8th LA Midterms Study Guide 2021

Part I. Be able to identify parts of speech. This resource may be helpful:

http://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/grammar/parts_of_speech.html
I, Too

Langston Hughes - 1902-1967

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I'll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody'll dare

Say to me,

“Eat in the kitchen,”

Then.

Besides,

They'll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.

Part II. Be able to identify the parts of a sentence.

Remember (excerpt: full content "Remember." Copyright ©1983 by Joy Harjo from She Had Some
Horses by Joy Harjo. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.)

Joy Harjo - 1951-

Remember the sky that you were born under,

know each of the star's stories.

Remember the moon, know who she is.

Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the

strongest point of time. Remember sundown

and the giving away to night.

Remember your birth, how your mother struggled

to give you form and breath. You are evidence of

her life, and her mother's, and hers.

Remember your father. He is your life, also.

Part III. Phrases

Be able to identify the type of phrase. Use your previous handouts and chart to help you review.
Appositive: renames a noun or pronoun, or is an adjective phrase
Participial: a verb form ending in -ed (past) or -ing (present) in the regular form, could be an
adjective or verb (keep in mind that many verbs have irregular forms and do not end in -ed or
-ing but are still participles)
Infinitive: to + verb being used as a noun, adjective, or adverb
Gerund: verb + ing being used as a noun
Prepositional: these can be adjective or adverbial, depending on what question they are
answering – be able to identify whether the phrase is acting as an adjective or adverb.
Be able to identify subject complements and object complements.
Be able to determine whether an appositive phrase is essential/restrictive or
non-essential/non-restrictive.

1. She liked the shirt given to her by her grandmother. ____________________________________

2. Does the captain want us to lower the sails before we enter the harbor? _____________________

3. To celebrate their arrival at the villa, they all enjoyed a glass of Sangria on the terrace overlooking the
sea. ____________________

4. To celebrate their arrival at the villa, they all enjoyed a glass of Sangria on the terrace overlooking the
sea. ____________________

5. Tom Hanks, star of “Philadelphia, will be appearing in a new film this holiday season. ____________

6.  Fascinated by the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave, the tourists took many pictures. __________

7. Patricia would have gone for a walk to explore the surroundings had others been interested. ________

8. Patricia would have gone for a walk to explore the surroundings had others been interested. ________

9. Tom visited India while studying the history of Indian art. _______________

10.  The candidate elected by the voters promised to make their lives better. _____________________

11. She preferred eating at the local deli for lunch.______________________________

12. Should this appositive have commas? Why or why not?

 Tom Hanks star of “Philadelphia” will be appearing in a new film this holiday season.

___________________________________________________________________________

13. Is the identified word a subject complement or object complement?

I recently learned how to bake challah. ___________________________________________

The instrument I am now learning is 12-string guitar. _________________________________

“I see a red door and I want to paint it black.”1 _______________________________________

1
“Paint it Black,” Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
PART IV. Literary Elements
Be able to identify the definition of the literary elements we have studied as well as examples of
these elements. Refer to your literary elements test for some examples of the terms. These
include all of the following:
Allusion
Annotation
Antagonist
Anti-hero
Catharsis
Characterization
Climax
Conflict (6 types/internal-external, 4 sources/causes)
Connotation
Denotation
Denouement
Dialect
Diction
Dystopia
Ethos
Exposition
Falling Action
Figurative language
Cliché
Adage
 Metaphor
Symbol
Hyperbole
Understatement
Simile
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Alliteration
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Genre
Hamartia
Hubris
Imagery
Irony
Logos
Martyr
Motif
Narrative
Novel
Oxymoron
Pathos
Paradox
Personification
Plot Structure
Point of View
Prose
Protagonist
Resolution
Rising Action
Science Fiction
Setting (Time and Place: cultural/manufactured/nat-ural evidence)
Short Story
Theme
Tone
Tragic Hero
Utopia

PART V. Writing Concepts

Refer to your handout to be able to understand and identify the four structures for long-form
writing:
Rocket Up, Rocket Down, Prism, Hourglass

Know the difference between a funnel and inverted funnel for writing (broad to specific/specific
to broad.) You may find this link helpful:
https://valenciacollege.edu/students/learning-support/west/communications/writing-center/docu
ments/Sample-Introductions-and-Conclusions.pdf .

Which type of paragraph is presented? Funnel or inverted funnel?

1. The life of a housecat is not always the safest of situations. In fact, domesticated cats that
play outside are faced with a number of problems that are often overlooked. Most of these
problems concern other neighborhood animals, which is not surprising given that the average
housecat spends 40 to 60 hours outside per week. The most serious threat to the health of the
housecat is the stray dog.

2. The presence of stray dogs is a serious threat to housecats that play outside, but it is
important to remember that cats face many other dangers as well. Disease, injury, and
infestations can affect indoor cats as well as outdoor. These challenges can affect all breeds. In
the end, the risk of owning a cat is significant, but cat owners understand that the risk is worth
the benefit.

Rhetorical modes are for any type of writing, not only the literature we read. Here are the rhetorical
modes:

Narration: presenting a story about a topic building to a climactic event/anecdotal in shorter form

Description: visual imagery presented spatially to capture a scene or mood, detail oriented

Comparison/Contrast: demonstration of similarities and differences between items

Cause/effect: relationships between events and the circumstance/condition generating them (This
category includes the sub-topic of sequential/chronological events.)

Process analysis/how to: steps of a process performed in a sequence

Definition: using denotation and connotation in literature

Division/classification: breaking a topic down into parts, relationship to the whole

Illustration/Exemplification: a series of examples used to prove a point

Identify which type of rhetorical mode is being used in the examples that follow.

1. _______________________ Mix potato, onion, eggs, crackers, salt, and pepper together in a large
bowl. Pour enough vegetable oil into a skillet to fill about 1/2-inch deep; heat over medium-high heat.
Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture, first pressing potato mixture against the side of the bowl to remove
excess liquid, into the hot oil; slightly flatten the latkes into the oil with the back of your spoon so they are
evenly thick. Cook in hot oil until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain latkes on a plate lined
with a paper towel.

2. _______________________ Generally speaking, NCAA divisions separate schools by the level of

competition and the resources of their athletic departments. Most collegiate sporting events you see on
television, from March Madness to the College World Series, are competitions between Division I
schools. Division I offers the highest level of competition and Division I schools' athletic departments
have the biggest budgets. Division III is the lowest level of competition in the NCAA, and Division III
schools also tend to have the smallest athletic department budgets.

3. _______________________ "The Blond Guitar" by Jeremy Burden

"My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar―the first instrument I
taught myself how to play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and
fingerprinted. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a
silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by
years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous
yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to
gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets
me make music, and for that I will always treasure it."

ANSWER KEY

Part I
PRON ADV V N

I, too, sing America.

PRON V ADJ ADJ N

I am the darker brother.

PRON V PRON (INF) PREP ADJ N

They send me to eat in the kitchen

ADV N V

When company comes,

CONJ PRON V
But I laugh,

CONJ V ADV
And eat well,

CONJ V ADJ
And grow strong.

ADV

Tomorrow,
PRON/V PREP ADJ N
I'll be at the table

ADV N V

When company comes.

PRON V V

Nobody'll dare

V PREP PRON
Say to me,

V PREP ADJ N

“Eat in the kitchen,”

ADV
Then.

ADV

Besides,

PRON V V ADV ADJ PRON V

They'll see how beautiful I am

CONJ V ADJ
And be ashamed—

PRON ADV V N

I, too, am America.

Part II

V ADJ DO ADV ADJ CLAUSE MOD. SKY

Remember the sky [that you were born under,]

V DO PREP PHRASE OP

know each of the star's stories.

V ADJ DO V NOUN CLAUSE AS DO

Remember the moon, know [who she is.]

V ADJ ADJ N PREP OP ADJ CLAUSE – MODIFIES DAWN

Remember the sun's birth at dawn, [that is the strongest point of time.]

V DO CONJ ADJ GERUND PHRASE AS DO

Remember sundown and the [giving away to night.]

V ADJ DO NOUN CLAUSE AS DO INF IO DO CONJ DO

Remember your birth, [how your mother struggled (to give) you form and breath.]

S V PRED NOM PREP PHR OP CONJ ADJ ADJ CONJ PRON

You are evidence of her life, and her mother's, and hers.

V ADJ DO S V ADJ PRED NOM ADV

Remember your father. He is your life, also.

NOTE: We have not yet covered the clauses unit. You are not expected to be able to identify the

type of clause – but you should be able to identify the difference between a phrase and a clause.
Part III.

1. She liked the shirt given to her by her grandmother. Adjective (participial)

2. Does the captain want us to lower the sails before we enter the harbor? infinitive

3. To celebrate their arrival at the villa, they all enjoyed a glass of Sangria on the terrace overlooking the
sea. infinitive

4. To celebrate their arrival at the villa, they all enjoyed a glass of Sangria on the terrace overlooking the
sea. Adverbial (prepositional)

5. Tom Hanks, star of “Philadelphia, will be appearing in a new film this holiday season. appositive

6.  Fascinated by the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave, the tourists took many pictures. Adjective
(participial)

7. Patricia would have gone for a walk to explore the surroundings had others been interested. Participial
(verb)

8. Patricia would have gone for a walk to explore the surroundings had others been interested. Adverbial
(prepositional)

9. Tom visited India while studying the history of Indian art. Adjective (prepositional)

10.  The candidate elected by the voters promised to make their lives better. Adjective (participial)

11. She preferred eating at the local deli for lunch._Gerund (as D.O)

12.  Tom Hanks star of “Philadelphia” will be appearing in a new film this holiday season.

Commas should be used since Tom Hanks is a popular and famous actor who is known beyond his role in
Philadelphia.

13. Is the identified word a subject complement or object complement?

I recently learned how to bake challah. Object complement (to bake what)

The instrument I am now learning is 12-string guitar. Subject complement (Pred. nom)

“I see a red door and I want to paint it black.”1 Object complement (paint it what)

Part V.
1. Funnel – general idea to specific

2. Inverted funnel - specific idea to general

Rhetorical modes

1. Process/How to

2. Division and classification

3. Description