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7th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 1 of 20

Literary Devices

Irony, foreshadowing and symbolism

What your child practices

Recognizing the tools writers use: figurative language, foreshadowing, flashback, symbolism and the three kinds of irony (verbal, situational and dramatic), plus the parts of a plot.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 7R3; 7R5 · irony, foreshadowing and symbolism

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Foreshadowing hints at what will happen later. A flashback jumps back to an earlier time.
  2. A symbol is an object that stands for a bigger idea.
  3. Irony: verbal (saying the opposite of what you mean), situational (the opposite of what’s expected happens), dramatic (readers know what a character doesn’t).

Example: A fire station burns down. What kind of irony is this? You’d expect a fire station to be the safest place from fire. The opposite of what you expect happens. Answer: Situational irony

Literary Devices in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 1 of 20 in 7th grade English Language Arts, before Tone & Mood.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    This backpack weighs a ton!

    • Onomatopoeia
    • Hyperbole
    • Simile
    • Flashback

  2. Question 2

    In a story, a dove appears whenever the characters make peace. What device is the dove an example of?

    • Symbolism
    • Hyperbole
    • Flashback
    • Onomatopoeia

  3. Question 3

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    As the hikers set out under clear skies, Maya noticed a thin line of dark clouds behind the mountain. She decided not to mention it.

    • Flashback
    • Onomatopoeia
    • Foreshadowing
    • Hyperbole

  4. Question 4

    A writer gives hints about events that will happen later in a story. What is this called?

    • Foreshadowing
    • Symbolism
    • Imagery
    • Flashback

  5. Question 5

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    The smell of fresh bread carried Jay back to his grandfather's kitchen, where he once stood on a stool to help knead the dough.

    • Onomatopoeia
    • Foreshadowing
    • Flashback
    • Hyperbole

  6. Question 6

    A scene interrupts the present action to show something that happened earlier. What is this called?

    • Flashback
    • Symbolism
    • Foreshadowing
    • Personification

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