Glossary

(MIHSH uhn) Noun. ambition or goal

misión Sustantivo. ambición o meta

(kuhn TRIHB yoot) Verb. give or provide along with others

Verbo. dar o aportar junto con otras personas

(REHK uhg nyz) Verb. identify something from memory or description; acknowledge as worthy of appreciation; honor

Verbo. identificar algo a través de la memoria o mediante una descripción

(MEHM uh ryz) Verb. learn well enough to later recall; learn by heart

Verbo. aprender algo de manera que pueda recordarse perfectamente luego

(uhn pruh TEHKT ihd) Adjective. not kept safe from harm; not protected

Adjetivo. sin resguardo contra el daño; sin protección

(fawr LAWRN) Adjective. sad, hopeless, abandoned, and lonely

Adjetivo. triste, sin esperanzas, abandonado y solo

(HAH stuhl) Adjective. dangerous or hazardous

Adjetivo. peligroso o adverso

(skawrcht) Verb. burned with extreme heat

Verbo. quemó con calor extremo

(EHN veed) Verb. badly wanted something someone else had

Verbo. deseó mucho algo que tenía otro

(suh SPEHND ihd) Verb. temporarily paused

Verbo. colgó

(DIH TACHT) Adjective. separated; not attached

Adjetivo. separado, no conectado

(skwihsh) Noun. spongy, cushioned feeling when walking on a flexible surface

Sustantivo. sensación suave y esponjosa que se tiene al caminar en una superficie flexible y mullida

(HUHM ihng) Verb. singing with closed lips and without words

Sustantivo. acción de cantar con los labios cerrados y sin palabras

(twihst) Verb. [cut to] wind or spin around one another

Verbo. girar sobre sí mismo rápidamente

(twurl) Verb. [cut to] turn around and around quickly

Verbo. enrollarse o dar vueltas alrededor de sí mismo

(SHUHSH ihz) Verb. tells or signals someone to be quiet

Verbo. manda o señala a alguien que guarde silencio

(FEHTH uhr ee) Adjective. light and airy, like the touch of a feather

Adjetivo. que no pesa mucho y es vaporoso, como una pluma de ave

(PAN uhl) Noun. individual frame of a comic, depicting a single moment

Sustantivo. cada uno de los recuadros de un cómic, mostrando un momento individual

(ehn kap suh LAY shuhn) Noun. choice of important scenes to display in each panel

Sustantivo. selección de las escenas importantes que van a aparecer en cada viñeta

(speech) (buh LOON) Noun. display of what a character is speaking or thinking

Sustantivo. espacio donde se escribe lo que el personaje dice o piensa

(KUHM bur suhm) Adjective. difficult to carry or wear because of heaviness and bulk

Adjetivo. difícil de llevar o de usar por pesado y abultado

(draynd) Adjective. used up; emptied of energy

Verbo. consumió; usó toda la energía

(rih SPEHK tihd) Adjective. honored; treated with esteem

Adjetivo. venerado; tratado con aprecio

(DEHS puhr iht) Adjective. suffering extreme need or frustration; with little hope

Adjetivo. que sufre necesidad o frustración extrema y con poca esperanza

(dihs GUHS tihd) Adjective. feeling a strong dislike; annoyed

Adjetivo. con un fuerte sentimiento de desaprobación; molesto

(puhr FAWR muhns) Noun. entertainment presented before an audience

Sustantivo. entretenimiento musical, dramático o de otro tipo que se presenta ante un público.

(PUR suh nuhl) (uh KOWNT) Noun. account of a personal experience told from the first-person point of view

Sustantivo. Relato de una experiencia personal contada desde el punto de vista de primera persona.

(VOL yoom) (PAYS ihng) Noun. softness or loudness of voice and the rate at which one speaks (e.g., quickly or slowly)

Sustantivo. nivel de la voz y rapidez con que se habla

(MAL ihs) Noun. meanness; ill will

Sustantivo. maldad; mala voluntad

(ad MYRD) Verb. respected or approved of

Verbo. respetó o aprobó

(uh BAN duhnd) Adjective. left behind; tossed aside

Adjetivo. dejado atrás; descartado

(rih FLEHKT) Verb. think carefully

Verbo. pensar detenidamente

(ehk SKLOOD) Verb. shut out; keep from entering, happening, or being

Verbo. dejar fuera; impedir que entre, que ocurra o que esté

(IHL uh strayt) Verb. provide pictures, diagrams or maps that explain or decorate; provide an example that demonstrates an idea

Verbo. Hacer dibujos, diagramas o mapas para explicar o decorar una historia; proveer un ejemplo que demuestre una idea

(BEHN uh fiht) Noun. positive result; fundraising event

Subjectivo. resultado positivo; evento realizado para recaudar fondos

(ih LAB uh rayt) Verb. explain by adding more details

Verbo. explicar incluyendo muchos detalles

(uhb JEHK tihv) Noun. aim or goal.

Sustantivo. finalidad o meta

(VAN ihsht) Verb. disappeared

Verbo. se esfumó, dejó de estar a la vista

(MIHZ uhr uh buhl) Adjective. extremely unhappy or uncomfortable

Adjetivo. profundamente infeliz e incómodo

(IHR uh tuh buhl) Adjective. easily annoyed or angered

Adjetivo. que se enoja o indigna fácilmente

(ihm PEHCH yoo uhs) Adjective. acting suddenly with little thought

Adjetivo. que actúa repentinamente y con poca reflexión

(THREHT uhn ihng lee) Adverb. in an frightening or alarming way

Adverbio. de manera que da miedo o alarmante

(ihm PEHCH yoo uhs) Adjective. acting suddenly with little thought

Adjetivo. que actúa repentinamente y con poca reflexión

(DOM uh nayt) Verb. rule or control

Verbo. dirigir o controlar

(ih VAL yoo ayt) Verb. determine the value or condition of someone or something in a careful and thoughtful way

Verbo. determinar el valor o la condición de alguien o algo de manera atenta y concienzuda

(uhb ZUHR vihng) Verb. watching carefully

Verbo. mirando con detenimiento

(ihn vehs tuh GAY shuhn) Noun. careful examination of something, especially to discover the truth about it

Sustantivo. examen minucioso de un asunto, especialmente para descubrir la verdad acerca de él

(fuh NAH muh nahn) Noun. rare or important fact or event

Sustantivo. hecho o suceso poco común o importante

(ihn TUR pruht ) Verb. explain the meaning of something

Verbo. explicar el significado o sentido de algo

(MEH zhur uh buhl) Adjective. able to determine size or quantity

Adjetivo. de tamaño o cantidad determinable

(AJ uhl) Adjective. able to move quickly and easily

Adjetivo. capaz de moverse con rapidez y facilidad

(pree HEHN suhl) Adjective. able to grab or hold something by wrapping around it

Adjetivo. que puede enroscarse sobre algo para asirlo o tomarlo

(SEHN suh tihv) Adjective. able to easilty detect stimulation

Adjetivo. que detecta el estímulo con facilidad

(keen) Adjective. clear or sharp in perception

Adjetivo. de percepción sumamente clara o aguda

(uh POH zuh buhl) Adjective. able to be placed against one of more of the other fingers on the same hand or foot

Adjetivo. que puede colocarse frente a uno o más de los demás dedos de la misma mano o pie

(ihn TEL uh juhnt) Adjective. able to learn and understand things

Adjetivo. capaz de aprender y entender

(duh MEHS tuh kay tihd) Adjective. changed from a wild state to a tame state

Adjetivo. que cambió de un estado salvaje a uno manso

(SEHN suh buhl) Adjective. reasonable, practical

Adjetivo. razonable, práctico

(DIHG nuh fyd) Adjective. in a manner worthy of respect

Adjetivo. que merece respeto

(SWIFT lee) Adverb. without delay or quickly

Adverbio. enseguida, sin demoras

(DART ihng) Verb. moving suddenly or rapidly

Verbo. moviéndose con rapidez o repentinamente

(HUHV ur) Verb. remain in one place in the air

Verbo. permanecer en un mismo lugar en el aire

(mihld) Verb. moved about in a confused way

Verbo. se movió desplazándose sin orden ni dirección

(SKIHT uhrd) Verb. moved lightly or quickly

Verbo. se movió sutil y rápidamente

(KWIHV uhr ihng) Noun. trembling; shivering

Verbo. estremeciéndose o tiritando

(kuhn VIHNS) Verb. persuade

Verbo. persuadir

(SUR tuhn) Adjective. without a doubt; reliable; particular

Adjetivo. que no presenta dudas; fiable

(suh FIHSH uhnt) Adjective. as much as needed

Adjetivo. bastante para cubrir lo necesario

(dih KLAIR) Verb. make a statement; announce

Verbo. decir algo públicamente; anunciar

(JUHS tuh fy) Verb. show or prove to be right or reasonable

Verbo. demostrar que es correcto o razonable

(puh THEHT ihk lee) Adverb. in a way that causes someone to feel pity

Adverbio. de manera que provoca pena a una persona

(dih STREHST) Adjective. troubled; upset

Adjectivo. apenado; molesto

(MAWRN fuh lee) Adverb. in a way that expresses grief or sadness

Adverbio. de una manera que manifiesta pena y desconsuelo

(uh pol uh JEHT ihk lee) Adverb. in a way that shows someone is sorry for having done or said something; regretfully

Adverbio. de una manera que muestra sentimiento de pesar por haber hecho o dicho algo

(uh MEHN tihd) Verb. said in a way that showed sadness or sorrow

Verbo. expresó pena o tristeza

(frawd) Noun. a crime that involves deception and fakery

Sustantivo. delito que involucra engaño y falsificación

(dihs GYZ) Verb. change or hide appearance

Verbo. cambiar u ocultar la apariencia

(mas kuh RAYD) Verb. pretend to be someone or something else

Verbo. simular ser alguien o algo distinto de lo que se es

(KRIHM uh nuhlz) Noun. people who break the law

Sustantivo. personas que violan la ley

(fawrjd) Verb. made falsely with intent to trick

Verbo. abricó con intención de engañar

(ihm POS tuhr) Noun. a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive people

Sustantivo. persona que simula ser otra para engañar

(suh KYOOR uh tee) Noun. protection, safety measure

Sustantivo. protección, medida preventiva

(vuhl nuhr uh BIHL uh teez) Noun. areas of weakness

Sustantivo. aspectos que muestran debilidad

(ehk SPLOYT ihng) Verb..l, taking unfair advantage of

Verbo. sacando ventaja de algo injustamente

(BY past) Verb. gotten around or avoided

Verbo. evitó al ir por otro camino

(BREE chuhz) Noun. gaps in a line of defense

Sustantivo. aperturas en una línea de defensa

(hakt) Adjective. someone has gained illegal access to private information

Adjectivo. accesado ilegalmente

(IHM uh jihz) (GRAF ihks) Noun. representations of a person or thing

Sustantivo. representaciones de una persona o cosa

(an uh MAY shuhn) Noun. process of making films or cartoons from drawings, computer graphics, or photos

Sustantivo. proceso de crear películas o caricaturas a partir de dibujos, gráficas de computadora o fotos

(AW dee oh) Noun. recorded sound

Sustantivo. sonido grabado

(VOYS oh vuhr) Noun. voice commenting on the action or narrating a film off-camera

Sustantivo. voz que comenta sobre la acción o narra una película detrás de la cámara

(NA ray tuhr) Noun. person who tells a story

Sustantivo. persona que cuenta una historia

(GRAJ oo uhl ee) Adverb. in a way that is little by little

Adverbio. que ocurre poco a poco

(nuhs TAL jihk) Adjective. longing for the past

Adjectivo. que extraña el pasado

(kuhn tihn yoo AY shuhn) Noun. state of going on without interruption; unbroken action

Sustantivo. acción de seguir sin interrupción; acción que no se detiene

(dih VOW rihng) Verb. taking in greedily

Verbio. consumiendo de manera voraz

(PROS ehs) Verb. gain an understanding

Verbio. lograr el entendimiento de información

(kuhn SOOMD) Adjective. absorbed; occupied

Adjectivo. absorto en, ocupado con

(SAWR oh fuhl ee) Adverb. done with sadness

Adverbio. hecho con pena

(LAWF tih lee) Adverb. in a superior manner

Adverbio. con aire de superioridad

(non shuh LONT lee) Adverb. in an unconcerned way

Adverbio. hecho de manera indiferente

(kom puh ZIH shuhn) Noun. arrangement of different elements in a work of art

Sustantivo. disposición de distintos elementos en una obra de arte

(BAK grownd) Noun. the part of an image farthest from the observer

Sustantivo. la parte de una imagen que está más lejos del observador

(FAWR grownd) Noun. the part of an image closest to the observer

Sustantivo. la parte de una imagen que está más cerca del observador

(KAM ruh) (AN guhl) Noun. position from which a photograph is taken

Sustantivo. posición desde la que se toma una fotografía

(POD kast) Noun. digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a series, that can be downloaded from the Internet

Sustantivo. archivo digital o de audio o de video, que forma normalmente parte de una serie y se puede descargar de Internet

(hohst) Noun. someone who introduces and talks to the guests on a television or radio program

Sustantivo. persona que presenta y habla con los invitados en un programa de televisión o de radio

(IHN tuhr vyoo) Noun. recorded conversation in which someone is asked questions about his or her life, experiences, or opinions

Sustantivo. conversación grabada en la cual se hacen preguntas a una persona sobre su vida, sus experiencias o sus opiniones

(DY uh log) Noun. conversation

Sustantivo. conversación

(trans FAWRM) Verb. convert or change

Verbo. convertir o cambiar

(NOV uhl tee) Noun. something new, fresh, or unusual; Adjectivo. unusual and mainly for fun

Sustantivo. algo nuevo, fresco o infrecuente; adj. inusual y principalmente para diversión

(kon suh KWEHNT lee) Adverb. as a result; therefore

Adverbio. en consecuencia; por lo tanto

(dih SKRIHP shuhn) Noun. words meant to evoke a detailed image in the listener’s or reader’s mind

Sustantivo. palabras con las que se procura evocar una imagen detallada en la mente del oyente o lector

(IHG nuhr uhns) Noun. state of lacking

Sustantivo. falta de conocimiento, educación o información

(suhr MYZ) Verb. guess, using only intuition or imagination

Verbo. adivinar; pensar algo sin tener datos definitivos en que basarse

(prih ZOOM) Verb. take for granted; assume something to be the case

Verbo. suponer que algo es cierto; asumir

(SPEHK yuh layt) Verb. guess, using information that is uncertain or incomplete

Verbo. pensar sobre algo y formar una idea sin tener información definitiva

(kuhn sihd uh RAY shuhn) Noun. careful thought

Sustantivo. pensar sobre algo y analizarlo con atención

(mihs ap ree HEHN shuhn) Noun. incorrect understanding; wrong idea

Sustantivo. confusión

(suh SPIHSH uhs lee) Adverb. based on a lack of trust or belief; disbelievingly; cautiously

Adverbio. con recelo, que causa desconfianza

(OB stuh kuhl) Noun. something that stands in the way or stops progress

Sustantivo. algo que se cruza en nuestro camino o nos impide progresar

(pehs uh MIHS tihk) Adjective. expecting the worst; focusing on the bad aspects of a situation

Adjetivo. que espera lo peor; que se concentra en los aspectos negativos de una situación

(muh LIHSH uhs) Adjective. having or showing bad intentions

Adjetivo. que tiene o demuestra malas intenciones

(ihn sihn SEHR uh tee) Noun. lack of honesty; untruthfulness

Sustantivo. falta de honestidad; falsedad

(KOM pruh myz) Noun. settlement of a disagreement in which each side gives up part of what it wanted

Sustantivo. acuerdo alcanzado por partes distintas o enfrentadas en el que cada parte cede en algo

(VAL yuhnt) Adjective. possessing or showing courage or determination

Adjetivo. que tiene o demuestra valentía o determinación

(FEER lihs lee) Adverb. without fear

Adverbio. sin miedo

(RY chuhs) Adjective. morally right or justifiable; virtuous

Adjetivo. moralmente correcto o justificable; virtuoso

(bee WAIR) Verb. act carefully in case there is danger

Verbo. actuar con cuidado por si hay peligro

(shuhn) Verb. persistently avoid, ignore, or reject

Verbo. ignorar o rechazar persistentemente

(uh SKANS) Adverb. with an attitude of suspicion or disapproval

Adverbio. con actitud de sospecha o desconfianza

(TEHM pliht) Noun. pattern or shape to be used as an example

Sustantivo. plantilla o forma fija que se usa como ejemplo

(puh RAM uh tuhrz) Noun. boundaries; characteristics

Sustantivo. límites; características

(MOD uhl) Noun. set of ideas to be followed as a plan or an example

Sustantivo. conjunto de ideas que se deben seguir como plan de acción o ejemplo

(KRIHT uh kuhl) a Adjective. disapproving or having a negative opinion about; very important

Adjectivo. que suele estar en contra de hechos e ideas / muy importante

(MAN yoo uhl) Adjective. of, relating to, or involving the hands; Noun. instructional text

Adjectivo. relativo a las manos o que se hace con ellas; Sustantivo. texto de enseñanza

(oh MIHT) v. leave out Verb. leave out

Verbo. pasar por alto

(VAL ihd) adj. acceptable; based on and supported by facts Adjective. acceptable; based on and supported by facts

Adjectivo. aceptable; que se basa o respalda con hechos

(koh HIHR uhnt) Adjective. logical; clearly communicated

Adjectivo. comunica con claridad y lógica

(dih LIHB uhr iht) Adjective. carefully thought over in advance; planned

Adjectivo. pensado de antemano; que se ha reflexionado qué hacer atenta y detenidamente

(kwehst) Noun. long search undertaken in order to find or realize something

Sustantivo. acción de ir en busca de algo, expedición larga

(THUR oh) Adjective. including everything possible; careful and complete

Adjectivo. meticuloso; completo; incluyendo cada detalle posible

(uhb SEHS ihv) Adjective. tending to think or worry so much about something that you cannot think about anything else

Adjectivo. que se preocupa tanto por algo que no puede pensar en otra cosa

(ihn TEHN suh tee) Noun. great focus or concentration; strong commitment

Sustantivo. cualidad de concentrarse o comprometerse del todo

(rih LEHNT lihs lee) Adverb. without stopping; with determination

Adverbio. sin detenerse; con determinación

(KUHT owt) Noun. technique that uses flat characters, backgrounds, and props cut from materials such as paper, cardboard, and fabric

Sustantivo. Técnica que utiliza figuras planas, fondos y objetos recortados de materiales tales como papel, cartón y tela

(OB jehkt) (an uh MAY shuhn) Noun. form that involves the movement of non-drawn objects, such as a book or a pen

Sustantivo. técnica que utiliza los movimientos de objetos que no han sido dibujados, como un libro o una pluma

(REEL tym) (an uh MAY shuhn) Noun. style in which animated events or objects are reproduced so that they appear to be occurring or moving at the same speed they would in real life

Sustantivo. técnica que consiste en simular que eventos u objetos animados ocurran o se muevan a la misma velocidad que en la vida real

(rih BEHL yuhs nihs) Noun. refusal to obey

Sustantivo. negativa a obedecer

(ehk SEHP shuhn) Noun. a case to which a rule does not apply

Sustantivo. caso al que no se aplica una regla

(VIH zhuh nair ee) Adjective. marked by foresight and imagination

Adjectivo. que se caracteriza por su visión de futuro y su imaginación

(ehn DOORD) Verb. underwent without giving in; suffered

Verbo. padeció sin rendirse; soportó

(PAIR uh luhs lee) Adverb. involving peril or danger

Adverbio. con peligro o riesgo

(suh SPEHNS) Noun. uncertainty and excitement about an outcome

Sustantivo. emoción acerca de un resultado desconocido

(JUR nee) Noun. trip from one place to another

Sustantivo. viaje de un lugar a otro

(SEE kihng) Verb. searching for

Verbo. procurando encontrar

(SKOWT ihng) Verb. exploring to obtain information

Verbo. recorriendo para obtener información

(PEHN suhl uhr) Noun. artist who sketches the basic layout for each panel

Sustantivo. artista que bosqueja las viñetas en una página

(IHNGK uhr) Noun. artist who goes over the penciled art in ink

Sustantivo. artista que repasa con tinta un dibujo hecho a lápiz

(LEHT uhr uhr) Noun. artist who letters the dialogue and captions

Sustantivo. artista que escribe los textos de los diálogos y las leyendas

An allegory is a story or tale with two or more levels of meaning—a literal level and one or more symbolic levels. The events, setting, and characters in an allegory are symbols for ideas and qualities.

Una alegoría es una historia o un cuento con dos o más niveles de significado (un nivel literal y uno o más niveles simbólicos). Los eventos, escenarios y personajes de una alegoría son símbolos de ideas y cualidades.

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to draw attention to certain words or ideas, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effects.

Una aliteración es la repetición de sonidos consonánticos iniciales. Los escritores usan la aliteración para dirigir la atención de los lectores hacia ciertas palabras o ideas, imitar sonidos o crear efectos musicales.

An analogy makes a comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but otherwise unalike.

Una analogía establece una comparación entre dos o más cosas que presentan similitudes, pero son distintas en todo lo demás.

An anecdote is a brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event. Writers tell anecdotes to entertain or to make a point.

Una anécdota es un cuento corto sobre un evento extraño, interesante o divertido. Los escritores cuentan anécdotas para entretener o explicar algo importante.

An argument is a logical way of presenting a belief, conclusion, or stance. A good argument is supported with reasoning and evidence.

Un argumento es una manera lógica de expresar una opinión, una conclusión o una postura. Un buen argumento contiene razonamientos y pruebas.

Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different consonants, as in seal and meet.

Una asonancia es la repetición de sonidos vocálicos similares a partir de la última sílaba acentuada, como en foca y nota.

An author’s influences are things that affect his or her writing. These factors include the author’s time and place of birth and cultural background, as well as world events that took place during the author’s lifetime.

Las influencias del autor son cosas que influyen en su escritura. Estos factores incluyen la fecha y el lugar de nacimiento y su bagaje cultural, además de los eventos que tienen lugar en el mundo en la época en la que vive el autor.

An author’s purpose is his or her main reason for writing. Texts are written to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to describe, and to express the author’s point of view. In many cases, an author has more than one purpose, or reason, for writing.

El estilo es la forma de escribir típica de un autor. Hay muchos factores que determinan el estilo del autor: la dicción, el tono, el uso de elementos característicos como el lenguaje figurativo, el dialecto, la rima, la métrica, o los distintos recursos rítmicos; las estructuras y patrones gramaticales típicos, el tamaño típico de la frase; y los métodos típicos de organización textual.

Style is an author’s typical way of writing. Many factors determine an author’s style, including diction; tone; use of characteristic elements such as figurative language, dialect, rhyme, meter, or rhythmic devices; typical grammatical structures and patterns; typical sentence length; and typical methods of organization.

El propósito del autor es la razón principal por la que este autor o autora escribe. Los textos se escriben para informar, persuadir, entretener, describir y expresar el punto de vista del autor. En muchos casos, un autor tiene varios propósitos o razones por las que escribir.

"An autobiography is the story of the writer’s own life, told by the writer. Autobiographical writing may tell about the person’s whole life or only a part of it. Because autobiographies are about real people and events, they are a form of nonfiction. Most autobiographies are written in the first person."

"Una autobiografía es la historia de la vida del propio autor. Los textos autobiográficos pueden hablar de la vida completa del autor o solo de una parte. Como las autobiografías tratan sobre gente y acontecimientos reales, se las considera no ficción. La mayoría de las autobiografías están escritas en primera persona."

A biography is a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person. Most biographies are written about famous or admirable people. Although biographies are nonfiction, the most effective ones share the qualities of good narrative writing.

Una biografía es un tipo de texto de no ficción donde el escritor explica la historia de la vida de otra persona. La mayoría de las biografías están escritas sobre gente famosa y admirable. Aunque las biografías están consideradas libros de no ficción, las de mayor calidad suelen compartir cualidades con los textos narrativos.

A claim is a reasonable conclusion based on evidence. A counterclaim is an opposing position to a claim. Strong, specific, narrow claims are usually more effective than broad claims because they are easier to support with evidence.

Una afirmación es una conclusión razonable que se basa en evidencia. Un contraargumento es una postura opuesta a la afirmación. Las afirmaciones limitadas son fuertes y específicas, por lo que suelen ser más eficaces que las afirmaciones amplias porque se pueden respaldar más fácilmente con evidencia.

A character is a person or an animal that takes part in the action of a literary work. The main, or major, character is the most important character in a story, poem, or play. A minor character is one who takes part in the action but is not the focus of attention.

Un personaje es una persona o un animal que participa en la acción de una obra literaria. El personaje principal o protagonista es el más importante de una historia, poema u obra teatral. El personaje secundario participa también en la acción, pero no es el centro de atención.

"Characterization is the act of creating and developing a character. Authors use two major methods of characterization—direct and indirect. When using direct characterization, a writer states the character’s traits, or characteristics. When describing a character indirectly, a writer depends on the reader to draw conclusions about the character’s traits. Sometimes the writer tells what other participants in the story say and think about the character."

"Caracterización es la acción de crear y desarrollar un personaje. Los autores utilizan dos métodos principales de caracterización: directa e indirecta. Cuando se utiliza la caracterización directa, el escritor describe los rasgos del personaje o sus características. En cambio, cuando se describe a un personaje indirectamente, el escritor depende del lector para que se puedan extraer conclusiones sobre los rasgos del personaje. A veces, el escritor cuenta lo que otros personajes que participan en la historia dicen o piensan sobre el personaje en cuestión."

A retelling of a story can be either written or oral and should include a clear sequence of events and narrative techniques such as dialogue and description.

Las historias se pueden volver a contar de manera escrita u oral. Al volverse a contar una historia, se debe seguir una secuencia clara de los sucesos y utilizar técnicas narrativas como el diálogo y la descripción.

Rhetorical devices are special patterns of words and ideas that create emphasis and stir emotion, especially in speeches or other oral presentations. Parallelism, for example, is the repetition of a grammatical structure in order to create a rhythm and make words more memorable. Other common rhetorical devices include: analogy, drawing comparisions between two unlike things; charged language, words that appeal to the emotions; restatement, expressing the same idea in different words; and rhetorical questions, questions with obvious answers. See also Meter.

La retórica se refiere a recursos lingüísticos, en especial el arte de hablar o escribir eficazmente.

Character traits are the qualities, attitudes, and values that a character has or displays— for example, dependability, intelligence, selfishness, or stubbornness.

Los rasgos del personaje son cualidades, actitudes y valores que un personaje tiene o manifiesta; por ejemplo, fiabilidad, inteligencia, egoísmo o terquedad.

The climax, also called the turning point, is the high point in the action of the plot. It is the moment of greatest tension, when the outcome of the plot hangs in the balance.

El clímax, también llamado momento culminante, es el punto más elevado de acción de una trama. Es el momento de mayor tensión, es decir, cuando el desenlace de la trama pende de un hilo.

"A conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. Conflict is one of the most important elements of stories, novels, and plays because it causes the action. There are two kinds of conflict: external and internal. An external conflict is one in which a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person. Another kind of external conflict may occur between a character and some force in nature. An internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character. The character struggles to make a decision, take an action, or overcome a feeling."

"Un conflicto es una lucha entre fuerzas opuestas. El conflicto es uno de los elementos más importantes de los cuentos, novelas y obras de teatro porque provocan la acción. Hay dos tipos de conflictos: externos e internos. Un conflicto externo se da cuando un personaje lucha contra una fuerza ajena a él, como por ejemplo otra persona. Otro tipo de conflicto externo puedo ocurrir entre un personaje y una fuerza de la naturaleza. Un conflicto interno tiene lugar en la mente de un personaje. El personaje lucha por tomar una decisión, llevar a cabo una acción o frenar un sentimiento."

Consonance is the repetition of final consonant sounds in stressed syllables with different vowel sounds, as in sit and cat.

La connotación de una palabra es el conjunto de ideas que se asocian con esta más allá de su significado explícito. La connotación de una palabra puede ser personal, basada en una experiencia individual. Con frecuencia son las connotaciones culturales, aquellas que son reconocibles por la mayoría de las personas de un grupo, las que determinan la elección de un autor.

The connotation of a word is the set of ideas associated with it in addition to its explicit meaning. The connotation of a word can be personal, based on individual experiences. More often, cultural connotations—those recognizable by most people in a group—determine a writer’s word choices.

La consonancia es la repetición, desde de la última sílaba acentuada, de las mismas vocales y consonantes. Por ejemplo: zapato y gato.

The denotation of a word is its dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have. The denotation of the word lake, for example, is “an inland body of water.” “Vacation spot” and “place where the fishing is good” are connotations of the word lake.

La denotación de una palabra es su significado del diccionario, independientemente de otras asociaciones que se le puedan otorgar. La denotación de la palabra lago sería “una masa de agua que se acumula en un terreno”. “Un lugar de vacaciones” o “un lugar adonde se puede ir de pesca” son connotaciones de la palabra lago.

A description is a portrait, in words, of a person, place, or object. Descriptive writing uses images that appeal to the five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

Una descripción es un retrato en palabras de una persona, lugar u objeto. Los textos descriptivos usan imágenes que se relacionan con los cinco sentidos: vista, oído, tacto, gusto y olfato.

"A dialogue is a conversation between characters. In poems, novels, and short stories, dialogue is usually set off by quotation marks to indicate a speaker’s exact words. In a play, dialogue follows the names of the characters, and no quotation marks are used."

"Un diálogo es una conversación entre personajes. En los poemas, novelas y cuentos, los diálogos se indican normalmente entre comillas para señalar que estas son las palabras exactas que dice un personaje. En una obra de teatro, los diálogos se colocan detrás de los nombres de los personajes y no se utilizan comillas."

"A drama is a story written to be performed by actors. Although a drama is meant to be performed, one can also read the script, or written version, and imagine the action. The script of a drama is made up of dialogue and stage directions. The dialogue is the words spoken by the actors. The stage directions, usually printed in italics, tell how the actors should look, move, and speak. They also describe the setting, sound effects, and lighting. Dramas are often divided into parts called acts. The acts are often divided into smaller parts called scenes."

"Un drama es una historia escrita para ser representada por actores. Aunque está destinada a ser representada, también se puede, únicamente, leer su texto e imaginar la acción. El texto dramático está compuesto por diálogos y acotaciones. Los diálogos son palabras que dicen los personajes. Las acotaciones aparecen normalmente en cursiva e indican qué apariencia deben tener los personajes y cómo deben moverse o hablar. También describen la escenografía, los efectos de sonido y la iluminación. Los dramas suelen estar divididos en distintas partes denominadas actos. Los actos aparecen a menudo divididos en partes más pequeñas denominadas escenas."

"An essay is a short nonfiction work about a particular subject. Most essays have a single major focus and a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. There are many types of essays. An informal essay uses casual, conversational language. A historical essay gives facts, explanations, and insights about historical events. An explanatory essay is a short piece of nonfiction in which the author explains, defines, or interprets ideas, events, or processes. A reflective essay is a brief prose work in which an author presents his or her thoughts or feelings—or reflections—about an experience or an idea. An expository essay explains an idea by breaking it down. A narrative essay tells a story about a real-life experience. An informational essay explains a process. A persuasive essay offers an opinion and supports it."

"Un ensayo es un texto de no ficción corto sobre un tema particular. La mayoría de los ensayos se concentran en un único aspecto fundamental y tienen una introducción clara, un desarrollo y una conclusión. Hay muchos tipos de ensayos. Un ensayo informal emplea lenguaje coloquial y conversacional. Un ensayo histórico nos presenta hechos, explicaciones y conocimientos sobre acontecimientos históricos. Un ensayo explicativo aclara, define e interpreta ideas, acontecimientos o procesos. En un ensayo reflexivo, el autor presenta sus pensamientos y sentimientos o reflexiones sobre una experiencia o idea. Un ensayo expositivo expone una idea desglosándola. Un ensayo narrativo cuenta una historia sobre una experiencia real. Un ensayo informativo explica un proceso. Un ensayo argumentativo ofrece una opinión, y la argumenta."

In the plot of a story or a drama, the exposition, or introduction, is the part of the work that introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation.

En el argumento de una historia o drama, el planteamiento o introducción es la parte de la obra que presenta a los personajes, el escenario y la situación más básica.

Expository writing is writing that explains or informs.

Un texto expositivo es un texto que explica e informa.

A fantasy is highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life. Examples of fantasy include stories that involve supernatural elements, stories that resemble fairy tales, stories that deal with imaginary places and creatures, and science-fiction stories.

La literatura fantástica son textos con elementos muy imaginativos que no pueden encontrarse en la vida real. Algunos ejemplos de literatura fantástica incluyen historias que contienen elementos sobrenaturales, historias que recuerdan a los cuentos de hadas, historias que tratan de lugares y criaturas imaginarias, e historias de ciencia ficción.

Fiction is prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. Short stories and novels are works of fiction. Some writers base their fiction on actual events and people, adding invented characters, dialogue, settings, and plots. Other writers rely on imagination alone.

La ficción son obras en prosa que hablan de sucesos y personajes imaginarios. Los relatos y las novelas son obras de ficción. Algunos escritores se inspiran para sus obras de ficción en sucesos y personas reales, a las que añaden también personajes, diálogos, ambientación y tramas inventadas. Otros escritores se sirven únicamente de la imaginación.

Figurative language is writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally. The many types of figurative language are known as figures of speech. Common figures of speech include metaphor, personification, and simile. Writers use figurative language to state ideas in vivid and imaginative ways.

El lenguaje figurado es texto o diálogo que no se debe interpretar literalmente. Los numerosos tipos de lenguaje figurado son conocidos como figuras retóricas. Algunas de las más comunes son las metáforas, las personificaciones y los símiles. Los escritores utilizan el lenguaje figurado para expresar ideas de una manera imaginativa y vívida.

A flashback is a scene within a story that interrupts the sequence of events to relate events that occurred in the past.

Una escena retrospectiva es una escena, dentro de una historia, que interrumpe la secuencia temporal de los acontecimientos para contar un acontecimiento que ocurrió en algún momento del pasado.

Free verse is poetry not written in a regular, rhythmical pattern, or meter. The poet is free to write lines of any length or with any number of stresses, or beats. Free verse is therefore less constraining than metrical verse, in which every line must have a certain length and a certain number of stresses.

El verso libre es poesía que no está escrita en un patrón rítmico ni métrico corriente. El poeta es libre de escribir versos del tamaño que prefiera con un número libre de acentos. Por consiguiente, el verso libre es menos limitador que el verso métrico, en el que cada verso debe contener acentos y un número concreto de sílabas.

"A genre is a division or type of literature. Literature is commonly divided into three major genres: poetry, prose, and drama. Each major genre is, in turn, divided into lesser genres, as follows: 1. Poetry: lyric poetry, concrete poetry, dramatic poetry, narrative poetry, epic poetry 2. Prose: fiction (novels and short stories) and nonfiction (biography, autobiography, letters, essays, and reports) 3. Drama: serious drama and tragedy, comic drama, melodrama, and farce"

"Un género es una clase o tipo de literatura. La literatura se divide normalmente en tres géneros principales: poesía, prosa y drama. Cada uno de estos géneros está, a su vez, dividido en otros géneros más pequeños: 1. Poesía: poesía lírica, poesía concreta, poesía dramática, poesía narrativa y poesía épica. 2. Prosa: ficción (novelas y cuentos cortos) y no ficción (biografías, autobiografías, cartas, ensayos y reportajes). 3. Drama: drama serio y tragedia, comedia, melodrama y farsa."

A myth is a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the origins of elements of nature. Myths are part of the oral tradition. They are composed orally and then passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. Every ancient culture has its own mythology, or collection of myths. Greek and Roman myths are known collectively as classical mythology.

Un mito es un relato de ficción que explica las acciones de los dioses, los héroes o los orígenes de los elementos de la naturaleza. Los mitos forman parte de la tradición oral. Se componían oralmente y luego pasaban de boca en boca, de una generación a otra. Todas las culturas antiguas tienen su propia mitología, o recopilación de mitos. Los mitos griegos y romanos son conocidos en su conjunto como mitología clásica.

“The meter of a poem is its rhythmical pattern. This pattern is determined by the number of stresses, or beats, in each line. To describe the meter of a poem, read it while emphasizing the beats in each line. Then, mark the stressed and unstressed syllables, as follows: My father was the first to hear As you can see, each strong stress is marked with a slanted line and each unstressed syllable with a horseshoe symbol. The weak and strong stresses are then divided by vertical lines into groups called feet.”

La métrica de un poema es su patrón rítmico. Este patrón queda determinado por el número de acentos, o ritmos, en cada línea. Para describir la métrica de un poema en inglés, léelo enfatizando los acentos en cada línea. Luego, marca las sílabas acentuadas y las no acentuadas, como sigue: My father was the first to hear Como puedes ver, en inglés cada acento fuerte se marca con una rayita inclinada, y cada sílaba no acentuada con un simbolo de herradura. Luego, los acentos débiles y fuertes se dividen con rayas verticales en grupos llamados pies.

Idioms are expressions that have different meanings from the literal meanings.

Los modismos son expresiones idiomáticas que tienen un significado diferente a su significado literal.

Imagery is the use of vivid word pictures writers use to appeal to one or more of the five senses. Writers use images to describe how their subjects look, sound, feel, taste, and smell. Poets often paint images, or word pictures, that appeal to your senses. These pictures help you experience the poem fully.

La imaginería es el uso que le da el escritor al lenguaje para crear descripciones visuales vívidas que se relacionan con uno o varios de los cinco sentidos. Los escritores utilizan imágenes para describir qué apariencia tienen, cómo suenan, sienten, saben y huelen sus personas u objetos descritos. Los poetas suelen dibujar imágenes o hacer una descripción visual que se vincule con los sentidos. Estas descripciones visuales nos ayudan a experimentar el poema en su totalidad.

Irony is a contradiction between what happens and what is expected. The three main types of irony are situational irony, verbal irony, and dramatic irony.

Una ironía es una contradicción entre lo que ocurre realmente y lo que se espera que pase. Los tres tipos principales de ironía son la ironía situacional, ironía verbal e ironía dramática.

Media accounts are reports, explanations, opinions, or descriptions written for television, radio, newspapers, and magazines. While some media accounts report only facts, others include the writer’s thoughts and reflections.

Los reportajes periodísticos son relatos, explicaciones, opiniones o descripciones escritas para televisión, radio, periódicos o revistas. Si bien algunos reportajes periodísticos solo relatan hechos, otros incluyen también las opiniones y reflexiones del autor.

A memoir is a type of autobiography that focuses on a particularly meaningful period or series of events in the author’s life. A memoir is typically written from the first-person point of view in which the author, or narrator, takes part in the story’s events. The author will refer to himself or herself using the pronoun I.

Una metáfora es una figura retórica que se utiliza para identificar una cosa con algo distinto. Una metáfora, al igual que un símil, se obtiene identificando las similitudes que comparten dos cosas distintas.

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else. A metaphor, like a simile, works by pointing out a similarity between two unlike things.

Unas memorias son un tipo de autobiografía que se concentra en un período particular y significativo, o en una serie de acontecimientos de la vida del autor. Las memorias se suelen escribir en primera persona dado que el autor o narrador participa en los acontecimientos de la historia. El autor se refiere a sí mismo con el pronombre “yo” y usando la conjugación en primera persona del singular.

Narration is writing that tells a story. The act of telling a story is also called narration. Each piece is a narrative. A story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or even in drama is called a narrative.

Una narración es un texto que cuenta una historia. También se denomina narración a la acción de contar una historia. Cada una de estas creaciones son textos narrativos. Una historia contada en ficción, no ficción, poesía o incluso en drama es conocida como narración.

A narrative is a story. A narrative can be either fiction or nonfiction. Novels and short stories are types of fictional narratives. Biographies and autobiographies are nonfiction narratives. Poems that tell stories are also narratives.

Un texto narrativo es una historia. Un texto narrativo puede ser de ficción y de no ficción. Las novelas y los cuentos son tipos de textos narrativos de ficción. Las biografías y las autobiografías son textos narrativos de no ficción. Los poemas que cuentan una historia pueden ser también textos narrativos.

A narrator is a speaker or a character who tells a story. The narrator’s perspective is the way he or she sees things. A third-person narrator is one who stands outside the action and speaks about it. A first-person narrator is one who tells a story and participates in its action.

Un narrador es la persona o personaje que cuenta una historia. El punto de vista del narrador es la manera en la que él o ella ve las cosas. Un narrador en tercera persona es aquel que solo habla de la acción sin implicarse en ella. Un narrador en primera persona es aquel que cuenta una historia y tomar parte en su acción.

Nonfiction is prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events. Autobiographies, biographies, essays, reports, letters, memos, and newspaper articles are all types of nonfiction.

Una no ficción es un texto en prosa que presenta y explica ideas, o que habla sobre gente real, lugares, objetos o acontecimientos. Las autobiografías, biografías, ensayos, reportajes, cartas, memorandos y artículos periodísticos son todos diferentes tipos de no ficción.

A narrative poem is a story told in verse. Narrative poems often have all the elements of short stories, including characters, conflict, and plot.

Un poema narrativo es una historia contada en verso. Un poema narrativo cuenta a menudo con todos los elementos de los cuentos; incluye personajes, conflicto y trama.

A novel is a long work of fiction. Novels contain such elements as characters, plot, conflict, and setting. The writer of novels, or novelist, develops these elements. In addition to its main plot, a novel may contain one or more subplots, or independent, related stories. A novel may also have several themes.

Una novela es una obra larga de ficción. Las novelas contienen elementos tales como los personajes, la trama, el conflicto y los escenarios. Los escritores de novelas o novelistas desarrollan estos elementos. Aparte de la trama principal, una novela puede contener una o varias subtramas, o narraciones independientes o relacionadas con la trama principal. Una novela puede contener también diversos temas.

"Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate sounds. Crash, buzz, screech, hiss, neigh, jingle, and cluck are examples of onomatopoeia. Chickadee, towhee, and whippoorwill are onomatopoeic names of birds. Onomatopoeia can help put the reader in the activity of a poem."

"Una onomatopeya es el uso de las palabras que imitan sonidos. Cataplam, zzzzzz, zas, din don, glu glu glu, achís y crag son ejemplos de onomatopeyas. El cuco, la urraca y el pitirre son nombres onomatopéyicos de aves. La onomatopeya puede ayudar al lector a sumergirse en la descripción de un poema."

An oxymoron (pl. oxymora) is a figure of speech that links two opposite or contradictory words, to point out an idea or situation that seems contradictory or inconsistent but on closer inspection turns out to be somehow true.

Un oxímoron (pl. oxímoron) es una figura retórica que vincula dos palabras contrarias u opuestas con el fin de indicar que una idea o situación, que parece contradictoria o incoherente a simple vista, encierra algo de verdad cuando la analizamos detenidamente.

A persuasive essay is a short nonfiction work in which a writer seeks to convince the reader to think or act in a certain way.

Las apelaciones persuasivas son métodos que se utilizan para informar o convencer a los lectores de que vean algo desde una nueva perspectiva.

Personification is a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.

La personificación es una figura retórica con la que se atribuyen características humanas a un animal o una cosa.

Persuasion is used in writing or speech that attempts to convince the reader or listener to adopt a particular opinion or course of action. Newspaper editorials and letters to the editor use persuasion. So do advertisements and campaign speeches given by political candidates.

La persuasión se utiliza cuando escribimos o hablamos para convencer a nuestro lector o interlocutor de que debe adoptar una opinión concreta o tomar un rumbo en sus decisiones. Las editoriales periodísticas y las cartas del editor emplean la persuasión. Asimismo, la publicidad y los discursos electorales que los políticos pronuncian en campaña también la utilizan.

A playwright is a person who writes plays. William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest playwright in English literature.

Un dramaturgo es una persona que escribe obras de teatro. A William Shakespeare se le considera el mejor dramaturgo de la literatura inglesa.

"Plot is the sequence of events in which each event results from a previous one and causes the next. In most novels, dramas, short stories, and narrative poems, the plot involves both characters and a central conflict. The plot usually begins with an exposition that introduces the setting, the characters, and the basic situation. This is followed by the inciting incident, which introduces the central conflict. The conflict then increases during the development until it reaches a high point of interest or suspense, the climax. The climax is followed by the falling action, or end, of the central conflict. Any events that occur during the falling action make up the resolution, or denouement. Some plots do not have all of these parts. Some stories begin with the inciting incident and end with the resolution. See Conflict."

"Una trama es la secuencia de acontecimientos en la cual cada uno de estos acontecimientos es el resultado de otro acontecimiento anterior y la causa de uno nuevo que lo sigue. En la mayoría de novelas, dramas, relatos y poemas narrativos, la trama contiene personajes y un conflicto central. La trama suele comenzar con un planteamiento o introducción que presenta los escenarios, los personajes y la situación básica. A esta le sigue la acción ascendente, que presenta el conflicto central. El conflicto va aumentando durante el nudo o desarrollo hasta que alcanza el punto más elevado de interés o suspense, el clímax. El clímax va seguido de una acción descendente del conflicto central. Todos los acontecimientos que ocurren durante la acción descendente forman el desenlace. Algunas tramas no tienen todas estas partes. Algunas historias comienzan con la acción ascendente y acaban con un desenlace."

Poetry is one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama. Most poems make use of highly concise, musical, and emotionally charged language. Many also make use of imagery, figurative language, and special devices of sound such as rhyme. Major types of poetry include lyric poetry, narrative poetry, and concrete poetry.

La poesía es uno de los tres géneros más importantes de la literatura junto con la prosa y el drama. La mayoría de los poemas utilizan un lenguaje muy conciso, musical y cargado de emoción. Muchos también emplean imágenes, lenguaje figurativo y recursos fónicos especiales como la rima. Los tipos de poesía más importantes son la poesía lírica, la poesía narrativa y la poesía concreta.

"Point of view is the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told. The storyteller is either a narrator outside the story or a character in the story. First-person point of view describes a story told by a character who uses the first-person pronoun “I.” The two kinds of third-person point of view, limited and omniscient, are called “third person” because the narrator uses third-person pronouns such as “he” and “she” to refer to the characters. There is no “I” telling the story. In stories told from the omniscient third-person point of view, the narrator knows and tells about what each character feels and thinks. In stories told from the limited third-person point of view, the narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings of only one character, and everything is viewed from this character’s perspective."

"El punto de vista es la perspectiva, el punto de observación, desde el cual se cuenta una historia. Puede tratarse de un narrador situado fuera de la historia o un personaje dentro de ella. El punto de vista en primera persona corresponde a un personaje que utiliza la primera persona “yo” o la conjugación de los verbos en primera persona de singular. Los dos tipos de punto de vista en tercera persona, parcial y omnisciente, son conocidos como “tercera persona”, porque el narrador utiliza los pronombres de tercera persona como “él” y “ella” y la conjugación de los verbos en tercera persona para referirse a los personajes. Por el contrario, no se utiliza el pronombre “yo”. En las historias contadas desde el punto de vista en tercera persona omnisciente, el narrador sabe y cuenta todo lo que sienten y piensan los personajes. En las historias contadas desde el punto de vista en tercera pesona parcial, el narrador relata los pensamientos y sentimientos de solo un personaje, y se cuenta todo desde la perspectiva de este personaje."

Prose is the ordinary form of written language. Most writing that is not poetry, drama, or song is considered prose. Prose is one of the major genres of literature and occurs in two forms—fiction and nonfiction.

La prosa es la forma más corriente del lenguaje escrito. La mayoría de los textos escritos que no se consideran poesía, drama ni canción son texos en prosa. La prosa es uno de los géneros más importantes de la literatura y puede ser de ficción o de no ficción.

The protagonist is the main character in a literary work. Often, the protagonist is a person, but sometimes it can be an animal.

El protagonista es el personaje principal de una obra literaria. Aunque suele ser una persona, a veces puede tratarse también de un animal.

Repetition is the use, more than once, of any element of language—a sound, word, phrase, clause, or sentence. Repetition is used in both prose and poetry.

La repetición se da cuando se utiliza más de una vez cualquier elemento del lenguaje (un sonido, una palabra, una expresión, un sintagma o una oración). La repetición se emplea tanto en prosa como en poesía.

The resolution is the outcome of the conflict in a plot.

El desenlace es la resolución del conflicto en una trama.

Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in spoken or written language.

El ritmo es el patrón de sílabas acentuadas y átonas en el lenguaje hablado o escrito.

A scene is a section of uninterrupted action in the act of a drama.

Una escena es una sección de acción ininterrumpida dentro de alguno de los actos de un drama.

Science fiction combines elements of fiction and fantasy with scientific fact. Many science-fiction stories are set in the future.

La ciencia ficción combina elementos de ficción y fantásticos con hechos científicos. Muchas historias de cienca ficción están situadas en el futuro.

Sensory language is writing or speech that appeals to one or more of the five senses.

El lenguaje sensorial es texto o diálogo que tiene relación con uno o varios de los cinco sentidos.

The setting of a literary work is the time and place of the action. The setting includes all the details of a place and time—the year, the time of day, even the weather. The place may be a specific country, state, region, community, neighborhood, building, institution, or home. Details such as dialects, clothing, customs, and modes of transportation are often used to establish setting. In most stories, the setting serves as a backdrop—a context in which the characters interact. Setting can also help create a feeling, or atmosphere.

El escenario de una obra literaria es el tiempo y lugar en los que ocurre la acción. El escenario incluye todos los detalles sobre el tiempo y el lugar: el año, el momento del día o incluso el tiempo atmosférico. El lugar puede ser un país concreto, un estado, una región, una comunidad, un barrio, un edificio, una institución o el propio hogar. Los detalles como los dialectos, ropa, costumbres y medios de transporte se emplean con frecuencia para componer el escenario. En la mayoría de historias, los escenarios sirven de telón de fondo, es decir, de contexto en el que los personajes interactúan. El escenario también puede contribuir a crear una cierta sensación o un ambiente.

A short story is a brief work of fiction. Like a novel, a short story presents a sequence of events, or plot. The plot usually deals with a central conflict faced by a main character, or protagonist. The events in a short story usually communicate a message about life or human nature. This message, or central idea, is the story’s theme.

Un cuento es una obra corta de ficción. Al igual que sucede en una novela, los cuentos presentan una secuencia de acontecimientos o trama. La trama suele contener un conflico central al que se enfrenta un personaje principal o protagonista. Los acontecimientos en un cuento normalmente comunican un mensaje sobre la vida o la naturaleza humana. Este mensaje o idea central es el tema de la historia.

A simile is a figure of speech that uses like or as to make a direct comparison between two unlike ideas. Everyday speech often contains similes, such as “pale as a ghost,” “good as gold,” “spread like wildfire,” and “clever as a fox.”

Un símil es una figura retórica que utiliza "como" o "igual que" para establecer una comparación entre dos ideas distintas. Las conversaciones que mantenemos a diario también contienen símiles como, por ejemplo, “pálido como un muerto”, “se expande igual que un incendio” y “listo como un zorro”.

The speaker is the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a poem. The speaker is the character who tells the poem. This character, or voice, often is not identified by name. There can be important differences between the poet and the poem’s speaker.

El yo poético es la voz imaginaria que emplea un poeta cuando escribe un poema. El yo poético es el personaje que dice el poema. Este personaje o voz no suele identificarse con un nombre. Hay notables diferencias entre el poeta y el yo poético.

Stage directions are notes included in a drama to describe how the work is to be performed or staged. Stage directions are usually printed in italics and enclosed within parentheses or brackets. Some stage directions describe the movements, costumes, emotional states, and ways of speaking of the characters.

Las acotaciones son notas que se pueden encontrar en un texto dramático en las que se describe cómo se debe interpretar o escenificar la obra. Las acotaciones suelen aparecer en cursiva y encerradas entre paréntesis o corchetes. Algunas acotaciones describen los movimientos, el vestuario, los estados de ánimo y el modo en el que deben hablar los personajes.

Staging includes the setting, lighting, costumes, special effects, music, dance, and so on that go into putting on a stage performance of a drama.

La escenografía engloba la ambientación, iluminación, vestuario, efectos especiales y música que debe aparecer en el escenario donde se representa un drama.

A stanza is a group of lines of poetry that are usually similar in length and pattern and are separated by spaces. A stanza is like a paragraph of poetry—it states and develops a single main idea.

Una estrofa es un grupo de versos de un poema que suele tener el mismo tamaño y patrón, y están separadas por espacios entre ellas. Una estrofa es como un párrafo en poesía (presenta y desarrolla una única idea principal).

A symbol is anything that stands for or represents something else. Symbols are common in everyday life. A dove with an olive branch in its beak is a symbol of peace. A blindfolded woman holding a balanced scale is a symbol of justice. A crown is a symbol of a king’s status and authority.

Un símbolo es algo que simboliza o representa una cosa diferente. Los símbolos son muy comunes en nuestra vida diaria. Una paloma con una rama de olivo en el pico es un símbolo de la paz. Una mujer con los ojos vendados sujentando una balanza es un símbolo de la justicia. Una corona es un símbolo del poder y la autoridad de un rey.

Symbolism is the use of symbols. Symbolism plays an important role in many different types of literature. It can highlight certain elements the author wishes to emphasize and also add levels of meaning.

El simbolismo es el uso de los símbolos. El simbolismo juega un papel importante en muchos tipos de literatura. Puede ayudar a destacar algunos elementos que el autor quiere subrayar y añadir otros niveles de significado.

"The theme is a central message, concern, or purpose in a literary work. A theme can usually be expressed as a generalization, or a general statement, about human beings or about life. The theme of a work is not a summary of its plot. The theme is the writer’s central idea. Although a theme may be stated directly in the text, it is more often presented indirectly. When the theme is stated indirectly, or implied, the reader must figure out what the theme is by looking carefully at what the work reveals about people or about life."

"El tema es el mensaje central de una obra literaria. Un tema se puede entender como una generalización o un asunto general sobre los seres humanos o la vida. El tema de una obra no es el resumen de su trama. El tema es la idea central del escritor. Aunque el tema puede ser expuesto directamente en el texto, a menudo se suele presentar indirectamente. Cuando se expone el tema indirecta o implícitamente, el lector podrá deducir este observando lo que se muestra en la obra sobre la vida y las personas."

The tone of a literary work is the writer’s attitude toward his or her audience and subject. The tone can often be described by a single adjective, such as formal or informal, serious or playful, bitter, or ironic. Factors that contribute to the tone are word choice, sentence structure, line length, rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.

El tono de una obra literaria es la actitud del escritor hacia sus lectores o aquello sobre lo que escribe. El tono puede ser descrito con un único adjetivo como, por ejemplo, formal o informal, serio o jocoso, amargo o irónico. Los factores que contribuyen a crear el tono son la elección de las palabras, la estructura de la oración, el tamaño de un verso, la rima, el ritmo y la repetición.

A universal theme is a message about life that is expressed regularly in many different cultures and time periods. Folk tales, epics, and romances often address universal themes like the importance of courage, the power of love, or the danger of greed.

Un tema universal es un mensaje sobre la vida que se expresa habitualmente en muchas culturas y períodos históricos diferentes. Los cuentos populares, epopeyas y romances suelen abordar temas universales como la importancia de la valentía, el poder del amor o el peligro de la avaricia.

Voice describes a writer’s distinct style. A writer’s voice can be influenced by word choice, the writer’s choice and use of specific words; sentence structure, or the way the writer constructs a sentence; and tone—the writer’s attitude toward the subject.

La voz describe el estilo distintivo de un escritor. La voz de un escritor puede estar influida por la elección de palabras, la elección del escritor de escoger y usar palabras específicas; la estructura de las oraciones o la manera en la que un escritor construye una oración; y el tono –la actitud del escritor sobre el tema–.

A lyric poem is a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker. It creates a single, unified impression.

Un poema lírico es un verso con mucha musicalidad que expresa las observaciones y sentimientos de una sola persona. Crea una impresión única y unificada.

Every English word, depending on its meaning and its use in a sentence, can be identified as one of the eight parts of speech. These are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Understanding the parts of speech will help you learn the rules of English grammar and usage.

A noun names a person, place, or thing. A common noun names any one of a class of persons, places, or things. A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing.

A pronoun is a word that stands for one or more nouns. The word to which a pronoun refers (whose place it takes) is the antecedent of the pronoun.

A personal pronoun refers to the person speaking (first person); the person spoken to (second person); or the person, place, or thing spoken about (third person).

A reflexive pronoun reflects the action of a verb back on its subject. It indicates that the person or thing performing the action also is receiving the action.

An intensive pronoun adds emphasis to a noun or pronoun.

A demonstrative pronoun points out a specific person(s), place(s), or thing(s).

A relative pronoun begins a subordinate clause and connects it to another idea in the sentence.

An interrogative pronoun begins a question.

An indefinite pronoun refers to a person, place, or thing that may or may not be specifically named.

A verb expresses action or the existence of a state or condition.

An action verb tells what action someone or something is performing.

A linking verb connects the subject with another word that identifies or describes the subject. The most common linking verb is be.

A helping verb, or auxiliary verb, is added to a main verb to make a verb phrase.

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by describing it or giving it a more specific meaning.

A proper adjective is an adjective derived from a proper noun.

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb by telling where, when, how or to what extent.

A preposition relates a noun or pronoun that appears with it to another word in the sentence.

A conjunction connects words or groups of words.

A coordinating conjunction joins words or groups of words of equal rank.

Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs to connect words or groups of words of equal importance.

Subordinating conjunctions indicate the connection between two ideas by placing one below the other in rank or importance. A subordinating conjunction introduces a subordinate, or dependent, clause.

An interjection expresses feeling or emotion. It is not related to other words in the sentence.

A phrase is a group of words that does not have both a subject and a verb and that functions as one part of speech. A phrase expresses an idea but cannot stand alone.

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun that is the object of the preposition.

An adjective phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun.

An adverb phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.

An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed next to another noun or pronoun to add information about it. An appositive phrase consists of an appositive and its modifiers.

A verbal is a verb form that functions as a different part of speech (not as a verb) in a sentence. Participles, gerunds, and infinitives are verbals.

A verbal phrase includes a verbal and any modifiers or complements it may have. Verbal phrases may function as nouns, as adjectives, or as adverbs.

A participle is a verb form that can act as an adjective. Present participles end in -ing; past participles of regular verbs end in -ed.

A participial phrase consists of a participle and its modifiers or complements. The entire phrase acts as an adjective.

A gerund is a verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun.

A gerund phrase consists of a gerund with any modifiers or complements, all acting together as a noun.

An infinitive is a verb form, usually preceded by to, that can act as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and its modifiers or complements, and sometimes its subject, all acting together as a single part of speech.

A clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb.

An independent clause can stand by itself as a complete sentence.

A subordinate clause cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence. Subordinate clauses always appear connected in some way with one or more independent clauses.

An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that acts as an adjective. It modifies a noun or a pronoun by telling what kind or which one. Also called relative clauses, adjective clauses usually begin with a relative pronoun: who, which, that, whom, or whose.

An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that, like an adverb, modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb by telling where, when, in what way, to what extent, under what condition, or why.

A noun clause is a subordinate clause that acts as a noun.

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. A sentence has two main parts: a subject and a predicate.

A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It lacks an independent clause.

The subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells what the subject of the sentence does or is.

A subject can consist of a single word or of many words. All the words in the subject make up the complete subject. A predicate can consist of a single word or of many words. All the words in the predicate make up the complete predicate.

The simple subject is the essential noun, pronoun, or group of words acting as a noun that cannot be left out of the complete subject. The simple predicate is the essential verb or verb phrase that cannot be left out of the complete predicate.

A compound subject is two or more subjects that have the same verb and are joined by a conjunction. A compound predicate is two or more verbs that have the same subject and are joined by a conjunction.

A complement is a word or word group that completes the meaning of the predicate. There are four kinds of complements: direct objects, indirect objects, objective complements, and subject complements.

A direct object is a noun, a pronoun, or a group of words acting as a noun that receives the action of a transitive verb.

An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that appears with a direct object and names the person or thing to which or for which something is done.

An objective complement is an adjective or noun that appears with a direct object and describes or renames it.

A subject complement follows a linking verb and tells something about the subject. There are two kinds: predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives.

A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and identifies or renames the subject.

A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject of the sentence.

Sentences can be classified according to the kind and number of clauses they contain. The four basic sentence structures are simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

A simple sentence consists of one independent clause.

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. The clauses are joined by a conjunction or a semicolon.

A complex sentence consists of one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

A compound-complex sentence consists of two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses.

Sentences can be classified according to their function or purpose. The four types are declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

A declarative sentence states an idea and ends with a period.

An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark.

An imperative sentence gives an order or a direction and ends with either a period or an exclamation mark.

An exclamatory sentence conveys a strong emotion and ends with an exclamation mark.

An effective paragraph is organized around one main idea, which is often stated in a topic sentence. The other sentences support the main idea. To give the paragraph unity, make sure the connection between each sentence and the main idea is clear.

Do not change needlessly from one person to another. Keep the person consistent in your sentences.

Do not change needlessly from active voice to passive voice in your use of verbs.

A singular subject must have a singular verb. A plural subject must have a plural verb. A phrase or clause that comes between a subject and verb does not affect subject-verb agreement. Two subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb. Two singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb. Two plural subjects joined by or or nor take a plural verb. When a singular and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject.

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender. Use singular pronouns with singular antecedents and plural pronouns with plural antecedents. Use a singular pronoun when the antecedent is a singular indefinite pronoun such as anybody, each, either, everybody, neither, no one, one, or someone. Use a plural pronoun when the antecedent is a plural indefinite pronoun such as both, few, many, or several. The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none, and some can be singular or plural depending on the number of the word to which they refer.

A verb has four principal parts: Present, Present Participle, Past, and Past Participle.

Regular verbs such as learn and discuss form the past and past participle by adding -ed to the present form.

Irregular verbs such as stand and begin form the past and past participle in other ways. If you are in doubt about the principal parts of an irregular verb, check a dictionary.

The different tenses of verbs indicate the time an action or condition occurred.

The present tense expresses an action that happens regularly or states a general truth.

The past tense expresses a completed action or a condition that is no longer true.

The future tense indicates an action that will happen in the future or a condition that will be true.

The present perfect tense is used to express an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past or an action that began in the past and continues into the present.

The past perfect tense shows an action that was completed before another action in the past.

The future perfect tense is used to indicate an action that will have been completed before another action takes place.

Adjectives and adverbs take different forms to show the three degrees of comparison: the positive, the comparative, and the superlative.

Use comparative adjectives and adverbs to compare two things. Use superlative adjectives and adverbs to compare three or more things.

The case of a pronoun is the form it takes to show its function in a sentence. There are three pronoun cases: nominative, objective, and possessive.

Use the nominative case when a pronoun functions as a subject or as a predicate nominative.

Use the objective case for a pronoun acting as a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.

Use the possessive case to show ownership.

Diction refers to word choice. The words you choose contribute to the overall effectiveness of your writing. You can improve one aspect of your diction by choosing carefully between commonly confused words, such as the pairs listed below.

Accept (spelled A, C, C, E, P, T) is a verb that means “to receive” or “to agree to.” Except (spelled E, X, C, E, P, T) is a preposition that means “other than” or “leaving out.”

Affect (spelled A, F, F, E, C, T) is normally a verb meaning “to influence” or “to bring about a change in.” Effect (spelled E, F, F, E, C, T) is usually a noun meaning “result.”

Among is usually used with three or more items, and it emphasizes collective relationships or indicates distribution. Between is generally used with only two items, but it can be used with more than two if the emphasis is on individual (one-to-one) relationships within the group.

Amount refers to overall quantity and is mainly used with mass nouns (that can’t be counted). Number refers to individual items that can be counted.

Assure means “to convince [someone of something]; to guarantee.” Ensure means “to make certain [that something happens].” Insure means “to arrange for payment in case of loss.”

Use the adjective bad before a noun or after linking verbs such as feel, look, and seem. Use badly whenever an adverb is required.

Beside means “at the side of” or “close to.” Besides means “in addition to.”

The helping verb can generally refers to the ability to do something. The helping verb may generally refers to permission to do something.

The verb complement means “to enhance”; the verb compliment means “to praise.”

Compose means “to make up; constitute.” Comprise means “to include or contain.” Remember that the whole comprises its parts or is composed of its parts, and the parts compose the whole.

Different from is generally preferred over different than, but different than can be used before a clause. Always use different from before a noun or pronoun.

Use farther when you refer to distance. Use further when you mean “to a greater degree or extent” or “additional.”

Use fewer for things that can be counted. Use less for amounts or quantities that cannot be counted. Fewer must be followed by a plural noun.

Use the adjective good before a noun or after a linking verb. Use well whenever an adverb is required, such as when modifying a verb.

The word its with no apostrophe is a possessive pronoun. The word it’s is a contraction for “it is.”

Lay is a transitive verb meaning “to set or put something down.” Its principal parts are lay, laying, laid, laid. Lie is an intransitive verb meaning “to recline” or “to exist in a certain place.” Its principal parts are lie, lying, lay, lain.

Like is a preposition that usually means “similar to” and precedes a noun or pronoun. The conjunction as means “in the way that” and usually precedes a clause.

Do not use of in place of have after auxiliary verbs such as would, could, should, may, might, or must. The contraction of have is formed by adding -ve after these verbs.

Principal can be an adjective meaning “main; most important.” It can also be a noun meaning “chief officer of a school.” Principle is a noun meaning “moral rule” or “fundamental truth.”

Raise is a transitive verb that usually takes a direct object. Rise is intransitive and never takes a direct object.

The conjunction than (spelled T, H, A, N) is used to connect the two parts of a comparison. The adverb then (spelled T, H, E, N) usually refers to time.

Use the relative pronoun that to refer to things or people. Use which only for things and who only for people. That introduces a restrictive phrase or clause, that is, one that is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Which introduces a nonrestrictive phrase or clause—one that adds information but could be deleted from the sentence—and is preceded by a comma.

Do not use when, where, or why directly after a linking verb, such as is. Reword the sentence.

In formal writing, use who only as a subject in clauses and sentences and whom only as the object of a verb or a preposition.

Your is a possessive pronoun expressing ownership. You’re is the contraction for “you are.”

Capitalize the first word of a sentence. Capitalize the first word of a direct speech. Capitalize the first word of a quotation that is a complete sentence.

Capitalize all proper nouns, including geographical names, historical events and periods, and names of organizations. Capitalize all proper adjectives.

Capitalize course names only if they are language courses, are followed by a number, or are preceded by a proper noun or adjective.

Capitalize personal titles when followed by the person’s name. Capitalize titles showing family relationships when they are followed by a specific person’s name, unless they are preceded by a possessive noun or pronoun. Capitalize the first word and all other key words in the titles of books, stories, songs, and other works of art.

Use a period to end a declarative sentence or an imperative sentence.Use periods with initials and abbreviations.Use a question mark to end an interrogative sentence.Use an exclamation mark after an exclamatory sentence or a forceful imperative sentence.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction to separate two independent clauses in a compound sentence.Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series.Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives.Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause.Use commas to set off nonessential expressions.Use commas with places and dates.

Use a semicolon to join closely related independent clauses that are not already joined by a conjunction.Use semicolons to avoid confusion when items in a series contain commas.

Use a colon before a list of items following an independent clause.Use a colon to introduce information that summarizes or explains the independent clause before it.

Use quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation.An indirect quotation does not require quotation marks.Use quotation marks around the titles of short written works, episodes in a series, songs, and titles of works mentioned as parts of collections.

Italicize the titles of long written works, movies, television and radio shows, lengthy works of music, paintings, and sculptures.For handwritten material, you can use underlining instead of italics.

Use dashes to indicate an abrupt change of thought, a dramatic interrupting idea, or a summary statement.

Use a hyphen with certain numbers, after certain prefixes, with two or more words used as one word, and with a compound modifier that comes before a noun.

Use parentheses to set off asides and explanations when the material is not essential or when it consists of one or more sentences.When the sentence in parentheses interrupts the larger sentence, it does not have a capital letter and a period. When a sentence in parentheses falls between two other complete sentences, it should start with a capital letter and end with a period.

Add an apostrophe and an s to show the possessivecase of most singular nouns and of plural nouns that do not end in -s or -es.Names ending in s form their possessives in the same way, except for classical and biblical names, which add only an apostrophe to form the possessive.Add an apostrophe to show the possessive case of plural nouns ending in -s and -es.Use an apostrophe in a contraction to indicate the position of the missing letter or letters.

Use brackets to enclose clarifying information inserted within a quotation.

Use three ellipsis points, also known as an ellipsis, to indicate where you have omitted words from quoted material. Use an ellipsis to indicate a pause or interruption in speech.

Learning the rules of English spelling will help you make generalizations about how to spell words.

The three word parts that can combine to form a word are roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Many of these word parts come from the Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon languages.

The root word carries a word’s basic meaning.

A prefix is one or more syllables added to the beginning of a word that alter the meaning of the root.

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word that changes the word’s meaning or part of speech.

When adding a suffix to a root word ending in y preceded by a consonant, change y to i unless the suffix begins with i.For a root word ending in e, drop the e when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel.For root words ending with a consonant plus vowel plus consonant in a stressed syllable, double the final consonant when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.

When a prefix is added to a root word, the spelling of the root remains the same.With some prefixes, the spelling of the prefix changes when joined to the root to make the pronunciation easier.

Certain letter combinations in English make certain sounds. For instance, “ph” sounds like “f,” “eigh” usually makes a long “a” sound, and the k before an n is often silent.Understanding orthographic patterns such as these can help you improve your spelling.

The plural form of most nouns is formed by adding s to the singular.For words ending in “s, ss, x, z, sh, ch,” add “es.”For words ending in y or o preceded by a vowel, add s.For words ending in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to an i and add es.For most words ending in o preceded by a consonant, add es.Some words form the plural in irregular ways.

Some words used in English are actually foreign words we have adopted. Learning to spell these words requires memorization. When in doubt, check a dictionary.