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9th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 14

Literary Elements

Irony, motif, tone and mood

What your child practices

Recognizing devices such as irony, symbolism, motif, allusion and foils in short excerpts, and describing tone and mood.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 9-10R4; 9-10R5 · irony, motif, tone and mood

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Tone is the author’s attitude. Mood is the feeling the reader gets.
  2. A motif is a repeated image or idea. A symbol stands for a bigger idea. A foil is a character who contrasts with another.
  3. An allusion refers to a well-known story or person. Irony is a gap between what’s expected and what happens.

Example: “Fog crept between the gravestones, and somewhere a gate creaked.” What is the mood? Fog, gravestones and a creaking gate feel dark and uneasy. The reader waits for something to happen. Answer: eerie and suspenseful

Literary Elements in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 2 of 14 in 9th grade English Language Arts, after Close Reading and before Grammar & Style.

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?

    He was a modern-day Romeo, sneaking messages to a girl across town.

    • Foreshadowing
    • Hyperbole
    • Allusion
    • Simile

  2. Question 2

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    Elena is cautious and kind. Her brother Damien is reckless and selfish, and his behavior shows how admirable her patience is.

    • Irony
    • Symbolism
    • Foil
    • Allusion

  3. Question 3

    What does the description suggest about her feelings?

    “Congratulations,” she said, her smile not reaching her eyes. “I'm sure you worked very hard.”

    • She is confused.
    • She may be jealous or insincere.
    • She is sleepy.
    • She is truly delighted.

  4. Question 4

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    The ancient oak stood for generations as a symbol of the family's strength.

    • Symbolism
    • Hyperbole
    • Alliteration
    • Flashback

  5. Question 5

    What is the tone of Noor's words?

    “Oh, wonderful,” Noor sighed, staring at the third flat tire of the week. “Just what I needed.”

    • sincere
    • sarcastic
    • confused
    • grateful

  6. Question 6

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    Throughout the novel, the sound of a ticking clock returns whenever Marcus makes a hard choice.

    • Hyperbole
    • Allusion
    • Foil
    • Motif

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