English Language Arts
Read closely. Think clearly. Write powerfully. A compact, high‑yield guide for ELA/English.
Active Reading
- Preview: title, headings, first/last paragraphs; predict topic and tone.
- Annotate: underline claims, circle keywords, margin notes (Q, !, ??), track motifs/symbols.
- Question: who speaks, to whom, for what purpose, with what strategy, and so what?
- Summarize: one‑sentence gist per paragraph; then synthesize the whole text in 1–2 lines.
- Interpret: connect techniques → effects → meanings → themes; always cite evidence.
Close Reading Moves (Checklist)
- Diction (formal/informal, concrete/abstract, loaded/neutral), imagery (5 senses), detail selection.
- Syntax (length, variety, questions/commands, punctuation), sound (alliteration, assonance), rhythm.
- Figurative language: metaphor/simile, personification, hyperbole, irony, oxymoron, paradox.
- Point of view & narration; structure & pacing; contrasts, patterns, shifts (tone, perspective).
Literature & Genres
- Fiction: plot, character, setting, conflict, theme; narrative voice; symbolism & motif.
- Poetry: speaker vs poet, imagery, figurative language, sound devices, form (sonnet, free verse).
- Drama: dialogue, staging, dramatic irony, monologue/aside, structure (acts/scenes).
- Nonfiction: memoir, essay, speech, op‑ed; purpose, audience, argument strategies.
Common Text Structures
- Chronological, cause‑effect, compare‑contrast, problem‑solution, definition‑example, classification.
Literary Devices (High‑Yield)
Imagery & Figurative Language
- Metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, understatement, synesthesia, symbolism, allegory.
- Allusion (classical, biblical, historical, pop culture) and its rhetorical effect.
Sound & Structure
- Alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhyme, meter; caesura, enjambment (poetry).
- Syntax choices: periodic vs loose sentences; anaphora, epistrophe, parallelism, chiasmus.
Writing Process
- Plan: analyze prompt → brainstorm evidence → craft thesis + outline.
- Draft: topic sentences aligned to thesis; evidence integrated smoothly; analysis shows how/why.
- Revise: organization, coherence, flow, depth of analysis, style; then edit mechanics.
- Proof: read aloud; check for clarity, concision, grammar, formatting.
Thesis Templates
- Although X, Y because Z. (concession + claim + reason)
- By using A and B, the author C achieves D to persuade E. (rhetorical analysis)
- In text T, author U develops theme V through devices W, X, and Y, revealing Z. (literary analysis)
Paragraph Blueprint (“Quote Sandwich”)
- Claim: topic sentence tied to thesis.
- Context: set up the evidence (who/when/where).
- Evidence: quotation or paraphrase with citation.
- Analysis: explain how/why the evidence supports the claim.
- So‑what: micro‑conclusion linking back to thesis or forward to next point.
Essay Types (Quick Guides)
Literary Analysis
- Prompt verbs: analyze/explain/how → focus on technique → effect → meaning.
- Use precise device language; avoid plot summary; embed brief quotes.
Argument (AP Lang)
- Clear claim; 2–3 lines of reasoning; evidence from credible sources or real events.
- Address counterargument and rebuttal; watch for fallacies.
Rhetorical Analysis
- SOAPSTone: Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone.
- Identify strategies (diction, syntax, appeals, structure) and link to audience & purpose.
Synthesis (AP Lang)
- Use multiple sources; attribute clearly; integrate visuals/tables if provided.
- Balance your voice with sources; avoid stringing summaries; show a line of reasoning.
Narrative / Descriptive
- Concrete sensory details; show‑don’t‑tell; purposeful structure; reflective insight by the end.
Rhetoric & Argument
Appeals & Strategies
- Ethos: credibility/character; establish expertise and fair‑mindedness.
- Pathos: emotion/values; stories, imagery, tone (avoid manipulation).
- Logos: reasoning/evidence; facts, examples, analogies, data.
- Organization: cause‑effect, problem‑solution, compare‑contrast, refutation.
Logical Fallacies (Watch‑outs)
- Straw man, ad hominem, false dilemma, slippery slope, hasty generalization, circular reasoning.
- Post hoc, red herring, appeal to authority, bandwagon, equivocation.
Grammar & Mechanics
- Sentences: simple/compound/complex/compound‑complex; fragments & run‑ons.
- Agreement: subject–verb; pronoun–antecedent; case (who/whom).
- Punctuation: commas (lists, clauses, nonessential), semicolons, colons, dashes, apostrophes.
- Usage: commonly confused words (its/it’s; affect/effect; then/than; your/you’re).
- Style tips: active voice; parallel structure; concise wording; vary sentence openings.
Comma Essentials (Mini‑Guide)
- Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction joining independent clauses (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- Set off nonessential phrases/clauses; use after introductory elements; separate items in a series (Oxford comma preferred for clarity).
Style & Syntax
- Tone & diction fit audience and purpose; avoid clichés and vague words (thing, stuff, very).
- Vary sentence length (rhythm); use purposeful repetition (anaphora) and parallelism for emphasis.
- Transitions build coherence: therefore, however, moreover, consequently, similarly, in contrast.
Style Checklist (Revision)
- Cut filler (really, basically, kind of); replace to‑be verbs when possible with precise actions.
- Replace nominalizations (the implementation of) with verbs (implement).
- Check pronoun clarity; eliminate passive defaults unless strategically used.
Research & MLA (Quick)
- Evaluate sources: author credentials, publication, evidence quality, bias, currency.
- Paraphrase & quote ethically: always attribute; integrate with signal phrases.
- Works Cited: alphabetical by author; hanging indent; consistent punctuation/capitalization.
MLA In‑Text & Works Cited Examples
In‑text: (Author last name page) → (Morrison 45)
Signal phrase: As Morrison argues, "…" (45).
Book (MLA 9):
Last, First M. Title in Title Case. Publisher, Year.
Article (website):
Last, First. "Article Title." Site Name, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
Hanging indent CSS (if needed in web):
.works-cited li { text-indent: -1.5em; padding-left: 1.5em; }
Vocabulary & Word Study
- Greek/Latin roots (e.g., bene good; dict say; bio life; scrib/script write).
- Context clues: definition, synonym/antonym, example, inference.
- Academic vocabulary: analyze, assess, illustrate, synthesize, infer, evaluate, justify.
Practice Prompts
- Create a 10‑word story using three root words; underline affixes.
- Paraphrase a complex sentence from today’s reading in simpler language without losing meaning.
Speaking & Presenting
- Structure: hook → roadmap → points (with evidence) → close with impact.
- Delivery: eye contact, posture, pace/pauses, volume/intonation, purposeful gestures.
- Slides: minimal text; visuals that earn their space; high contrast; consistent style.
1‑Minute Pitch Template
- Hook (1–2 sentences): question, startling fact, or vivid image.
- Claim (1 sentence): what you believe or propose.
- Reason + Example (2–3 sentences): concrete support.
- Close (1 sentence): call to think/act; tie back to hook.
Glossary
- Allusion: reference to another text/event that enriches meaning.
- Anaphora: repetition at the beginnings of clauses or lines.
- Diction: an author’s word choice, with connotations and levels of formality.
- Juxtaposition: placing elements side‑by‑side to highlight contrast.
- Motif: recurring element (image, phrase, situation) that supports a theme.
- Syntax: the arrangement of words/phrases; sentence structure.
- Theme: central idea/insight about life or human nature.
- Thesis: a debatable claim with a line of reasoning.
- Tone: writer’s attitude toward subject/audience (e.g., sardonic, earnest, celebratory).