COLLEGE BASE

ENGLISH

STUDY GUIDE

Literary Terms

Alliteration- the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or within words. Ex: Five miles meandering with mazy motion.

Allusion- a passing reference to historical or fictional characters, places, or to other works that the writer assumes the reader will recognize. Ex: Frost’s poem, “Out, Out-” is an allusion to Shakespeare’s Macbeth “Out, out brief candle”.

Antagonist- the character who stands in direct opposition to, or in conflict with, the central character.

Conflict- the struggle between opposing forces

Man vs. man- 2 or more people

Man vs. self-internal struggle (moral dilemma)

Man vs. nature- man in conflict with the elements

Man vs. society- man against the world

Man vs. technology- conflict with technological advances

Dialogue- the conversation of two or more people in writing that helps with moving action.

Epic- a long, narrative poem recounting actions, travels, and heroic episodes and written in a high style. Ex: John Milton’s, “Paradise Lost”.

Flashback- a way of presenting scenes or incidents that took place before the current action in narration or fiction.

Foreshadowing- a technique of giving hints or clues to the reader that suggest future events in the literature.

Genre- a type of literary work. Ex: novels, short stories, and poems.

Haiku- a lyric poem from Japan that captures the essence of a moment in an image consisting of 3 lines with 5 syllables for the first and third line and 7 syllables for the second line.

Hyperbole- obvious, extravagant exaggeration not intended to be taken literally, but figuratively to create humor. Ex: Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”, and “A Hundred Years Should Go to Praise Thine Eyes”.

Irony- the recognition of the difference between reality (what is) and appearance (what seems to be).

Metaphor- an imaginative comparison between two dissimilar things where the first thing has some of the qualities of the second. Ex: Whitman’s metaphor for grass is, “the beautiful uncut hair of graves”.

Onomatopoeia- the use of words whose sound imitates the sound of the thing being named. Ex: boom, bang, or buzz.

Oxymoron- a figure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are combined in a single expression. Ex: wise fool.

Parody- a satiric imitation of a work with the purpose of ridiculing the work.

Personification- human characteristics given to non-living things. Ex: In Updike’s “Sunday Rain”, “The window screen is trying to do its crossword puzzle…”

Point of View- the vantage point from which a story is told

* First Person- I

* Third Person- he/she/they

* Omniscient- third person (all knowing)

Protagonist- the principal and central character of a literary work.

Satire- a term used to describe literature that blends ironic humor and wit with criticism for the purpose of improving mankind and human institutions.

Setting- the general locale or time in history in which the action takes place.

Simile- a comparison between different things using the words “like”, “as”, or “as if”. Ex: “Like a small grey coffee pot sits the squirrel”.

Sonnet- a 14 line lyric poem written in iambic pentameter.

Theme- the central idea or message of a work.

Tone- the writer’s attitude toward his/her readers and his subject; his/her mood or moral view.

Vignette- a piece of writing that describes brief segments of action, much like a photograph giving small glimpses of information.

Periods and Movements

in American and British Literature

Medieval (500-1500) - This movement took place during the Middle Ages, also referred to as the “Dark Ages”. An important development in literature was the acceptance of works written in vernacular (native) languages, rather than Latin. Popular genres included Romance, Religious Miracle, and Morality plays.

Renaissance (1350-1600) - The rediscovery of classic literature renewed that human existence was not just painful preparation for an afterlife, but had interest and value in itself. This idea is called Humanism.

Classicism (1700-1780)- This period included neoclassicism, or discussing and judging a literary work in terms of principles derived from admired qualities in the classics of Greek and Roman literature, including form, objectivity, emotional restraint, and lack of eccentricity.

Victorian Literature (1830-1914) - This period received its name from the reign of Queen Victoria of England. Period includes the Industrial Revolution, which prompted literature on social problems. New scientific theories from Charles Darwin raised religious and philosophical doubts. The Great Age of the English novel, essay, and poem.

Transcendentalism (1836-1860) - This period dealt with the ideal that something in human beings transcended human nature: a spark of divinity. Great emphasis placed on individualism conscience as a guide to behavior and intuition in the discovery of truth and artistic inspiration.

Romanticism- A movement in art and literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in revolt against neoclassicism (revival of artistic ideals from Greece and Rome). “Literature depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form”-Friedrich Schlegel. Characteristics include subjectivity, spontaneity, freedom from rules, the beliefs that imagination is superior to reason, and devotion to beauty.

Realism (1860-1890) - Realism is broadly defined as “the faithful representation of reality”. It is a literary technique where one is uniquely capable of reflecting the ordinary life of the average person. This movement examined the conduct and psychology of the middle-class.

Naturalism- Movement in France, America, and England during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that emphasizes biological and socioeconomic determinism (people’s actions and events are determined by uncontrollable forces) in fiction and dramas. Naturalism portrays human beings as higher animals lacking free will, their lives determined by natural forces and of heredity and environment, and by basic drives over which they have no control and which they do not fully comprehend.

Harlem Renaissance (1920-early 1930’s) - The flourishing of African-American creativity in New York City’s Harlem. The movement also included artists and musicians. The movement came to an end with the onset of the Depression.

Existentialism- A philosophy that focuses on the individual human being’s experience of, recognition of, and triumph over the meaninglessness of existence. Existentialism became especially popular in the 1940’s after the horrors of World War II. This period produced novels, plays, and philosophical writings.

English Sample Questions:

Reading and Literature

Our crew employed themselves catching cod and hauled up a great number. Till then I had stuck to my resolution to eat nothing that had had life; and on this occasion I considered…the taking of every fish as a kind of unprovoked murder, since none of them had or ever could do us any injury that might justify their massacre. All this seemed very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great lover of fish, and when this came hot out of the frying pan, it smelled so admirably well. I balanced some time between principle and inclination till I recollected that when the fish were opened, I saw smaller fish taken out of their stomachs. “Then,” thought I, “if you eat one another, I don’t see why I mayn’t eat you”. So I dined upon cod very heartily…So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do.

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Humans possess a limited capacity for compassion.

B. Humans possess an enormous capacity for self-justification.

C. Because fish are carnivorous, humans are justified in eating them.

D. Reason is the intellectual power separating humans from animals.

What is the tone of the last sentence?

A. bitter

B. proud

C. ironic

D. hopeful

Literary Movements

Which literary movement received its name from the reign of Queen Victoria of England?

A. Victorian Literature

B. Romanticism

C. Realism

Which literary movement dealt with the idea that something in humans is divine?

1. Renaissance
2. Medieval
3. Naturalism

Which literary movement deals with the revolt against ideal of Greece and Rome and the belief in freedom from rules and spontaneity?

1. Classicism
2. Existentialism
3. Romanticism

Which literary movement most frequently produced works that “objectively” examined the psychology and conduct of middle-class society?

1. Classical
2. Medieval
3. Romantic
4. Realistic

Writing

Which is the best revision of this sentence?

Bubonic plague has threatened the population of the whole, entire world for millennia.

A. Bubonic plague has threatened the world’s population for millennia.

B. Bubonic plague has threatened the world for millennia.

C. Bubonic plague has threatened worldwide population and the safety of the world for millennia.

D. Bubonic plague has threatened the population and the safety of the world for millennia.

What correction, if any, should be made to this sentence?

As an educator, good writing is important to me.

A. As an educator, I know that good writing is important.

B. As an educator, the importance of good writing is obvious to me.

C. As an educator, which I am, good writing is important.

D. No correction is required.

They Are Not Long

By: Ernest Dowson

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter

Love and desire and hate:

I think they have no portion in us after

We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

Out of a misty dream

Our path emerges for a while, then closes

Within a dream.

The word “they” in this passage refers to:

1. Time/Days
2. Flowers
3. Love
4. Dreams

The theme of the poem is:

1. Life is short
2. Life is like a dream
3. Life is pointless

The tone of this poem is:

1. Hopeful
2. Sad
3. Regretful

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er values and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils,

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay;

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed-and-gazed-but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

The word jocund means:

A. cheerful

B. pensive

C. lazy

The title of the poem “I wander lonely as a cloud” is an example of a:

A. simile

B. metaphor

C. comparison

The tone of this poem is:

A. happy

B. regretful

C. bored

The daffodils dancing, or giving non-human things human characteristics is an example of:

A. personification

B. onomatopoeia

C. vignette

Harlem

Langston Hughes

What happens to dreams deferred?

Does it dry up

Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore-

And the run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over-

Like a syrupy sweet

Maybe it just sags

Like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

What is the theme of this poem:

A. Be happy with your place in life

B. Reach for your dreams no matter how difficult they might seem

C. Dreams are not worth the trouble

Like a raisin in the sun is an example of:

A. simile

B. metaphor

C. soliloquy

The tone of the poem is:

A. joyful

B. hopeful

C. regretful

Classic Novels

*Be familiar with the titles and authors

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austin

Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Brit.)

Little Women Louisa May Alcott

The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway

The Jungle Upton Sinclair

Moby Dick Herman Melville

1984 George Orwell

Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass Lewis Carroll

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Victor Hugo

The Last of the Mohicans James Fenimore Cooper

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne

The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

Lord of the Flies William Golding

The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger

The Five Paragraph Theme

Introductory Paragraph: Tell the reader what you’re going to tell them about.

The introductory paragraph should include the thesis statement, or mini-outline for the paper (it tells the reader what the paper is about). The last sentence of this paragraph must contain a transitional “hook”, which persuades the reader to continue reading on.

Body Paragraphs: Tell them your three main points

First paragraph

The first paragraph should contain the first of your three main points, usually the strongest point. The first is usually the best illustration or obvious beginning point.

Second paragraph

The second paragraph of the body should contain your second point or follow up to the first paragraph.

Third paragraph

The third paragraph of the body should contain your third point or obvious follow up to the second paragraph.

For every paragraph, the topic should relate to or prove a point that is made in the original thesis statement. At the end of each paragraph, there should be a transition leading into the next point or paragraph.

Conclusion: Tell them what you just told them

The conclusion should contain the same pattern used in the introduction. It should restate the thesis statement, a summary of the three main points, and a final statement that gives the reader a signal the paper has come to an end.

Taking Essay Tests

• Read and follow the directions carefully.

• Find out how many questions you are expected to answer. Many times, you are given a choice of questions to answer.

• Do not answer additional questions. The professor will not pick out the best answers. He will grade them in the order they are written. Be sure that you answer the questions that you want the professor to grade.

• The best guide for how much to write is how much space the professor provides on the examination paper.

• Start with the easiest question first.

• Budget you time. Do not spend too much time on one question. This way, you will not have to worry about not having enough time to answer every question.

• Plan before you write. Read all the essay questions before you decide which ones you want to answer. Circle the number of a question if you think you may want to answer it.

• Organize your ideas before you write the essay. Make notes on the back of the exam sheet of ideas, facts, and details that you have memorized so that you will be able to recall them in case you forget the.

• Jot down key words and main points in the margin.

• Be sure that you are answering the questions that were asked. Read through your answer to make sure you answered every part of the question.

• Turn the question into a statement. Write your main points and support them.

• Proofread and revise your essay.

Writing Persuasive Essays

In persuasive writing, we try to convince others to agree with our facts, share our values, accept our argument and conclusions, and adopt our way of thinking.

Elements toward building a good persuasive essay include:

· Establishing facts to support an argument

· Clarifying relevant values for you audience (perspective)

· Prioritizing, editing, and/or sequencing the facts and values in importance to build the argument

· Forming and stating conclusions

· “Persuading” your audience that your conclusions are based upon the agreed-upon facts and shared values

· Having the confidence to communicate your “persuasion” in writing

Here are some strategies to complete a persuasive writing assignment:

· Write out the questions in your own words

· Think of the questions posed in the assignment while you are reading and researching. Determine facts, the source of the facts for reliability and later reference, source of the facts for prejudice, values that color the facts or the issue, and what you think of the author’s argument.

· List out facts; consider their importance: prioritize, edit, sequence, discard, etc. Ask yourself “What’s missing?”

· What are the “hot buttons” of the issue? List possible emotions/emotional reactions and recognize them for later use.

Important Words in Essay Questions

Here are some of the words that provide critical instructions for answering essay questions. We’ve provided a brief summary of what each tells you to do.

Compare

Look for similarities and differences between the things mentioned (e.g., “Compare the U.S. and Confederate Constitutions.”)

Contrast

Stress the dissimilarities.

Criticize

Make your judgment about the item in question. Stress the deficiencies (e.g., “Criticize Paul Valery’s views on the poet’s language”).

Define

Provide a concise and accurate definition of what is called for.

Describe

Mention the chief characteristics of a situation or retell the essential features of a story (e.g., “Describe France on the eve of the revolution,” or “Describe Conrad’s Heart of Darkness”).

Diagram

Provide a drawing, chart, or plan.

Discuss

Be analytical. Give reasons for pro and con.

Evaluate

Provide both positive and negative sides of the topic (e.g., “Evaluate the role of Disralei in forming the modern Conservative Party”).

Explain

Give reasons for what is asked for. Provided the causes (e.g., “Explain the reasons for the notion of penetrance in population genetics”).

Illustrate

Use examples. Or, where appropriate, provide a diagram or figure.

Interpret

Translate, solve, or comment on a subject, usually giving your judgment about it.

Justify

Provide the reasons for your conclusions or for the statement made in the question (e.g., “Justify Henry Clay’s interpretation of the Constitution”).

List

Provide an itemized list. The items should be numbered.

Outline

Organize your answer into main points and subordinate points. While it is not necessary that your answer be in outline form, it helps to prepare it that way.

Prove

Provide factual evidence or, where appropriate, a logical or mathematical proof.

Relate

Show the connection between the things mentioned in the question. Note this does not mean to compare, so if you are asked to relate the American and French revolutions, you are not to compare them but to show how one influences the other.

Review

Provide a summary, usually a critical one. A review usually also implies commenting on important aspects of the question.

Summarize

Provide a summary, usually without comment or criticism.

Trace

Describe the progress of some historical event or, where appropriate, describe the causes of some event.

Sample Essay Question: This question was taken directly from the C-Base test booklet and will be similar to what you will see on the test. You will have 40 minutes to complete a five paragraph persuasive theme demonstrating your knowledge of writing and grammar.

Imagine that you are attending a college that is contemplating a change in its curriculum. The current curriculum is called a “core curriculum.” All students who attend the school are required to take the same set of courses during their freshman and sophomore years. This requirement, supporters argue, assures that students have many experiences in common, and it gives then the information they need to select a major during their junior year. The proposed curriculum, called and “open curriculum,” would not go into effect for at least three years and thus would not affect you. It would, though, completely do away with requirements for all students entering after it is adopted. Supporters of the open curriculum argue that it will encourage students to make their own choices and thus better prepare them for life after college.

The College Policy Committee, compose of faculty members and administrators, has asked students to submit statements expressing their attitudes toward the current and proposed curricula, and you have decided to submit such a statement.

In an organized, coherent, and supported essay directed to the Committee, explain what you believe the Committee should do and why it should do so, as well as your general attitudes toward the priorities your school must set.

On the following page there is a sample response to the above prompt, which received a 5 out of a possible 6 on the scoring. On the following page is a break down of what elements constitute receiving which score.