproot

The civil rights movement marked a period of social upheaval in the U.S.

Suggests

Verb

To mention or imply as a possibility, to call to mind by thought or association

Synonyms: hint, insinuate, indicate

Your teacher suggests you study for the EOC.

Assumption

Noun

A belief or statement taken for granted without actual proof

Synonyms: hypothesis, assuming, belief

Antonyms: doubt, unexpected

We made an assumption that the candy was for us; actually, it was for a party for the teachers.

Tendency

Noun

A proneness to a particular kind of thought or action

Synonym: trend

Grace has a tendency to drop things.

Various

Adjective

Of differing kinds, having a number of different aspects or characteristics

Synonyms: varied, different

Antonyms: one of a kind, unique, singular

He has lived in places as various as New York City and Caddo Mills.

WILHELM, JEFFREY D. LITERATURE TEXAS TREASURES COURSE 4. COLUMBUS ,OH: MCGRAW HILL/GLENCOE, 2011.PRINT.

DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS - MERRIAM- WEBSTER ONLINE. WEB. 07 FEB. 2012. <HTTP://WWW.MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM/>.

Sources Used