ELA 30-1 Part B Diploma: Key Literary Devices For Reading Comprehension Success

Preparing for the ELA 30-1 Part B Reading Comprehension Exam can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. A big part of your success on this portion of this Alberta diploma depends on your ability to recognize, understand, and analyze literary devices in poetry and prose.

If you want to feel confident walking into your exam, you must be able to identify literary techniques quickly and understand how they create meaning. This guide breaks down the most important literary devices you need to know for the ELA 30-1 Part B diploma.

Why Literary Devices Matter on the ELA 30-1 Part B Exam

On the ELA 30-1 diploma exam, Part B asks you to analyze different texts and respond to multiple choice questions. You will need to:

• Identify literary techniques

• Understand how those techniques create meaning

• Use your understanding of literary devices to choose correct answers.

Essential Literary Devices for ELA 30-1 Reading Comprehension

Alliteration

Definition: The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words that are right beside each other, or very close together.

Example: She was shuddering at the sight of the sad estate.

Allusion

Definition: A reference to a well known text, person or film that is indirect (not explained in detail).

Examples:

• “He’s such a Romeo!” (a reference to Romeo and Juliet)

• “She’s Cinderella tonight!” (a reference to the well-known fairytale, Cinderella)

Apostrophe

Definition: When a speaker addresses someone (or something) that is not present as if they could respond.

Example:“How are you my darling? Are you warm?” she whispered at the gravesite. She waited for his answer, for his voice, for a sign that his death was just a bad dream.

This is apostrophe because the speaker addresses someone who cannot respond.

Contrast

Definition: Placing two elements side by side to demonstrate how different they are from one another. These elements could be characters, objects, settings, or ideas.

• Light vs. darkness

• Spring vs. fall

• Good vs. evil

Foreshadowing

Definition: Subtle details or clues that are used to hint at what is to come later in a text.

Example: Before each sighting of the creature in Frankenstein, there is a storm. This pattern is an example of foreshadowing: the weather is a hint that the creature is going to emerge.

Hyperbole

Definition: A dramatic exaggeration.

Examples:

• I could eat a horse!

• Her smile stretched across the horizon.

  
  

Imagery

Definition: Descriptions that are vivid and appeal to one of more of the five senses (taste, touch, sound, sight, smell).

Example: The cedar branches were soft underfoot. Warblers called overhead, their wings gliding through the morning air.

Irony

Irony is one of the most tested concepts on the ELA 30-1 Part B exam. There are three types:

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something that a character does not. Example: A man is about to open a closet that contains an alien. The audience knows the alien is there, and feels very concerned for the man because he has no idea of the danger. This is dramatic irony!

Verbal Irony

When the opposite of what is said is meant.

Example:“Nice sweater, Shelly!” cried the bully while everyone laughed.

Here, the speaker is not actually complimenting the sweater which makes it an example of verbal irony.

Situational Irony

When the outcome is the opposite of what was expected.

Example: A man tries to set up his friend with someone but accidentally falls in love with her himself.

Metaphor

Definition: A direct comparison between two unlike things (without using “like” or “as”).

Examples:

• Her love is a river, always flowing, never ending (a comparison between a river and love).

• The thoughts crept into the garden of my mind (a comparison between a garden and the speaker's mind).

Oxymoron

Definition: Two contradictory words placed side by side.

Examples:

• Pretty ugly

• Loved to hate

• Fallen angel

Paradox

Definition: A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals an underlying truth.

Examples:

• You have to spend money to make money.

• It was the beginning of the end.

Paradoxes encourage readers to think more deeply about meaning.

Parallel Construction

Definition: When sentences are structured similarly to emphasize ideas.

Example: Listening to the wolves teaches you how to be wild. Listening to the frogs teaches you how to keep rhythm.

Personification

Definition: When something that is not human is given human-like qualities.

Examples:

• The grass bowed to the cars.

• My textbook glared at me, unimpressed with my lack of studying.

Repetition

Definition: Repeating a word or phrase. This can occur throughout a piece. Note: repeated words or phrases do not have to be close together to be defined as repetition.

Example: In Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, the title phrase is repeated multiple times throughout the poem. This repetition reinforces the theme of resisting death.

Simile

Definition: A comparison using “like” or “as.”

Examples:

• She is as quiet as a mouse.

• Her hair was as smooth as silk.

Soliloquy

Definition: When a character (typically in a play) offers a speech when no one else is present. A soliloquy is used to express the truest feelings of a character and give readers insight into their inner thoughts.

Soliloquies are common in Shakespearean drama and allow readers insight into a character’s true feelings.

Symbolism

Definition: When a writer gives an element of the story (often an object) a deeper, more abstract meaning. Symbols typically weave their way through a story, showing up multiple times

Example: A strong example appears in Macbeth. Throughout the play, blood becomes a symbol of guilt. After King Duncan’s murder, Macbeth believes no amount of water can wash the blood from his hands. Later, Lady Macbeth obsessively tries to wash imaginary blood away. The blood symbolizes their overwhelming guilt.

Tone

Definition: The speaker’s attitude toward the subject.

Tone can be:

• Critical

• Admiring

• Cynical

• Hopeful

• Sarcastic

Example of Critical Tone: Her work was utterly repulsive. I could not stand near it.

Example of Admiring Tone:In the midst of chaos, her face remained calm and beautiful.

Final Thoughts:

I hope that you find this list helpful! Remember to go through as many practice questions as you can leading up to your exam. As you go through, note any other literary devices that you are not familar with and add them to your studying rotation.