Understanding the Author's Language Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.7.4

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Just as every individual on the planet is unique in their own way, so are authors. Each author has a different way in which they string their words together which inherently leads them towards a style or genre of writing that they prefer. Very few authors are accomplished in more than one genre and this goes to style. Most authors will have a style that suits a certain genre. These worksheets will help students learn to identify the language and engrained style set forth by various authors.

Understanding the Author's Language Worksheets To Print:

Atlas – A warrior's story.

What is a Coyote? – Do you think the author is sympathetic to the refugees?

My Master – Are we all slaves to our mobile phone's?

Asperger's Syndrome – What does it mean that Asperger's can "present" in many different ways?

America's Scientific Roots – NOAA is a government agency with purview from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor, charged with keeping citizens informed about our ever-changing environment.

Analyzing Language – Does the author think the word mad has a positive or negative connotation?

Sailing to Byzantium – What do the words "music" and "monuments" each connote about time?

Two Strange Adventures in Russia – What is the overall effect of the story because of the author's claims?

A Red, Red Rose – Not to be mistaken for roses are red, violets are blue...

1861 – What does the line "clothed in blue clothes" tell us, given the poem's historical context?

Figurative Carols – Identify the figurative language used and explain its meaning.

Early History of Animation – Explain what the author means by claiming that Emile Reynaud was the first animation entrepreneur.

Slot Cars – A slot car is a miniature racing car that travels along a grooved track. Its body is made of solid, molded plastic fitted over the car's chassis.

Shakespeare's Metaphors – Read and analyze the master of figurative language's work.

Understanding Language – What is up with all the claims about the grass?

How to Understand an Author's Language?


While reading a text, a reading consistently and subconsciously works to decode and understand the language used by the author of that particular text. In most of the text written in our native languages or even the L2 languages we have a strong command over, we find it really easy to understand everything that an author is writing.


However, this is not always the case because sometimes, we have to read a text written by an author who is from a different era and a contrasting cultural or ethnic background. In such cases, even when the main language being used by the writer is same as ours, the distinct dialects and idiolects may cause a little hurdle in the smoother process of understanding. Here are some tips to understand the author's language in such cases:


Use a Dictionary or Internet


If you are unable to understand the meaning of a word or a sentence on your own, using a dictionary to understand the meaning in their simpler form is a great idea. Sometimes, an author might be using some specific cultural terms in his or her work that are not available in the standard dictionaries. Such words are available over the internet with their full explanation.


Try to Infer Meaning from the Context


The unfamiliar and new words and phrases used by a writer in his or her works can be understood partially by inferring them from the context. Reading the sentence or two surrounding the difficult word of phrase can somehow make the reader able enough to guess the meaning of the word used by the author.


Get an Idea About the Author's Background


Knowing the social, cultural, and ethnic background of a new author you are reading for the first time can help you in understanding his/her language effectively. In case you do not understand any of the written words or sentences, you can simply seek guidance from a friend belonging to the same background if possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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