English 10A Glossary - Vocabulary Words
When we discuss and write about texts (a piece of writing), we also want to give details and examples that explain our thinking. To support our ideas about a piece of literature, we can refer to specific details from the text.
When we do this, we're using textual evidence to support our ideas about the text.
When you express an idea about a literary text, it's important to support your idea with strong and thorough textual evidence. Here are some key elements of textual evidence:
provides support to show that your idea or interpretation of the text is accurate
includes specific details that directly relate to the point you’re trying to make about the text
may require more than one piece of textual evidence to completely support your idea
Here's a strategy to include textual evidence in a written response:
A = Answer the question, or assert your idea about the text.
C = Cite textual evidence to support your idea.
E = Explain how the textual evidence supports your idea.
To provide smooth transitions, we can use introductory phrases. These are phrases that we used to "introduce" or show others the information we want to tell them.
Here's an example:
In the story, TingTing's old bots were "restored by watching instructional videos on the Net."
The introductory phrase "In the story" signals readers that the writing is going to provide textual evidence. The introductory phrase is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma.
Here are some other examples of introductory phrases:
As the story unfolds, we learn that . . .
In the beginning of the selection, the author notes . . .
Near the end of the text, the narrator reveals . . .
After the first paragraph, the reader can see . . .
During their conversation, we notice that . . .
Context clues are hints in the text that help us understand the meaning of a word or phrase. Using context clues is especially important when a word has multiple meanings.
The following are examples of different types of context clues. In the sample sentences, the underlined word represents vocabulary that a person may not know, and the bolded words are the clues that could help you figure out the definition.
Definition Clue
When the definition or explanation of a word or phrase follows it.
Example: Maya was known by her friends as being very tactful, always courteous and diplomatic with her comments.
Example Clue
When an example of a word or phrase is provided.
Example: I envy Tonya for being so spontaneous; she always does something fun at the spur of the moment without any planning.
Synonym Clue
When another nearby word or phrase has a similar meaning.
Example: Finn’s prudent idea about the activity seemed like good words of caution.
Antonym Clue
When another nearby word or phrase has the opposite meaning. Hint: look for transitional words.
Example: Nadia was reserved when she spoke, but Finn was very talkative.
Inference Clue
When there are enough hints before, within, or after a word or phrase for the reader to infer its meaning.
Example: With great ardor, the speaker delivered his campaign speech, expressing such zeal and passion.
Denotative meaning is a direct, or explicit, meaning. The denotative meaning is often referred to as the dictionary meaning.
One denotative meaning for heavy, as seen in the dictionary, is “having a great weight.”
Remember that words can have more than one denotative meaning. For example, the word heavy can also mean “thick or substantial.” A dictionary is a great resource to help determine the denotative meaning of a word.
For more information, feel free to take a look at some of the notes from ENG 9A!
Connotative meaning is the feeling associated with a word. Words can evoke many types of emotional reactions.
Below is an example paragraph, with context clues to help you determine the connotative meaning of the word raucous.
If you listen carefully, you can hear the song of the city. It’s in the sharp, raucous laughter of the kids barreling down the crowded streets, in the heavy electronic beats erupting like great beasts from basement clubs, in the wind whistling through dark alleys, and in the rain as it drops on to the city like so many falling stars.
Looking at the context clues, we see the word sharp and the phrases “kids barreling down,” “beats erupting,” and “giant beasts.”
These clues provide hints that the word raucous has an undesirable connotation here and expresses a sense of a harsh sound.
For more information, feel free to take a look at some of the notes from ENG 9A!
Figurative meaning is the nonliteral meaning of a word or phrase. In other words, it’s used in a different way from its normal, everyday usage. We see figurative meanings in literary devices that contain comparisons, such as metaphors, similes, and personification.
For more information about figurative language and meaning, please click here!
It's important to consider how a specific detail supports an idea in the text.
For example, the idea that programmers design computers to think like humans is supported by this sentence:
Deep learning software simulates this layered structure with an artificial neural network that enables computers to learn to solve problems through examples.
This detail supports the idea because it explains that programmers create software to imitate how a human brain works. This explanation is called commentary.
They are a retelling of the important parts of a narrative.
They are concise and to the point.
They do not include the reader’s opinion.
A summary should be clear enough that someone who hasn’t read the original text can still understand the overall meaning.
To summarize literary texts, follow this process:
Read the text carefully.
Identify the most important parts of the narrative.
Paraphrase these important details in logical order.
Here is an example text for you to read. When you're done, take a look at this video walking you through how to summarize it - it's a GREAT example!