Download ELA Terms - Galena Park ISD Moodle

acronym - A word formed from the initial letter or letters of a series of words, such as Laser (“Light
Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation”)
active voice - Sentence structure in which the subject performs the action of the verb (e.g., the dog bit
the boy) rather than being acted upon (e.g., the boy was bitten by the dog)
acts - The principal divisions of a theatrical work (as a play or opera)
adjectival clause - A group of words with a subject and a verb that acts as an adjective by describing a
noun or pronoun (e.g., the young man who is sitting near the door is my son)
Relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) usually introduce the adjectival clause, but clauses
may also begin with relative adverbs (when, where, why).
adjective - A word that describes a noun or pronoun
adverb - A word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb
adverbial clause - A group of words with a subject and a verb that acts as an adverb by modifying a verb,
an adjective, or another adverb (e.g., I will go home when the party is over)
adverbial phrase - A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb (e.g., the
tennis courts stay open late into the evening)
affix - A word element such as a prefix or suffix that occurs before or after a root or base word to modify
its meaning, e.g. the prefix “un” and the suffix “able” in “unbelievable”.
allegory - A story that has both a literal and a symbolic meaning
In an allegory, characters or objects often embody abstract ideas (e.g., John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress
or George Orwell’s Animal Farm).
alliteration - The repetition of same sounds at the beginning of two or more adjacent words or stressed
syllables
allusion - A reference within a literary work to another work of literature, art, or real event
The reference is often brief and implied. A mythological allusion is a direct or indirect reference to a
character or event in mythology (e.g., Shakespeare’s frequent allusions to Hercules in his plays). A
biblical allusion is a reference to a character or event from the Bible. For example, John Steinbeck makes
biblical allusions throughout The Grapes of Wrath.
anapest - A metrical foot consisting of two short syllables followed by one long syllable or of two
unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable
anaphora - A literary device of repearting initial sounds, words, or phrases to achieve a certain effect
anecdote - A short narrative that relates an interesting or amusing incident, usually in order to make or
support a larger point
annotation - A note added by way of comment or explanation
antagonist - One that contends with or opposes another: adversary, opponent
antecedent - A noun that a pronoun refers to (e.g., Iris is the antecedent of she in Iris tried, but she
couldn’t find the book)
anthropomorphism - An interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal
characteristics: humanization
antonyms - A word of opposite meaning (the usual “antonym” of “good” is “bad”)
apostrophes - The addressing of a usually absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically
appeals - In rhetoric, the means of persuasion in an argument
According to Aristotle, there are three fundamental appeals to convince a person: reason (logos), ethics
(ethos), and emotion (pathos).
appositive phrase - a phrase that appears directly after a noun or pronoun to describe or rename the
noun or pronoun (e.g., Mr. Jones, the Nobel Prize winner for literature, is teaching the class)
argument - A statement or series of statements for or against something
argumentative essay - A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action
or idea is right or wrong: He rejected the argument that keeping the facility would be costly.
arguments - Statements or series of statements for or against something
asserts - To defend as rights or claims; to declare to be true
assonance - Repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants (as in stony and holy) used as an
alternative to rhyme in verse
audience - The intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium
auxiliary - Of a verb: accompanying another verb and typically expressing person, number, mood, or
tense
before common era - The period prior to the year thought to have been birth year of Jesus.
CE or common era refers to the period after the birth year of Jesus.
blank verse - Unrhymed verse; specifically, unrhymed iambic pentameter verse
blog - A contraction of the term Web log, a blog is an online personal journal that often contains
commentary, reflections, and hyperlinks to other Web accounts.
brainstorming - A technique in which many ideas are generated quickly and without judgment or
evaluation in order to solve a problem, clarify a concept, or inspire creative thinking.
Brainstorming may be done in a classroom, small group, or individually.
breaking character - In theater, breaking character occurs when an actor slips out of character, often
behaving as his or her actual self.
caricature - Someone or something that is very exaggerated in a funny or foolish way
category - A class or division of people or things regarded as having particular shared characteristics: five
categories of intelligence
character foils - A secondary character who contrasts with the protagonist in order to highlight aspects
of the main character’s personality. Foils may be sidekicks (e.g., Han Solo to Luke Skywalker) or enemies
(e.g., The Joker to Batman).
characters - Imaginary people (or animals) represented in works of fiction
chart - Information in a table, graph, or diagram
claim - An assertion of the truth of something, typically one that is disputed or in doubt (e.g. He was
dogged by the claim that he had CIA links)
clarity - The quality or state of being clear
classical literature - Literature that is widely acknowledged for its outstanding and enduring qualities
clause - A group of words containing a subject and predicate and functioning as a member of a complex
or compound sentence
close reading - The careful, sustained reading of a brief passage of text
cognates - Words related in meaning and form to words in another language or languages because of a
common origin (e.g., mother [English], moeder [Dutch], moder [Danish], mater [Latin], matr [Sanskrit],
etc.)
coherence - Logical order, with consistent relations of parts to the whole
coherent argument - A logical argument that is clear, precise, and ordered
coherent - Logically ordered, with consistent relations of parts to the whole (e.g., a coherent essay)
colloquialism - Informal language used in conversation but not in formal speech or academic writing
comma splice - The unjustified use of a comma between coordinate main clauses not connected by a
conjunction
compare - To examine the character or qualities in order to discover resemblances or differences; to
view in relation to.
complex sentence - A sentence with an independent clause and at least one dependent clause
compound sentence - A sentence composed of at least two independent clauses linked with a
conjunction or semicolon
compound-complex sentence - A compound sentence with at least one dependent clause (e.g., dogs
bark and birds sing when they are happy)
concise - Marked by brevity of expression or statement; free from all elaboration and superfluous detail
conclusion - A final summation
conflict - In literature, conflict is the opposition of persons or forces that brings about dramatic action
central to the plot of a story; conflict may be internal, as a psychological conflict within a character, or
external (e.g., man versus man, man versus nature, or man versus society).
conjunction - A word that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words
conjunctive adverb - An adverb (e.g., however, nonetheless, therefore) that introduces or connects
independent clauses and that shows cause and effect, comparison, contrast, or some other relationship
between clauses
connotation - The emotions or set of associations attached to a word that is implied rather than literal
The connotation of a snake is a treacherous or deceitful person.
context clues - The words, sentences, or passages that precede or follow a specific word, sentence, or
passage
context - The set of circumstances that surround a particular event, situation, character, and so forth
contrast - To set off in contrast; compare or appraise in respect to differences
contrasting expression - A word or phrase that acts as a signal to the reader to emphasize an opposition
or difference
controlling idea - The main point or underlying direction of a piece of writing
A controlling idea makes the reader ask a question that will be answered by reading more or helps the
reader understand the author’s purpose for writing the paragraph or essay.
conventions - Basic principles or procedures; also, a principle or procedure accepted as true or correct
coordinating conjunction - A conjunction (as and or or) that joins together words or word groups of
equal grammatical rank
counterargument - Contrary statement or series of opposing statements against something
counterarguments - Contrary statements or a series of opposing statements against something
credibility - The quality of being accepted as true, real, or honest
credible people - People who are accepted as experts or know a great deal about a specific topic
critical - Exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation
criticize - To consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly
critique - An act of criticizing, especially a critical estimate or discussion (e.g., a critique of the poet’s
work)
dactyl - A metrical foot consisting of one long and two short syllables or of one stressed and two
unstressed syllables
debatable - Open to discussion or argument
defensible - Justifiable by argument
demise - Death; also a loss of position or status
denotation - The literal, dictionary definition of a word
denouement - The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work; the outcome of a
complex sequence of events
devices - Techniques that an author or speaker uses to influence or persuade an audience
dialogue - The lines spoken between characters in fiction or a play
diction - Choice of words in speaking or writing for clear and effective expression; clarity of speech;
enunciation
dictionary - A reference source in print or electronic form containing words usually alphabetically
arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings,
and syntactical and idiomatic uses
direct characterization - tells the audience what the personality of the character is
doff - To remove (an article of wear) from the body
dramatic convention - A set of rules the actor, writer, and/or director employs to create a desired
dramatic effect that is understood by the audience
For example, when a character recites a soliloquy in a play by moving downstage, the audience
understands that the other characters on the stage cannot hear him or her.
dramatic irony - A dramatic device in which a character says or does something that he or she does not
fully grasp but is understood by the audience
draw conclusions - A form of inference in which the reader gathers information, considers the general
thoughts or ideas that emerge from the information, and comes to a decision. The conclusion is
generally based on more than one piece of information
drawing conclusions - A form of inference in which the reader gathers information, considers the
general thoughts or ideas that emerge from the information, and comes to a decision
The conclusion is generally based on more than one piece of information.
edited - Arranged to form a coherent whole (e.g. an edited version drawn from several prerecorded
performances)
elements of fiction - Narrative elements including setting, characters, plot, theme, and point of view
embedded quotation - Direct quotations incorporated smoothly into the text of a composition
eponyms - One for whom or which something is or is believed to be named
etymology - The origin and history of a word; the study of word derivation
euphemism - The substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or
suggest something unpleasant
evidence - Something that furnishes proof
explicit - Stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt (e.g., The speaker’s
intentions were not made explicit)
exposition - The introductory material which creates the tone, gives the setting, introduces the
characters, and supplies other necessary facts
expository essay - A type of informational essay that clarifies or explains something
expository text - A type of informational text that clarifies or explains something
extended metaphor - A metaphor in which the comparison is carried through several lines or even the
entire literary work
fable - A fictitious narrative or statement: as
a: a legendary story of supernatural happenings
b: a narration intended to enforce a useful truth; especially: one in which animals speak and act like
human beings
fact - Something that can be shown to be true, to exist, or to have happened
factual - Concerned with what is actually the case rather than interpretations of or reactions to it
farcical - Resembling a farce: ridiculously funny, ludicrous, absurd, hysterical
figurative language - Language layered with meaning by word images and figures of speech, as opposed
to literal language
first person - A narrator tells the story, restricting the perspective or point of view to that one character
(the narrator) in the story
flat character - A flat character is a stock character, stereotype, caricature, or stands in for ideas; this
character doesn’t experience emotion and doesn’t react or take action. Yet, the writer needs this
character to develop the story, but the writer doesn’t spend a great deal of time describing this person
in the story.
flat - A character who is two-dimensional and uncomplicated; a character who does not change through
the course of a story
fledgling - Someone or something that is getting started in a new activity
fluency - Reading text at an appropriate rate, and with accuracy, expression, and appropriate phrasing
foreshadow - To represent, indicate, or typify beforehand
fourth wall - The fourth wall is the imaginary wall between the audience and the actors on stage. When
the play takes place inside a room, the back and sides of the stage are each walls of the room. The
“fourth wall” is imaginary; the audience looks through this fourth wall to see the actors in the room.
free verse - Verse whose meter is irregular in some respect or whose rhythm is not metrical
genre - The type or class of a work, usually categorized by form, technique, or content
Examples of literary genres include epics, tragedies, comedies, poems, novels, short stories, and works
of creative nonfiction.
gerund - A word derived from a verb ending in -ing that is used as a noun (e.g., reading is fun)
glossary - A collection of textual glosses or of specialized terms with their meanings
graph - A diagram (as a series of one or more points, lines, line segments, curves, or areas) that
represents the variation of a variable in comparison with that of one or more other variables
grapheme - The set of units of a writing system (as letters and letter combinations) that represent a
phoneme
Greek chorus - A company of actors who comment (by speaking or singing in unison) on the action in a
classical Greek play
haiku - An unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and
five syllables respectively
homophone - A word that is pronounced the same, but not spelled the same, as another word and that
has a different meaning (e.g., bear and bare, week and weak; in Spanish, tubo and tuvo, deshecho and
desecho)
homophones - Words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling (as the words
to, too, and two)
hyperbole - An intentional and extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., this book weighs a
ton)
iamb - A metrical foot consisting of one short syllable followed by one long syllable or of one unstressed
syllable followed by one stressed syllable
iambic pentameter - A line of poetry that is ten syllables long and that is accented on every second beat
imagery - The use of language to create mental images and sensory impressions
Imagery can be used for emotional effect and to intensify the impact on the reader. The following is an
example from Romeo and Juliet: Her eyes in heaven/Would through the airy region stream so
bright/That birds would sing and think it were not night (2.2.20–2
2).
imperative mood - Having the form that expresses a command rather than a statement or a question
imperative - Having the form that expresses a command rather than a statement or a question
impervious - Not allowing entrance or passage, impenetrable
imply - Strongly suggest the truth or existence of (something not expressly stated) (e.g.,the salesmen
who uses jargon to imply his superior knowledge)
indefinite pronouns - Pronouns that do not refer to a specific person or thing (e.g., whoever, anything)
independent clause - A group of words containing a subject and a verb that can stand alone as a
complete sentence; also called a main clause
indicative mood - Of, relating to, or constituting a verb form or set of verb forms that represents the
denoted act or state as an objective fact
indirect characterization - shows things that reveal the personality of a character
inference - A logical guess made by connecting bits of information
A subtle inference is one in which the bits of information are not as easily connected.
infinitive - The uninflected or base form of the verb, usually preceded by to (e.g., to go)
informational text - Text that presents information, including expository, persuasive, and procedural text
initialisms - Abbreviations formed from initial letters
inscrutable - Not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood
integrity - The quality of being honest and fair; the state of being complete or whole
intertextuality - The relationship between texts, especially literary ones: every text is a product of
intertextuality
intertextually - The relationship between texts, esp. literary ones, e.g., every text is a product of reading
intertextually
invalid - Not true because based on erroneous information or unsound reasoning
inversion - A change in normal word order; especially the placement of a verb before its subject
ironically - A literary technique used to create meaning that seems to contradict the literal meaning or
events
irony types - Verbal irony is the use of words in which the intended meaning is contrary to the literal
meaning (e.g., I could care less). Situational irony is a literary technique for implying, through plot or
character, that the actual situation is quite different from that presented. Dramatic irony is a dramatic
device in which a character says or does something that he or she does not fully grasp but is understood
by the audience.
irony - A literary technique used to create meaning that seems to contradict the literal meaning or
events
jargon - The technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group
literal - Taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or allegory: dreadful in its
literal sense, full of dread
literary device - A specific convention or structure that is employed by the author to produce a given
effect, such as imagery, irony, or foreshadowing
Literary devices are important aspects of an author's style.
logical order - How a writer organizes text when building an argument
The writer presents ideas or information in a sequence that makes sense to him or her and addresses
the audience’s needs.
logical - Characterized by or capable of clear, sound reasoning
marginalia - Marginal notes or embellishments
mass media - A medium of communication (as newspapers, radio, or television) that is designed to reach
the mass of the people—usually used in plural
mechanics - In writing, the use of standard rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage, as
opposed to expressive or artistic considerations
memoir - A narrative composed from personal experience
metaphor - A subtle comparison in which the author describes a person or thing using words that are
not meant to be taken literally (e.g., Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations)
An extended metaphor is a metaphor in which the comparison is carried through several lines or even
the entire literary work.
meter - The basic rhythmic structure in verse, composed of stressed and unstressed syllables
The most common meter in English verse is iambic pentameter.
metrics - The study of the rhythm or meter in verse; also called prosody
monologue - A dramatic convention in which a speech is given by a single character, either alone or to
others
monologues - A dramatic convention in which a speech is given by a single character, either alone or to
others
mood - The atmosphere or feeling created by the writer in a literary work or passage
Mood can be expressed through imagery, word choice, setting, voice, and theme.
multimedia - Assorted media that include video, soundbites, digital photos, and graphics integrated to
convey a single message
multisyllabic word - More than one syllable in a word
mundane - dull and ordinary
myth - A story that was told in an ancient culture to explain a practice, belief, or natural occurrence
narrative hook - A literary device used at the very beginning of a story to engage the reader’s curiosity
narrative text - In general, a story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in writing
narrator - To narrate is to tell (as a story) in detail
nonrestrictive relative clause - A clause that adds descriptive detail to a noun without limiting its
meaning (e.g., who likes ice cream in the sentence Claire, who likes ice cream, is from Ohio)
In English, a nonrestrictive clause is usually set off by commas.
objective - Based on facts rather than feelings or opinions
omniscient - Possessed of universal or complete knowledge
opinions - Beliefs, judgments, or ways of thinking about something
oracle - In ancient Greece, a person (such as a priestess) through whom a god was believed to speak
ostentatiously - Displaying wealth, knowledge, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention,
admiration, or envy
overstatement - Overemphasis in too strongly worded terms
parable - A usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle
paradox - A seemingly contradictory statement that on closer scrutiny reveals a deeper truth (e.g., life is
but a dream).
paradoxical - Contradictory but on closer scrutiny revealing a deeper truth
parallel structure - A rhetorical device in which the same grammatical structure is used within a
sentence or paragraph to show that two or more ideas have equal importance
paraphrase - To restate the meaning of something in different words
Paraphrasing alters the exact wording of the source and transmits its ideas or information without
evaluation or interpretation.
parenthetical information - Information that is amplifying or explanatory and is usually set off from the
main passage by commas, dashes, or parentheses
participial phrase - A word group consisting of a present participle (also known as an -ing form) or past
participle (also known as an -en form), plus any modifiers, objects, and complements
participle - a verb form incorporating the use of -ed or -ing for regular verbs and using the third principle
part of the verb for irregular verbs
These verb forms are used to form the perfect tenses (e.g., Jim had spoken) or to serve as modifiers
(e.g., the writing assignment).
passive voice - The grammatical voice in which the subject of the verb is being acted upon by the verb
(e.g., He was hit by the ball)
peevish - feeling or showing irritation
personification - Figurative language in which nonhuman things or abstractions are represented as
having human qualities (e.g., necessity is the mother of invention)
personifies - Giving human qualities to something nonhuman or abstract
persuasive essay - An essay written with the intent to persuade or convince the reader of something
phoneme - The smallest unit of sound in speech (e.g., the /s//a//d/ of sad; in Spanish, /l//a/ and /d//a/)
phonics - A method of reading instruction that helps students build understanding of sound—symbol
relationships and spelling patterns
phrase - A word or group of words forming a syntactic constituent with a single grammatical function; a
group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence
pithy - having substance and point
plot - The basic sequence of events in a story
In conventional stories, plot has three main parts: rising action, climax, and falling action.
point of view - The perspective from which the events in the story are told
The author may choose to use any of the following:
1) Omniscient/third-person omniscient: The narrator tells the story in third person from an all-knowing
perspective. The knowledge is not limited by any one character’s view or behavior, as the narrator
knows everything about all characters.
2) Omniscient/third-person limited: The narrator restricts his knowledge to one character’s view or
behavior.
3) Objective/third person: The narrator reveals only the actions and words without the benefit of the
inner thoughts and feelings.
4) First person: The narrator restricts the perspective to that of only one character to tell the story.
polish - To bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state
position - A person’s particular point of view or attitude toward something
prefix - A word element that occurs before a root or base word to modify its meaning, e.g., “un” before
“sure” in “unsure”
preposition - A word that relates its object to another word in the sentence (e.g., at in at school or of in
of your writing)
prepositional phrase - A phrase that begins with a preposition and is followed by an object (e.g., on the
road and by her)
presentation - An activity in which someone shows, describes, or explains something to a group of
people
primary source - A source from the time in which an event being studied occurred
Researchers may collect primary source documents through letters, speeches, diaries, surveys, field
work, or personal interviews.
procedural text - A type of informational text that is written with the intent to explain the steps in a
procedure, as in a recipe
proliferate - To grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring
pronoun - Any of a small set of words in a language that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun
phrases and whose referents are named or understood in the context
proofread - To read and mark corrections in a text
props - An abbreviation for “properties,” which are articles or objects used in a play or motion picture,
not including painted scenery and costumes
prose - Literary medium distinguished from poetry especially by its greater irregularity and variety of
rhythm and its closer correspondence to the patterns of everyday speech
prosody - The vocal intonation and meter of spoken language
When reading with prosody, readers sound as if they are speaking the part they are reading.
protagonist - The principal character in a literary work (as drama or story)
proverb - A brief popular saying (such as “Too many cooks spoil the broth“) that gives advice about how
people should live or that expresses a belief that is generally thought to be true
purpose - The intended goal of a piece of writing; the reason a person writes
qualitative - Based on the quality or character of something
quality - A high level of value or excellence
quantitative data - Data relating to, or expressible in terms of quantity 2: of, relating to, or involving the
measurement of quantity or amount
quotation - Words repeated repeated exactly from a source
quote - To repeat the exact words from a source; credit should be given to the original source
ratiocination - The process of exact thinking
rebut - Attempt to prove (something) is false by using arguments or evidence
reciprocal pronoun - A pronoun expressing a mutual relationship (e.g., each other and one another).
redundant - Characterized by or containing an excess; specifically: using more words than necessary
relative pronoun - A pronoun that refers to an antecedent
Relative pronouns link a dependent clause to a main clause in a sentence.
relevance - Relating to a subject in an appropriate way (the noun form of the adjective relevant)
relevant - Closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand
reliable source - A credible or believable source
Some questions to evaluate the credibility might be: Is the author a respected authority on the subject?
Does the author support opinions with strong argumentation and reasoning? How current is the
information?
repetition - The act or the instance of repeating or being repeated
resolution - The point in a literary work at which the story's problem is worked out
restrictive relative clause - A clause that limits the essential meaning of the noun or noun phrase it
modifies (e.g., who had a camera in the man who had a camera took our picture)
rhetorical device - A technique that an author or speaker uses to influence or persuade an audience
rhetorical question - A question asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than
to elicit information
rhetorical structure - The way a speech or piece of writing is built, arranged, or organized
rhyme scheme - The pattern of rhyming lines (e.g., ABAB, ABBA)
root - The basic part of a word that usually carries the main component of meaning and that cannot be
further analyzed without loss of identity
round character - A round character is a dynamic character who will experience a change in perception,
change in behavior, or experience an epiphany by the time the story ends. In contrast, a static character
doesn't change as the story progresses.
round - A character who is complex; a character who changes through the course of a story, often to the
surprise of the reader
run-on sentence - A sentence containing two or more clauses not connected by the correct conjunction
or punctuation
sarcasm - A bitter form of irony, intended to taunt or hurt
scenes - The subdivisions of a play
script - The written text of a stage play, screenplay, or broadcast; specifically, the one used in production
or performance
second person - The story is told addressing the audience using second-person pronouns
secondary source - A source that is a step removed from the original account of an event or experience
sentence fragment - A word, phrase, or clause that lacks the grammatical structure needed to be a
complete sentence
set - The artificial setting for a scene of a theatrical or film production
setting - The time, place, and circumstances in which something occurs or develops
short story - An invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters,
aiming at unity of effect, and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot
simile - A comparison of two things that are essentially different, usually using the words like or as (e.g.,
O my love is like a red, red rose from Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose)
simple sentence - a sentence with one clause (e.g., the chicken crossed the road)
situational irony - A literary technique for implying, through plot or character, that the actual situation is
quite different from that presented
skeptic - A person who questions or doubts something (such as a claim or statement) Skeptics have
pointed out flaws in the researchers’ methods.
sobriquet - A name or phrase that describes the character of someone or something: nickname
soliloquies - Dramatic conventions in which speeches are given by characters while, or as if, alone;
literally, “talking to oneself”
soliloquy - A dramatic convention in which a speech is given by a character while or as if alone; literally,
“talking to oneself”
specific - Precise and clear in making statements or issuing instructions
stanza - Division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern
of meter and rhyme
statistic - A number that represents a piece of information (such as information about how often
something is done, how common something is, etc.)
statistics - Numbers that represent pieces of information (such as information about how often
something is done, how common something is, etc.)
stereotype - A character who is so ordinary or unoriginal that the character seems like an oversimplified
representation of a type, gender, class, religious group, or occupation.
structural pattern - The pattern that emerges when the various literary parts (i.e., character, setting,
theme, and plot) come together to form the whole
structure - 1. The use of the same grammatical structure (i.e., noun phrases, verb phrases) within a
sentence or in a bulleted list
2. A rhetorical device in which the same grammatical structure is used within a sentence or paragraph to
show that two or more ideas have equal importance
style - The way something is written, in contrast to its content
subjective - Based on feelings or opinions rather than facts
subjunctive mood - A verb mood expressing a wish or command, or a hypothetical or anticipated
condition (e.g., if I were finished eating, I would go to the party)
subordinating conjunction - A conjunction that introduces a dependent clause and connects it to an
independent clause (e.g., because, when, unless)
substantiated - Supported by proof or evidence
suffix - A word element that occurs after the root or base to modify its meaning, such as “ful” in “joyful”
summary - A brief statement of the most important information in a piece of writing or speech
summation - A final part of an argument reviewing points made and expressing conclusions
superfluous - Unnecessary
superlative - Expressing the highest quality or degree
surrealistic - Very strange, having a strange dreamlike atmosphere or quality
suspense - Pleasant excitement as to a decision or outcome
sustained evidence - Textual evidence or argumentation in support of the thesis that is unflawed and
remains strong throughout the paper
symbolism - The use of symbols to represent abstract ideas in concrete ways
synonyms - One of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly
the same meaning in some or all senses
syntax - The arrangement and sequence of words in sentences, clauses, and phrases
technical data - Scientific or technical information recorded in any form or presented in any manner
suitable for use with a computer
telegraphic - An abbreviated, concise approach
thematic link - A logical connection made between or among texts that share similar themes
theme - The central or universal idea of a piece of fiction or the main idea of a nonfiction essay
A universal theme transcends social and cultural boundaries and speaks to a common human
experience. A theme may be explicit or implicit. In a work with an explicit theme, the author overtly
states the theme somewhere within the work. Implicit theme refers to the author’s ability to construct a
piece in such a way that through inference the reader understands the theme.
thesaurus - A book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts; especially a
book of words and their synonyms
thesis statement - A statement or premise supported by arguments
thesis - The subject or theme of a speech or composition
title cards - In motion pictures, an intertitle (also known as a title card) is a piece of filmed, printed text
edited into the midst of (i.e. inter-) the photographed action at various points, generally to convey
character dialogue (“dialogue intertitles”), or descriptive narrative material related to, but not
necessarily covered by, the material photographed (“expository intertitles”).
tone - The author’s particular attitude, either stated or implied in the writing
traditional text - Stories that were originally oral and later became written text; literary texts such as
short stories, novels, poetry, and plays
tragedies - Serious dramas that typically describe a conflict between the protagonist and a superior
force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror
tragicomedies - Dramas or situations blending tragic and comic elements
transitional words and phrases - Words or phrases that help to sustain a thought or idea through the
writing
They link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks
between ideas.
trend - To show tendencies
ubiquitous - Existing or being everywhere at the same time
understatement - A rhetorical technique, often incorporating irony or humor, in which something is
represented as less than it actually is
valid source - A correct and truthful source
Some questions useful for evaluating validity of a source might be: Does the author present facts with
supporting evidence? Does the information in this source match information in other sources?
valid - Having a sound basis in logic or fact
value - The numerical amount denoted by an algebraic term; a magnitude, quantity, or number: the
mean value of x | an accurate value for the mass of Venus.
verisimilitude - The quality in a literary work of appearing true to life. In fiction, verisimilitude is usually
achieved by careful use of realistic details in description, characterization, and dialogue.
wistfully - Full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; also: inspiring such yearning
wordiness - Using too many words in writing or speech
working thesis - A temporary statement or premise that could become a final thesis of an essay