New York State Regents Examinations English Language Arts (Regents Comprehensive Examination in ELA) Flashcards

24 sample cards from the English Language Arts (Regents Comprehensive Examination in ELA) deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. What is a central idea of a text?

   The most important point or main concept the author develops about the topic throughout the text; what the text is mainly trying to communicate.

2. How can a reader identify the central idea of an informational text?

   By determining the topic, noting which details and ideas recur and are most emphasized, examining the title and structure, and stating the overarching point those details support.

3. What is the difference between a central idea and a supporting detail?

   The central idea is the main overarching point; supporting details are the specific facts, examples, and explanations that develop and back up that central idea.

4. In the Regents Text-Analysis (Part 3) task, what must a student analyze?

   A central idea in one text and analyze how the author's use of one writing strategy (a literary element or technique) develops that central idea.

5. What is a 'writing strategy' or literary element a student might analyze in the text-analysis task? Give examples.

   A technique an author uses to develop ideas—e.g., characterization, figurative language, point of view, tone, structure, imagery, irony, or symbolism.

6. Define 'point of view' and name the common narrative types.

   The perspective from which a story is told: first person ('I'), second person ('you'), and third person—third person can be limited, omniscient, or objective.

7. What is tone in a text?

   The author's or speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice, detail, and style (e.g., sarcastic, hopeful, critical).

8. What is the difference between tone and mood?

   Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; mood is the emotional atmosphere or feeling the text creates in the reader.

9. What is figurative language? Name three common types.

   Language that means something beyond the literal definition of the words. Common types: metaphor, simile, and personification.

10. What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

    A simile compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor states that one thing is another without using 'like' or 'as'.

11. What is symbolism in literature?

    The use of an object, person, place, or action to represent a larger abstract idea or meaning beyond its literal sense.

12. What are the three main types of irony?

    Verbal irony (saying the opposite of what is meant), situational irony (an outcome contrary to expectation), and dramatic irony (the audience knows something a character does not).

13. What makes a Regents analytic response 'concise' yet effective?

    It states a clear analytic thesis, uses only the most relevant well-chosen evidence, explains its significance with focused reasoning, and avoids plot summary and unnecessary repetition.

14. What is the difference between summarizing and analyzing a text?

    Summarizing restates what the text says; analyzing explains how and why the author conveys meaning and what effect techniques have on the reader.

15. What does 'determining vocabulary in context' mean?

    Using surrounding words, sentences, and the overall passage to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar or multiple-meaning word as it is used in that specific text.

16. Name three types of context clues that help determine a word's meaning.

    Definition/restatement clues, synonym or antonym clues, and inference clues drawn from examples or the general sense of the passage.

17. How can word parts help determine vocabulary in context?

    By analyzing the root, prefix, and suffix of a word to infer its meaning (e.g., 'in-' = not, '-able' = capable of).

18. What is connotation versus denotation?

    Denotation is a word's literal dictionary definition; connotation is the emotional or cultural association the word carries (e.g., 'thrifty' vs. 'cheap').

19. What are Standard English conventions?

    The accepted rules of grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling used in formal written English.

20. What is subject-verb agreement?

    The rule that a verb must match its subject in number—singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.

21. What is a comma splice, and how can it be corrected?

    A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

22. What is a sentence fragment?

    An incomplete sentence punctuated as if complete; it lacks a subject, a verb, or does not express a complete thought.

23. What is the difference between an independent and a dependent (subordinate) clause?

    An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent clause has a subject and verb but cannot stand alone.

24. What characterizes effective sentence and paragraph construction in formal writing?

    Sentences are clear, grammatically correct, and varied in structure; paragraphs are unified around one main idea, well-developed with support, and logically organized with smooth transitions.

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English Language Arts (Regents Comprehensive Examination in ELA) flashcards FAQ