Name: ____________________________________ Date: ________ Homebase: ___________

Unit 1 Study Guide

Comprehension Strategies:
1. Visualize- To visualize something is to form a mental pictures o fit. Use the
descriptions of settings, characters, and events in a story to imagine what they look
like.
2. Reread- Some informational texts include scientific notation that may be difficult to
understand the first time you read it. Pause and reread difficult sections to help
make sense.
Comprehension Skills:
1. Character, setting, and plot- Changes in settings often affect the character and
shape the events in the plot. Compare and contrast details form different settings to
help you make inferences about the ways the characters act and understand the
most important plot events.
2. Sequence- In fiction, the events in the plot occur in a certain sequence, or order.
The plot often begins with a description of a problem involving the main characters.
The sequence of events shows what the character does to solve the problem.
3. Main Ideas and Key Details- The main idea is the most important point an author
makes about a topic. When the main idea is not stated directly, use the key
supporting details to help you identify it.
4. Authors Point of View- The author can convey a certain attitude toward the topic.
The point of view may be mostly objective (Factual) or show some bias (opinion).
To identify the authors point of view, list key details to decide what overall attitude
they reveal.
Genre:
1. Realistic Fiction- Has a narrator, who is sometimes one of the main characters.
Usually has dialogue to show what they characters say.
2. Historical Fiction- It has a setting from a real place and time. The story contains
factual details about the setting. The characters are imaginary people living in a real
time period.
3. Expository- It explains, presents factual details about a topic. The purpose of the
text is to inform. It may include text features such as: headings, photographs,
captions, labels, diagrams, graphs, and sidebars.
4. Narrative Nonfiction- It gives factual information about a topic. It may tell one
persons experience related to the topic. It may include: real people places or
events. It may also include text features such as: headings, photographs, captions,
diagrams, maps, models, and timelines.
Vocabulary Strategies:
1. Context Clues- look for sentence clues by checking the other words or phrases in
the sentence to help explain the meaning of the unknown word. Authors sometimes
include a definition, explanation, example, synonym, or antonym to help readers
determine the meaning.
2. Paragraph Clues- When the context clue in the sentence does not help, students
can look to the paragraph for help or clues to define the word.
3. Greek Roots- An unfamiliar word in a scientific text may contain a Greek root. Use
the meaning of the Greek Root to help define the word.
4. Metaphor- compares two unlike things by saying one is the other. Does not use like
or as. Soon blankets of ash were smothering the airplanes.
5. Simile- Compares two unlike things using like or as. Each glowing splinter of rock
was like a deadly bullet.
6. Root Words- Students can find the root word by removing the prefix or suffix from
the word. When students have found the root word, they can use it to determine the
meaning of the unfamiliar word. Word: Valuables Root: Value Meaning: Having
worth

Grammar Strategies:
1. A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. They must begin
with a capital letter and end with an end punctuation mark.
2. Types of sentences:
o A declarative sentence is a statement.
o An imperative sentence gives a command.
o An interrogative sentence asks a question.
o An exclamatory sentence expresses excitement.
3. The complete subject of a sentence includes all the words that tell whom or what
the sentence is about.
4. The simple subject is the main word or words in the complete subject.
5. The complete predicate of a sentence has all the words that tell what the subject
does or is.
6. The simple predicate is the main word or words in the complete predicate.
7. A conjunction is a word that joins words or groups of words.
8. Common conjunctions: and, but, or
9. A compound sentence is two simple sentences that have been combined with a
comma and a conjunction.
10. Use a semicolon to separate two parts of a compound sentence that are not
separated by a conjunction.
11. A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb.
12. An independent clause forms a complete thought and can be a sentence.
13. A dependent clause is not a complete thought and cannot stand as a sentence.
14. A subordinating conjunction connects a dependent and independent clause.
15. A complex sentence is an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
16. A run-on sentence results when two main or independent clauses are joined without
correct punctuation or a correct coordinating conjunction.
17. The use of a comma in a run-on sentence that has two main clauses is called a comma
splice.
18. To correct a comma splice, replace the comma with a period and create two sentences
or use a conjunction after the comma.