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Word of the Week!

Take notes in your notebook, then take the quiz at the end of the slideshow. Hit submit on the quiz, and you’re good to go!

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The word is….

Anecdote

“Anecdota” in Spanish

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1st Clue – Some facts!

An anecdote may be as short as a paragraph, but wouldn’t be as long as a research paper or novel. An anecdote can be spoken or written.

Anecdotes are always presented as being based on real incidences.

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�2nd Clue Poem Clue!

Grandma never yells at us.

She never screams or gloats.

Instead, to teach us all life’s lessons

She tells short anecdotes.

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3rd Clue – Why do YOU need to know this?

Anecdotes are an important part of writing. Knowing how and when to use anecdotes can – in narrative writing – help you describe a character, for example. In expository writing, an anecdote may be used to support one of your main arguments or points.

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4th Clue – What it’s NOT…

ANECDOTE is NOT the same as ANTIDOTE. They are two totally different words with totally different meanings. An antidote is a remedy given to counteract a poison (anti = against, dote [from the Greek dotos] = given…in other words, an antidote goes against what is given to someone). Again, ANECDOTE is not that at all.

Just an FYI:

ANECDOTE ANTIDOTE

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What do you think anecdote means?

Take a second to let yourself GUESS the meaning. See if you come close to the actual definition.

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Definition of Anecdote

Noun:

A little story someone tells to entertain or prove a point.

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Word History

Anecdote Greek: Anekdota unpublished short story

The word anecdote is derived from the Greek word anekdota, which means unpublished. Here is the history: long ago, a Greek author wrote a book that was a collection of short stories about an emperor named Justinian. He named the book Anekdota – Unpublished Memoirs. Over time, the word anecdote just took on the meaning of “short, entertaining story”.

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Related words…

Adjective

    • Anecdotal
    • “I made an anecdotal point at the meeting.”

Adverb

    • Anecdotally
    • “It was an informal court hearing, so the information was given anecdotally.”

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Using it in a sentence

My Uncle Jack rarely tells us kids what to do. Instead, he’ll just tell us an anecdote from his childhood, and we always learn a lesson from it.

…Now try making up your own sentence!

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Picture or Symbol Clue

Go back up to the top of your notes. Make sure you have the word in the top margin, and draw a picture or symbol that reminds you of the definition of anecdote.

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Check over your notes!

Did you include the following information in your notes?

    • The word ANECDOTE spelled correctly?
    • The clues?
    • The Spanish cognate?
    • The definition?
    • The part of speech?
    • The word history?
    • The related forms?
    • The example sentences?
    • A picture or symbol clue?

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Google Form Quiz�- Use your notes.�- Take the quiz and hit “submit” at the end.�- That’s it! There’s nothing to turn in on Google Classroom.