MYSTERY VOCABULARY so its no longer a mystery

MYSTERY VOCABULARY. . . so it’s no longer a mystery.

INITIATING EVENT [inciting incident] • The event that sparks the story. • Occurs near the beginning. • Everything that happens after is a result of the initiating event.

FOR EXAMPLE. . . = PLANE CRASH

NEED ANOTHER? = Nemo gets lost

YOUR TURN 1. Think of your favorite movie or book. 2. What was the initiating event? 3. How do you know this was the initiating event? YES. WRITE YOUR ANSWERS DOWN.

CAUSE & EFFECT: [action & reaction] Cause = Action: The cause is the reason something happens Effect = Reaction The effect is what happens as a result

FOR EXAMPLE The girl teased the cat. The cat growled at the girl.

YOUR TURN The boy kicked the ball. Sally studied hard for her test. Joe was very tired.

INFERENCE: • a logical guess based on evidence. • Based on what you read in the text and what you know from personal experience, you can figure out more about the story than just what the words say. • Inferences may be unique, and not everybody will come to the same conclusions.

FOR EXAMPLE. . . I Say: “I hate pizza. ” You Infer: I have eaten pizza, didn’t like it, and decided all pizza must taste like that. The lawn is wet. You Infer: It rained; the sprinklers were on; there is dew on the grass.

YOUR TURN You read: A man gets on the bus. He is carrying a suitcase. What can you infer about this man?

CONNOTATION: The suggested meaning of a word based on emotional and imaginative responses.

DENOTATION: The strict dictionary definition of a word.

FOR EXAMPLE. . . You may live in a house, but we live in a home. In the dictionary, both words mean basically the same thing: a dwelling place. However, people associate comfort, love, security, or family with a home, but do not make the same associations with a house. Same denotation. Different connotation.

YOUR TURN All of these pairs of words have the same denotation. Tell me which one has the more favorable connotation. thrifty // cheap enthusiastic // fanatical chef // cook dinghy // yacht

IMPORTANCE? 1. Why is the initiating event important in a mystery? 2. Why is cause & effect important in a mystery? 3. Why is inference important in a mystery? 4. Why is connotation important in a mystery? YES. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS