More examples of Figures of Speech

•Apostrophe- Absent or non-existent person or thing addressed as if present and capable of thinking

Blue moon, you saw me standing alone

Without a dream in my heart

Without a love of my own

•Euphemism- substitution of an offensive term

•Example: poor- financially challenged; janitor - sanitation engineer

•Hyperbole- exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect

•I walked a thousand miles just for this kiss

•Metaphor- implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something in common

•You are the song playing so softly in my heart

•Metonymy- substitution of word or phase for a thing or person to which it is closely associated

•Malacanang has not given a comment on the hostage crisis. Malacanang - means the government, or the presidency.

We haven't seen any skirts here in the College of Engineering - Skirts - refers to girls.

•Onomatopoeia- formation of words that imitate the sound associated with the objects or actions they refer to

•Bang! Went the pistol

•Clash! Went the window

•Personification- an inanimate object given human qualities or abilities

•“Oreo- milk’s favorite cookie”

•Pun- a play on words. The word may be the same, but have a different meaning, like:

There was once a cross-eyed teacher who couldn't control his pupils.

Pupils - (the part of the eye or students)

Another kind of pun is when you use words that sound alike:

My bestfriend is a mushroom. I like him because he's a fungi.

Fungi - a play on fungi and fun guy

•Simile- two unlike things explicitly compared usually in a phase with “like” or “as”

•Coffee is like friendship; rich’ warm and strong

•Synecdoche- a part is used to represent the whole

•Two heads are better than one. - heads: represent a person (The head is part of a person)

Guidelines for "The Diary of Evildoers"

Dearest Freshmen:

For your creative writing journal #1, you are to write a journal entry from the point of view of one of the characters in “The Cycle of the Sun and the Moon” OR
an underdog or misunderstood character from any story.

Last year, some of the best entries were journals of the following "bad" people:
1. Adolf Hitler
2. Plankton
3. That bad guy from Final Fantasy 7
4. The Devil himself

So, here are your rubrics

The entry shows imagination and creativity and is fun to read….. 5 points
There is proper grammar and punctuation…5 points
The entry really shows the actual character’s behavior….. 5 points

For a total of 15 points.

Here are some of the best examples:
This one from Mr. Dacanay made me and my co-teachers laugh out loud:

Dear Diary,

The kids always jump on me and squeeze me to death. I said to myself,Why are the kids trying to kill me? I'm cute aren't I? It is hard to understand kids.I am their idol, the Friendly Dinosaur. Why are they killing me?
They have a song for me called "Kill the Dinosaur". I hate that song because it's pretty harsh for me. Normally I'm purple, but now I'm red because my vengeance is taking over me. Now that I'am evil, it feels good for me having revenge. I'am a Dinosaur, a born killer.

By:"The Obsessed Dinosaur"
"Barney"


This next one is more serious, but he got into the mind of the character well enough. Courtesy of Mr. Johan Nocom :)

Dear Diary,

My best friend, Eugene Krabs and I took a walk at the beach shore. We chattered all day about different sorts of topics until his mother called. I went home gloomy and lonely. While I was on my way home I passed by his restaurant and took a peek. I saw fishes with their bellies filled with tasty Kraby Patties. My stomach grumbled; I wanted to buy one. I waited for someone to open the door for me. Once this bloated fish opened it, I rushed in, and went straight to the kitchen, avoiding the big fishes’ fins. I saw this yellow sponge; he didn’t seem to notice me, obviously … So I went up on the grill to get his attention. When he saw me, he flicked me with his finger, causing me to fly back the front door. Again, I walked up to the counter and climbed up the cash register. I asked this big-nosed octopus if I could buy a Kraby Patty. He said that it would cost 1 dollar but I didn’t have money. I attempted to steal it, but on my way out the front door I saw my best friend, Mr. Krabs, who stopped me from getting out. It was on this day when our friendship ended. I went home filled with revenge, I swore to get the formula.

Love, Plankton

Try to really get into the mind of the character. How would they think? How would they feel? How would they act? Why do they do the things they do?

Good luck, ragazzi.

Teacher Jack

I. Write the correct form of the verb on the blank:

1. Jack and Jill (go) go up the hill everyday.

2. Humpty Dumpty (sit) __________ on the wall.
3. Little Miss Muffet, not the spider, (eat) __________ curds and whey.
4. The lamps, as well as the genie, (be) __________ missing.
5. None of Aladdin’s wishes (come) __________ true.
7. Daffy (have) __________ been suspected of robbery.
8. The troll or the giantess (be) __________ invited to the soiree.
9. Neither the three pigs nor the wolf (be) __________ going to the party.
10. Some princesses but no prince (stay) __________in the tower.
11. A hundred years (be) __________ a long time for Aurora to sleep.
12. In the country, half of the giants (die) __________ because of Jack, the Giant-killer.

II. Identify whether the subject is singular or plural. Change the verb so that it agrees with the subject.
1. The staff (be) ____is_______ ready for you.
2. Water (freeze) ___________at 0® Celsius.
3. The flock (follow) ___________ the shepherd.
4. James (like) ___________ sports.
5. Physics (explain)_________ motion in the environment and atomic world.
6. Three-fourths of the cake (be) ___________ eaten by the class.
7. Half of the mangoes (belong) ________ to you.
8. Sugar (give) ___________ energy.
9. Life (be) ___________ a rollercoaster

Answers below:

1 1. Jack and Jill (go) go up the hill everyday.

2. Humpty Dumpty sits on the wall. - Humpty Dumpty IS Singular. Remember, singular subject, singular verb (verb WITH "S" = sit + s: sits)

3. Little Miss Muffet, not the spider, eats curds and whey.Little Ms. Muffet is the subject. Not the spider is an intervening phrase.

4. The lamps, as well as the genie, are missing.Lamps = plural, therefore, use are. As well as the genie is another intervening phrase.

5. None of Aladdin’s wishes comes true. None is an indefinite pronoun and indefinite pronouns (nobody, somebody, everyone) are always singular.

7. Daffy has been suspected of robbery. Daffy is just the name of the guy.

8. The troll or the giantess is invited to the soiree. In this case, take note of OR. It is followed by a singular noun (giantess). The verb (is) agrees with the noun closest to it. (giantess is)

9. Neither the three pigs nor the wolf is going to the party.
10. Some princesses but no prince stays in the tower.
11. A hundred years is a long time for Aurora to sleep. A hundred years = period of time, always singular :)

12. Half of the giants die because of Jack, the Giant-killer. Half of the giants. The fraction (half) describes giants (plural). The verb agrees with the noun, not the fraction (giants - plural die - plural)

Theme, Plot

THEME: The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature.

Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:

- Things are not always as they appear to be (Coraline)
- Love Conquers All (Beauty and the Beast, Harry Potter)

PLOT : It is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:

a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed. Example:

Princess Alin and Prince Bantugan (characters) were siblings who loved each other very much. They lived in the kingdom of Purowa, which was a prosperous place. (setting)

b) Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).

One day, warriors from the neighboring kingdom of Pan attacked and captured Alin.

Bantugan was also captured, and was almost killed but he escaped and swore to get revenge on the king of Pan.

However, on his way to Pan, he meets people who reveal more about him and his true identity as the true successor to the throne of Pan. He then joins rebels who planned to overthrow the king and who intended to establish a new order.

Conflict is the opposition of forces (eg, villain versus hero, man versus nature) which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. It is any form of opposition that faces the main character.

There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self. (Bantugan versus the king of Pan)

2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.

(Bantugan trying not to lose hope)

c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?

Bantugan and the king face off. However, as Bantugan is about to win, the king suddenly makes Alin as his shield, so Bantugan could not harm him without harming his sister.

Alin sacrifices her life so that Bantugan could capture the king.

d) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not.

The king is thrown into prison and Bantugan and his men set about restoring order to the kingdom.

e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

Bantugan returns to his own kingdom, with the loss of his sister, but gaining the friendship of the people of Pan, who are grateful to him forever.

Source:

http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/elements.html

Character and Characterization

CHARACTER

It is a person in a work of fiction

1. Protagonist: He or she is central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character

(E.g., Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, Crisostomo Ibarra)

Give an example of a protagonist and the story they came from:

2. Antagonist: The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.

(E.g., Voldemort, Sauron, Padre Damaso)

Give an example of an antagonist and the story they came from:

Aside from the main characters, there are also supporters to the protagonist, and supporters to the antagonist.

Ex. Elias is a supporter to the protagonist Ibarra

Bellatrix is a supporter to the antagonist Voldemort.

Give an example of supporting characters and the story they came from:

CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES

Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters. That way, the characters become more realistic. The author may reveal a character in several ways:

a) their physical appearance

Joe has a dark, boyish face, and long black hair, which he ties in a ponytail. He likes to wear statement shirts like "Down With Imperialism!" and "Crush Capitalism". His face is always in a good-natured grin, though.

Character Traits: Joe is a non-conformist and political. Yet, he is a cheerful person.

b) what they think, feel and dream

Kelly felt bad about getting only 99% in her test.

Character Traits: Kelly is highly intelligent, and has high expectations of herself.

c) what they say or do (or what they don’t say or do)

"I came to tell you I'm sorry," said Jim sincerely.

"BE QUIET!" Nancy screamed at him.

Character Traits: We can say Jim is humble and sincere. Nancy, on the other hand may be said hot-tempered.

d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her

When Mr. Drake approached the boys, they threw him a nervous look and went back to their seats.

Character Traits: Mr. D is probably a strict teacher and a disciplinarian. He is probably also intimidating as a person.

Forms of Literature

FORMS OF LITERATURE

Poetry – expresses a strong emotion or lofty thought in a compressed and intense utterance. It provides pleasure and delight

· Narrative Poetry – tells a story following a chronology of events

o Epic – a long narrative poem about heroic characters

o Ballad – a narrative poem that makes use of repetition

· Lyric Poetry – has the form & quality of a song and is usually short poem that expresses personal feelings

o Elegy – poem usually about death

o Song – intended to be sung

o Sonnet – poem of 14 iambic pentameter line

o Idyll – descriptive poem of rural and pastoral characters

· Dramatic Poetry – has elements that closely relate to drama

o Comedy – a humorous drama with a happy ending

o Tragedy – a play dealing with misfortunes and has sorrowful endings

Prose – concerned with the presentation of idea, concept or point of view in a more ordinary and leisurely manner. It furnishes information, instruction, or enlightenment.

· Fiction – a series of imagined facts which illustrates truths about human life

o Short Story – concerns smaller number of characters acting in a story with a single action and one thematic focus

o Novel – a long fictional prose having more characters in different actions and may have several thematic ideas presented

o Novelette – shorter than a novel but longer a than short story

o Legend – a story handed down from generation to generation through the word of mouth usually about the origin of something

o Folktale – a story carrying the idea that good are rewarded and evil are punished

o Fable – the characters of this story are animals that could speak and act like people and has moral

o Myth – a traditional story about heroes and supernatural beings

o Play – a story that is meant to be acted on stage

· Non-Fiction – based on reality and actual facts

o Biography – an account of someone’s life written by other person

o Autobiography – an account of someone’s life written by the person himself

o Diary – daily record of personal experiences that are meant to be confidential

o Speech – a public address of usually important concept, ideas, philosophies or issues

o Journal – a daily record that may be read by others like a newspaper or a periodical

o News – a report about current events and issues that is greatly significant to people

o Anecdote – an account of an interesting or humorous event in the life of a known person

o Essay – a short literary composition on a single subject

Subject Verb Agreement

The boy make his parents proud.

I. How to make the subject agree with the verb.
1. First identify the subject. (The boy)
2. Recall that a singular subject needs a singular verb (a verb with “s”) and a plural subject needs a plural verb (verb without “s”) (make = makes)
The boy with the most awards makes his parents proud.

Other examples:
Brosia cleans the house (Brosia = singular subject; cleans = singular verb (a verb with “s”))
His hobbies make Utoy active (His hobbies = plural subject; make = plural verb (verb without “s”))

II. Agreement with Compound Subjects
When the subject is made up of two or more nouns connected by and, use a plural verb.
Utoy and his friends are cute.
Tiny and Brosia go to malls.

When the subject is made up of two or more nouns connected by and, but they refer to the same thing, use a singular verb
My professor and friend is with me. (The professor and friend are the same person)
The bow and arrow is primitive. (The bow and arrow is a package deal)

When the subject is made up of singular and plural nouns connected by or, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closer to it.
The chef or his assistants run…
His assistants or the chef runs…

III. Phrases that Confuse Things
Don’t be misled by phrases that come between the subject and the verb.
◦ one of the boxes is missing
◦ the people who read that report are worried
◦ The leader, as well as his members, is here
◦ the women with the baby talk quietly

IV. Indefinite Pronouns
The following words are always singular and require a singular verb:
◦ each, each one
◦ either, neither
◦ everyone, anyone, someone, no one
◦ everybody, anybody, nobody
Nobody wants to fail.
Either is a good choice.

V. Some singular nouns end with an “s,” and require a singular verb:
mathematics news measles

The news makes me unhappy.

VI. Collective Nouns
Collective nouns that refer to more than one person are usually treated as a single unit:
Group team committee class
The class is listening to the teacher. (as one, the class listens)

However, when the action is being done by individual members of the group, the collective noun takes a plural verb.
The class are arguing about the trip. (all the students in the class are arguing)

VII. Nouns like the following are always plural (because they are made of two parts):
Scissors tweezers trousers pants

My scissors are gone.

Your pants look good.

VIII. Distances, Time, Money
Distances, periods of time and amounts of money will ALWAYS take a singular verb
Five years is a long time to be away.
2 kilometeres is a long walk.
Php 40,000 is what his laptop costs.

IX. Fractions
The verb will be singular or plural depending on the noun that is used in the fraction:
Half of the cake is gone. (cake =singular, so verb is singular)
One-fourth of the milk was used. (milk =singular)

Half of the oranges are yours. (oranges = plural)
One fourth of the students need help. (students=plural)

X. “Here” and “There”
In sentences starting with the word “there” and “here,” the subject usually follows the verb.
Here are your keys.
There are many questions.

XI. Gerunds and Infinitives
Gerunds and Infinitives always take the singular verb
To get high scores is my dream.
Singing makes me happy.

XII. Adjectives used as nouns always take plural verbs
The humble are blessed. The good inherit the earth.

XIII. “A number” and “The number”
“A number” always takes a plural verb
A number of boys misbehave in class.

“The number of" is always singular.
The number of voters IS increasing.