English 8th Grade

Study Guide for Informational Text and Short Story Test

Oct. 25 Bell ringer These will be on your test next week!! Author's Purpose - a writer writes for one of these purposes: 1) to express thoughts or feelings, 2) to inform or explain, 3)to persuade, and 4) to entertain Bias - the side of an issue that the author favors Diary - a daily record of a writer's thoughts, experiences, and feelings Evidence - a specific piece of information that is offered to support a claim. It can be a fact, quotation, example, statistic, or personal experience

Oct. 28, 2013 These will be on your test Thursday!!! Encyclopedia - a book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject and typically arranged alphabetically Essay - a short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject. Types of essays include: expository- explains information and ideas personal-reflects the writer's feelings or experiences persuasive-attempts to convince the reader to adopt a certain viewpoint Historical Document - writings that have played a significant role in human events

Oct. 29 These will be on your test Thursday!!! Journal-a periodical publication issued by a legal, medical, or other professional organization Memoir- a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources. Narrative nonfiction-a writing that reads like nonfiction but the characters, setting, and events are based on real life Periodical-a magazine or other publication that is issued on a regular basis Informational Text- writing that provides factual information, and it explains an idea or teaches a process

Short Stories: From Us and Them by David Sedaris Pages 742-748 in your literature book
-The authors parents agree with Mr. Tomkey in that television is not being good to watch. However, they fail to act like him, because they watch television frequently. -The Tomkeys refused to watch television, therefore they were forced to talk during dinner. This is a form of irony because the Tomkeys most likely want to talk during dinner anyway. -The author says he felt as if my favorite show had been canceled when the Tomkeys leave for the weekend, because he enjoys constantly watching them. -The authors mother has to retrieve candy for the Tomkey children herself because the author and his sister are hiding the candy in their rooms.

From Us and Them continued. -People think the author has negative feelings at the end of the essay mainly because he dislikes the Tomkeys so much because it is easier to do that than admit he was wrong.

The Great Rat Hunt Pages 124-132 in your literature book

-Yep could not play sports because he had asthma. - Yep said his Father preferred to speak by his actions. He means that his Father did things without explaining himself. -The great rat hunt is special for Yep because he got to learn about his fathers past. -The rat trophy was important to Yep because it meant that his father loved Yep.

The test will also contain subject verb agreement questions.

For example: Many lines of the song (is, are) especially good.

Subject / Verb Agreement:

Singular subjects take a singular verb. Plural subjects take a plural verb. Use does with all singular verbs except I and you. Use do with all plural verbs and with I and you. I and you will always have a plural verb.

Compound Subjects:
A compound subject whose parts are joined together by and usually take the plural verb. Ex. Ben and Zeb play football. When the parts of a compound subject are joined by or or nor the verb should agree with the part closest to it. Ex. The teacher or the students go on a field trip. Helpful Tips:
*Singular nouns or subjects do not end in S *Plural nouns or subjects end in S *Singular verbs do end in S. *Plural verbs do not end in S.

**Also, there will be a couple passages to read and answer questions.**