Text Structures, Genre, and Plot
Text Structure:
Text structure is the way a writer organizes a selection. A text may describe events in sequence, or as a cause and effect pattern.
Active readers use text structure to help them understand what a selection is about. As you read, look for text structure.
Text structure is the way a writer organizes a selection. A text may describe events in sequence, or as a cause and effect pattern.
Active readers use text structure to help them understand what a selection is about. As you read, look for text structure.
Types of Conflict
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Author's Purpose
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Inferences
Point of View / Perspective
Point of View and perspective are actually two different things, but the distinction can be confusing.
Perspective is who tells the story, and point of view is how they tell it.
Perspective: Choosing a perspective means choosing a character to tell the story. Stories are generally told through the eyes of a single character, and although that's usually the main character, that isn't always the case. The Sherlock Holmes tales, for instance, are always told from the perspective of Watson, Holmes' assistant.
Point of View: Point of View is a little more difficult to describe. Selecting a point of view means deciding how to tell the story. Point of view is traditionally divided into four methods:
First person--This is used very frequently in young-adult fiction, somewhat less frequently in mainstream fiction. The story is told as if the perspective character is telling it directly. The major pronoun here is I.
Second person--The least used point of view in fiction. It is occasionally used in young adult fiction (the Choose Your Own Adventure series, for instance). The story is told as if it is happening to the reader. The major pronoun here is you.
Third person, limited--The story is told as though by a narrator, but the narrator only knows the thoughts of the main character. The major pronoun here is He/She. This is the most-used point of view in modern fiction.
Third person, omniscient--The story is told as though by an all-knowing narrator who can describe the thoughts and actions of all characters.
Perspective is who tells the story, and point of view is how they tell it.
Perspective: Choosing a perspective means choosing a character to tell the story. Stories are generally told through the eyes of a single character, and although that's usually the main character, that isn't always the case. The Sherlock Holmes tales, for instance, are always told from the perspective of Watson, Holmes' assistant.
Point of View: Point of View is a little more difficult to describe. Selecting a point of view means deciding how to tell the story. Point of view is traditionally divided into four methods:
First person--This is used very frequently in young-adult fiction, somewhat less frequently in mainstream fiction. The story is told as if the perspective character is telling it directly. The major pronoun here is I.
Second person--The least used point of view in fiction. It is occasionally used in young adult fiction (the Choose Your Own Adventure series, for instance). The story is told as if it is happening to the reader. The major pronoun here is you.
Third person, limited--The story is told as though by a narrator, but the narrator only knows the thoughts of the main character. The major pronoun here is He/She. This is the most-used point of view in modern fiction.
Third person, omniscient--The story is told as though by an all-knowing narrator who can describe the thoughts and actions of all characters.
Theme
Theme - the universal idea, message, moral, the author wants the reader to learn.
It is NOT the Central or Main Idea.
A reader usually has to INFER the Theme.
It is NOT the Central or Main Idea.
A reader usually has to INFER the Theme.
Character Traits
Character traits are all the aspects of a person's behavior and attitudes that make up that person's personality. Everyone has character traits, both good and bad. Even characters in books have character traits. Character traits are often shown with descriptive adjectives, like patient, faithful, or jealous.