Glossary: Terms Starting with M
39 definitions in English & Language Arts with links to the lessons that teach each word.
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All terms starting with M
main character
EnglishFrom Grade 1
the most important character
Learn it in: Identifying characters (Grade 1)
main clause
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a clause that makes sense on its own
Learn it in: Clauses (Grade 5), Complex sentences (Grade 6)
main event
EnglishFrom Grade 4
an important thing that happens
Learn it in: Summarising literature (Grade 4)
main idea
EnglishFrom Grade 1
what a text is mostly about
Full explanation with examples and practice →
Learn it in: Identifying important details (Grade 1), Main ideas (Grade 2), Topic sentences (Grade 2)
match
EnglishFrom Grade 1
go together
Learn it in: Identifying rhyming words (Grade 1), Identifying beginning sounds (Grade 1), Identifying ending sounds (Grade 1)
meaning
EnglishFrom Grade 1
what a word tells us
Learn it in: Understanding spoken words (Grade 1), Reading decodable sentences (Grade 1), Multiple-meaning words (Grade 1)
media
EnglishFrom Grade 2
ways of sharing messages, such as TV, radio, posters and websites
Learn it in: Understanding media messages (Grade 2), Media messages (Grade 3), Media messages (Grade 4)
message
EnglishFrom Grade 1
what we want people to know
Learn it in: Making simple posters (Grade 1), Comparing literary texts (Grade 2), Posters (Grade 2)
metaphor
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a comparison saying one thing is another
Learn it in: Figurative language (Grade 4), Similes and metaphors (Grade 4), Figurative language (Grade 5)
middle
EnglishFrom Grade 1
between the start and end
Learn it in: Oral sound manipulation (Grade 1), Short vowel sounds (Grade 1), Beginning, middle, and end (Grade 1)
minor detail
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a small fact that is interesting but not essential
Learn it in: Main ideas (Grade 5), Central ideas (Grade 6)
misinformation
EnglishFrom Grade 6
false information shared without intent to harm
Learn it in: Misleading information (Grade 6)
misleading statistic
EnglishFrom Grade 6
a number presented so it gives a false impression
Learn it in: Misleading information (Grade 6)
misplaced modifier
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a modifier that seems to describe the wrong word
missing subject
EnglishFrom Grade 3
no one or nothing is doing the action
Learn it in: Sentence fragments (Grade 3)
mistake
EnglishFrom Grade 1
something not right
Learn it in: Repeated reading (Grade 1), Basic sentence correction (Grade 1)
moderator
EnglishFrom Grade 4
the person who guides the discussion
Learn it in: Structured discussions (Grade 4), Introductory debates (Grade 6)
modifier
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a word or phrase that describes another word
modify
EnglishFrom Grade 2
change or add to the meaning
Learn it in: Adverbs (Grade 2), Prepositional phrases (Grade 4)
monitor
EnglishFrom Grade 3
to check how you are doing
Learn it in: Monitoring reading accuracy (Grade 3), Monitoring comprehension (Grade 4), Reading complex texts (Grade 5)
mood
EnglishFrom Grade 3
the feeling a story gives
Learn it in: Settings (Grade 3), Setting and atmosphere (Grade 4), Descriptive settings (Grade 4)
moral
EnglishFrom Grade 1
the lesson of a story
Learn it in: Traditional tales (Grade 1), Fables (Grade 2), Main idea and theme (Grade 3)
morpheme
EnglishFrom Grade 4
the smallest part of a word that has meaning
Learn it in: Morphological analysis (Grade 4), Spelling and morphology (Grade 4), Morphology (Grade 5)
motif
EnglishFrom Grade 6
a repeated image or idea that supports a theme
Learn it in: Theme analysis (Grade 6)
motivation
EnglishFrom Grade 2
the reason a character acts
Learn it in: Character actions and motivations (Grade 2), Character motivations (Grade 3), Character development (Grade 4)
motive
EnglishFrom Grade 5
the reason a character acts
Learn it in: Characterisation (Grade 5), Character interpretation (Grade 5)
multimedia
EnglishFrom Grade 5
using text, images, sound and video together
Learn it in: Multimedia presentations (Grade 5), Multimedia messages (Grade 6)
multiple-meaning word
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a word with more than one meaning
Learn it in: Multiple-meaning words (Grade 3), Multiple-meaning words (Grade 4), Contextual vocabulary (Grade 5)
multisyllabic
EnglishFrom Grade 3
having more than one syllable
Learn it in: Multisyllabic word decoding (Grade 3), Multisyllabic decoding (Grade 4), Multisyllabic word analysis (Grade 5)
mystery
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a story that solves a puzzle or crime
Learn it in: Comparing literary genres (Grade 5)