| Term | Definition |
|---|
| ideas | what the writer brainstorms and the heart of the message |
| insight | a clear deep perception/understanding of a situation or one's motives |
| showing details | details that are clear and specific that paint a picture in your mind |
| role | who or what you are as you write |
| audience | to whom you are writing |
| format | the organization, plan, style or arrangement of a writing piece |
| topic | what the prompt is asking you to write about |
| pronoun agreement | pronoun must match the antecedent by being singular or pluarl |
| purpose | the reason why the piece is written |
| informative | this paper gives detailed information about a topic |
| persuasive | tries to convince the reader that the writer's point of view is the correct one |
| expressive | shows the writers personal opinions, feelings, ideas |
| accurate details | details that are factual/true |
| organization | the internal structure of a piece |
| pacing | the rate at which the writer introduces new ideas to the reader |
| sequencing | the order in which your main ideas or events are placed |
| transitions | words used to connect main ideas |
| introduction | the paragraph that grabs the reader's attention and provides the thesis statement |
| lead; "hook" | the attention grabbing first few sentences of an introduction |
| thesis | focus sentence of the whole paper which includes the topic and main ideas |
| conclusion | the last part of a writing piece that sums up the main points and includes the thesis |
| voice | the personal tone and flavor of the author's message |
| compelling | when the writing urges or calls you forth to do something |
| engaging | when something attracts and holds your attention |
| earnest | someone who is eager and/or serious |
| sentence fluency | language in a sentence with a steady rhythm and flow |
| varied structure | sentences that start differently |
| flow | moving along smoothly without harshness |
| rhythm | the regular order of sounds or motions |
| cadence | a measure of rhythmical flow |
| word choice | the vocabulary a writer chooses to convey meaning |
| precise | when a word is highly accurate in meaning |
| clarify | to make something more clear and understandable |
| effective | to produce what is desired in writing |
| specific | using words that are definate or exact |
| conventions | the mechanical correctness of a paper |
| 1-100 | when using numbers in writing, these numbers are written in word form |
| dialogue | conversation is referred to as this |
| homophones | two or more words that sound alike but have different spellings and different meanings |
| contraction | a shortened form of two words |
| apostrophe | a punctuation mark used to form the possessive case of nouns and some pronouns |
| semicolon | a punctuation mark used to primarily join independent clauses that are closely related in meaning |
| comma | generally used to separate wrods or groups of words so that the meaning of the sentence is clear |
| dialogue | always place punctuation (comma, exclamation point, question mark or period) at the end of this within the quotation |
| apostrophe | to form a contraction, use this to show where letters or numerals have been omitted |
| comma | place this between items and names in a series (except when referring to color or age.) |
| comma | this separates two or more adjectives preceding a noun |
| comma | use this before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, or, yet) when it joins independent clauses ina compound sentence |
| comma | use this after an introductory phrase or clause |
| comma | use this set off a mild exclamation such as well, oh, or why at the beginning of a sentence |
| comma | use this after the salutation of a personal letter and after the closing of any letter |
| comma | use this to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence |
| comma | use this to set off words of a direct address within a sentence |
| comma | use this to set off words of a direct address within a sentence |
| colon | use this to between a list of items, especially after expressions like as follows or the following |
| capitalization | the first letter in a sentence, a proper noun, and the word I is this |
| punctuation | the standard marks and signs in writing to separate words into sentences, clauses, and phrases in order to clarify meaning |
| noun | a word or word group that is used to name a person, a place, a thing, or an idea |
| compound noun | made up of two or more words used together as a single noun |
| common noun | names any one of a group of persons, places, things, or ideas |
| proper noun | names a particular/specific person, place, thing or idea |
| pronoun | a word used in place of one or more nouns or pronouns |
| adjective | modifies nouns or pronouns by tellling what kind, which one, how much, or how many |
| articles | the most frequently used adjectives are a, an, and the. These are called _______. |
| verb | a word used to express action or a state of being |
| helping verb | helps the main verb express action or a state of being |
| action verb | a verb that expresses either physical or mental activity |
| linking verb | connects the subject to a subject word or word group that identifies or describes the subject |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb |
| adverb's purpose | tells where, when, how or to what extent (how much or how long.) |
| preposition | a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word |
| interjection | a word used to express emotion |
| conjunction | a word used to join words or groups of words |
| number | when a word refers to one person, place, thing or idea, it is singular in_______________. When a word refers to more than one person, place, thing or idea, it is plural in ____________. |
| verb agreement | should agree in number with its subject |
| noun/verb | Singular _________ takes singular ______________. Plural ________ take plural __________. |
| passive voice | the voice a verb is in when it expresses an action done to its subject |
| active voice | the voice a verb is in when it expresses an action done by its subject |
| run-on sentence | two or more complete sentences run on together as one |
| sentence fragment | a group of words that is punctuated as if it was a complete sentence but that does not contain both a subject and a verb or does not express a complete thought. |
| phrase | a group of words that is missing a subject OR a verb |
| appositive | a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it |
| clause | a group of words with a subject and a verb |
| independent clause | expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence |
| subordinate clause | this contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence |
| appositive phrase | consists of an appositive and its modifiers |
| simple sentence | contains one independent clause and no subordinate clauses |
| compound sentence | contains two or more independent clauses and no subordinate clause |
| complex sentence | contains one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause |
| compound-complex sentence | contains two or more independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause |
| modifiers | make the meaning of another word more specific |
| double negative | the nonstandard use of two negative words to express a single negative idea |
| passive voice | the voice a verb is in when it expresses an action done to its subject |
| schema | what you know, your background knowledge, and the experiences that you bring to your reading |
| connections | when you able to relate what you read to personal experience, other stories, and world events |
| text-to-self | when you relate what you are reading to your own experiences |
| text-to-text | when you relate what you are reading to something else that you have read |
| text-to-world | when you relate what you are reading to events, issues and people |
| visualizing | when you create pictures in your mind while you read |
| inferring | when a reader combines what they know (schema) with what they picture in their mind (visualizing) to make an educated guess about events in a book it is this |
| predicting | when a reader makes an educated guess about what will happen next in the story |
| questioning | helps readers understand the text on a deeper level by eliminating confusion and stimulating interest in the topic |
| determining importance | when reading nonfiction the reader must decide and remember what is important from the material |
| synthesizing | when a reader weaves together what they have read with their own ideas to create new complete thoughts |
| repair strategies | methods a reader uses when confusion disrupts the meaning of a text and they need to clarify their understanding |
| plot | the series of events that make up a story |
| main idea | the author's most important general idea, containing topic and controlling idea; (The term main idea is usually used in discussions of nonfiction.) |
| foreshadowing | the use of clues or hints to suggest events that will occur later in the story |
| point of view | Refers to who tells us a story and how it is told. What we know and how we feel about the events in a work are shaped by the author's choice of point of view. The teller of the story, the narrator, inevitably affects our understanding of the characters' actions by filtering what is told through his or her own perspective. The various points of view that writers draw upon can be grouped into two broad categories: (1) the third-person narrator uses he, she, or they to tell the story and does not participate in the action; and (2) the first-person narrator uses I and is a major or minor participant in the action. |
| author's purpose | the reason why the author wrote a piece of literature |
| writing process | The progression of stages that a writer uses to create a product: pre-writes to generate ideas, uses planning ideas to produce a rough draft, rereads to self and others, revises to add details, and edits to correct (prewriting, drafting, revising, conferring, editing and publishing) |
| mood | The feeling evoked in the reader by a literary work or passage. Often can be described in one word such as light-hearted, frightening, or despairing. Two distinct technical meanings in English writing. The first meaning is grammatical and deals with verbal units and a speaker's attiutude. The second meaning of mood is literary, meaning the prevailing atmorsphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. In this usage, mood is ismilar to tone and atmosphere. |
| tone | the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people |
| stanza | a division of a poem consisting of two or more lines arranged together as a unit |
| symbolism | something that stands for or suggests something else |
| conflict | a struggle between opposing characters or forces |
| internal conflict | the battle between a character and itself |
| external conflict | a battle between a character and an outside force (such as man, nature, machine, and society) |
| characterization | the way a writer reveals his characters |
| round character | a character with more than one personality trait |
| flat character | a character that is shallow or only has one personality trait |
| static character | a character that remains the same throughout the entire story |
| dynamic character | a character that changes for the better by the end of the story |
| antagonist | a character or force that opposes the protagonist |
| protagonist | a character that is the hero; heroince |
| figurative language | writing or language that is not meant to be interpreted literally |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike things using the words like, as or than |
| metaphor | a comparison between unlike things without using specific words of comparison such as like, as or than |
| personification | a figure of speech in which non-human objects are given human characteristics |
| idiom | a word, phrase, or expression that has meaning beyond the literal meaning |
| hyperbole | a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement |
| exaggeration | the use of overstatemetns for comic effect |
| alliteration | the repetition of the same consonant sounds or the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of word or in stressed syllables |
| anecdote | a brief story told in order to make a point |
| cause | the action that results in an effect, result, or consequence |
| effect | brought on by a cause or is the end result of an action |
| climax | the most suspenseful moment or turning-point in a story |
| context clues | hints in a text that help you figure out the meaning |
| fable | a brief story told in prose or poetry (with animals or nature as the characters) that contains a moral or practical lesson |
| fiction | writing that is created mainly from imagination rather than real events |
| nonfiction | writing that deals with real people, things, events and places |
| imagery | writing or language that appeals to the sense and evokes images |
| irony | when the outcome is the exact opposite of what is expected (can be verbal, dramatic, or situational) |
| poetry | a kind of rhythmic, compressed writing that uses figures of speech and imagery designed to appeal to emotions and imagination |
| pun | a play on the multiple meanings of a word or on two words that sound alike but have different meanings |
| rhyme | a repetition of accented vowel sounds and all sounds following them in words that are close together in writing or poetry |
| setting | the time and place of a story, play or poem |
| subplot | a minor plot that relates in some way to the main story |
| suspense | the uncertainty or anxiety that a reader feels about what will happen next in a story, novel or drama |
| analogy | the comparison made between two scenarios to show how they alike |
| flashback | an interruption in the present action of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| support | when you use this you prove your ideas with additional information and details |
| exemplify | when you illustrate by giving example |
| contradict | to assert or express the opposite of |
| compare | to look at or state similarities and/or differences |
| contrast | to compare differences |
| define | to state the meaning of a word |
| benefit | an advantage |
| drawback | an undesirable feature; disadvantage |
| describe | to give a detailed account in writing |
| explain | means to make clear or understandable |
| evaluate | when you judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of |
| analyze | when you examine carefully or critically |
| summarize | when you cover the main points, concisely; briefly you _____________ |
| theme | A theme is a writer's principal message. It may be the central idea of an entire work or thought expressed in the topic sentence of a paragraph. (The term theme is usually used in discussions of fiction.) |
Combine with other sets
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