“The Witch” by Jack Prelutsky An Analysis

Nouns

• A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.

• It can be concrete (you can see, taste, touch, smell, or hear it) or abstract( you cannot perceive it with the five senses. Abstract nouns are usually emotions).

• A noun can be common (non-specific) or proper (specific and captialized.).

Pronouns

•Replace nouns

• Instead of using the word boy or Jim, you can use he, him, his…

• Instead of cat, you can use it.

• In a world without pronouns speaking would be complicated!!

Adjectives

•Modify (describe) nouns & pronouns

•Answer these four questions:

Which one?

What kind?

How many?

How much?

Memorize these questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Verbs

• Shows action or a state of being

• Action verbs – expresses physical or mental action

• Linking – connects the subject of a sentence with a word in the predicate that explains or describes the subject

** Tip: If you aren’t sure if the verb is linking or not, try substituting “is” or “are”in its place. If it makes sense it is alinking verb.

Ex. The pie tastes delicious.

The pie IS delicious. This makes sense so it is linking.

• Helping verbs--look like linking verbs, but actually helping verbs. They “help” the main action verb.

• The helping verb and main verb = verb phrase.

Adverbs

• Modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs

• Many times end in –ly • Can be in almost any position in the sentence • Answer these four questions: When? Where? How? To what extent? Memorize these four questions for adverbs!!!

Prepositions

• Shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word in the sentence.

• Always used in a prepositional phrase

• Prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and the object of the preposition

Example: under the table, behind the car

Prepositions are usually direction words.

Prepositions: Commonly used list Aboard about

above across

after against

along among

around at

before behind

below beneath

beside between

beyond by

down during

except for

from in into

like of off

on past

since through

throughout to toward

under underneath

until up upon

with within

Without over

Paraphrase vs. Summarize

• Paraphrase • Put a passage of material

entirely in to your own words.

• You do not change the meaning of the text.

• It is about as long as the original text since the point is not to leave anything out but just to put it in your own words.

• Summarize • Put only the main ideas

of a passage in to your own words.

• It is always shorter than the original work.

• It is usually about 1/3 the size of the original.

Sound Devices in Poetry

• Alliteration—The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

• Ex. I sell sea shells at the sea shore.

• Rhyme—The repetition of sounds at the end of words that appear close to each other in a poem.

• End rhyme—rhymes that occur at the end of lines.

• The tree was standing so high,

• But it looked like it was about to die.

• Internal rhyme—rhymes that occur within a single line.

• The leaves were old and gold.

Sound Devices in Poetry

• Slant Rhyme—words that include sounds that are similar but not identical.

• EX. Take care to hide when the old branch slides.

• Rhyme Scheme—The pattern of rhyme formed by the end rhyme in a poem. It is shown by assigning a new letter of the alphabet to each new rhyme.

• Onomatopoeia—The use of a word or phrase that actually imitates or suggests the sound of what it describes.

• Ex. Hiss, crackle, crunch

Figurative Language

• Figurative language is language that is used for descriptive effect, often to imply ideas indirectly.

• Types of figurative language

• Simile—a comparison using like or as.

• Metaphor—a comparison not using like or as.

• Hyperbole—an extreme exaggeration, usually for effect.

• Personification—a figure of speech in which an animal, object, or idea is given human qualities.

• ***Literal language is the opposite of figurative language. It means that the writing means exactly what it says and that there is no figurative language present.

Identifying Diction

• Diction—the author’s choice of words, taking into account correctness, clearness, and effectiveness.

• Denotation—the most specific meaning of a word. In other words, the dictionary definition.

• Connotation—The meaning that a word suggests or implies. It includes the emotions or aassociated with that word.

• Ex. Which has a more negative connotation:

• Slender vs. Skinny

• Short vs. Petite

• Fat vs. Voluptuous.

Imagery, Mood, and Tone

• Imagery—language that is used to help the reader of a literary work see, hear, feel, smell, and taste the scenes described in the work.

• Mood—the emotional quality or atmosphere of a story or poem. (In other words, how it makes you (the reader) feel…happy, sad, scared, nervous, etc).

• Tone—the attitude of the narrator toward the subject, ideas, theme, or characters in a specific work. (For example is the narrator angry, scared, happy, etc.)