Strategies to Improve

Understanding

Standards ELA9RL1, ELA9RL3, ELA9RL5, ELA9RC3

*PRACTICE: What is diction?

Diction is simply word choice—the words that an author chooses to use. On the EOCT, diction refers to...

The author’s purpose The audience The author’s voice and style The author’s language and tone

Purpose Definition

To inform To present facts and details

To entertain To amuse or offer enjoyment

To persuade To urge action on an issue

To instruct To teach concepts and facts

To motivate To encourage to act

To describe an event

To narrate

Author’s Purpose:

Author’s Purpose: read the text below….

The fire crackled musically. From it swelled light smoke. Overhead the foliage moved slowly. The leaves, with their faces turned toward the blaze, were colored shifting hues of silver, often edged with red. Far off to the right, through a window in the forest, could be seen a handful of stars lying, like glittering pebbles, on the black level of the night.

--excerpt from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

*PRACTICE: answer this question in your notes by writing both the letter you chose & answer beside it out

The author’s purpose in the passage you just read is:

a. To describe an event during the war.

b. To create a mood of momentary peace.

c. To persuade that war is destructive.

d. To teach a lesson about nature.

Author’s Purpose: read another text below….

Columbus’ own successful voyage in 1492 prompted a papal bull (formal declaration) dividing the globe between rivals Spain and Portugal. However, the Portuguese protested that the pope’s line left them too little Atlantic sea room for their voyages to India. The line was shifted 270 leagues westward in 1494 by the Treaty of Tordesillas. Thus, by circumstances rather than design, the Portuguese gained Brazil and gave their language to more than half the people in South America.

*PRACTICE: answer this question in your notes by writing both the letter you chose & answer beside it out

The author’s purpose in the passage you just read is:

A. To describe the creation of maps.B. To describe feelings about

different papal bulls.C. To relate an adventure off the

Atlantic coasts of South America.D. To inform readers about one effect

of Columbus’ voyage.

AUDIENCE

WRITE this definition in your notes: The audience is the person(s) for whom something is written.

*PRACTICE: Consider the audience for the following paragraph...

Since you’re in the market for a new car, I wanted to tell you about mine. My new car is the best one I’ve owned. It’s a 2004 Puma. It’s got a 5.0 L overhead cam engine with multi-port fuel injection. It can do 0-60 mph in 5 seconds. With that much engine, passing cars on the highway is a breeze. I love the rush I get when I’m cruising around on my new wheels. You should consider buying one, too.

PRACTICE: answer these questions in your notes. Use complete sentences!

*Practice Questions: 1-WHO is the intended audience? 2- HOW do you know this? Explain

your reasoning. (You may cite evidence from the text to help you explain yourself.)

3-Now it’s your turn to write out your OWN persuasive passage, convincing your teacher why you should pass this course! (4 sentences min)

The Main IdeaRule 1: Main ideas may be directly stated

in a topic sentence. Topic sentences can be found in the title, the introduction, or even the beginning or ending sentence of a paragraph.

Rule 2: Authors may also show the main idea by implying, hinting, or suggesting it through details and facts, not by directly stating it. This is called an implied main idea.

*PRACTICE Question #1:What is the main idea of this paragraph?

Mockingbirds are common and popular birds in the eastern and southern regions of the United States. The mockingbird is the state bird for Arkansas, Florid, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. “Mockers,” as they are affectionately called, are known for their ability to mimic other birds, mammals, and insects with song and sounds. Mockingbirds often live close to human homes, nesting in ornamental hedges.

*PRACTICE Question #2:What is the main idea of this paragraph?

In Germany, lunch is the main meal for most families. Supper is a cold meal which resembles a light American lunch. Potatoes are a favorite dish. They are cooked in many ways and with different spices. Germans also like to eat sausage, or “wurst.” Fresh bread rolls are stuffed with wurst for a snack. Some kinds of food, like seafood, may be difficult to find in most restaurants in Germany, but the hundreds of varieties of wursts make meals interesting and tasty.

Context and Context Clues: do 2 things:

define each term in your notes AND then paraphrase these definitions in your own

words.

Words and ideas surrounding a word are called the context. Using context clues means to look at the way the words are used in combination with other words in their setting.

*PRACTICE: answer this question in your notes by writing both the letter you chose & answer beside it out

Ted seemed absolutely honest, but something told me he was prevaricating anyway.

a. cryingb. hopingc. speakingd. lying

*PRACTICE: answer this question in your notes by writing both the letter you chose & answer beside it out

These wild camels have a healthier growth of hair on their knee caps and a wider space between their humps than their domesticated cousins

.In the context of this sentence, what does

the word domesticated mean?A. tamedB. ignorantC. baldD. cooked