Adjective - describe nouns by answering one of these three questions: What kind is it? How

many are there? Which one is it? An adjective can be a single word, a phrase, or a clause.

Adverb - modify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, other adverbs. Adverbs can be single words,

or they can be phrases or clauses. Adverbs answer one of these four

questions: How? When? Where? and Why?

Allusion - a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of

literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events.

Analyze - Examine methodically and in detail the structure of something

Antagonist - a character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works again the main

character, or protagonist, in some way.

Argumentative - response to a question which prompts a witness to draw inferences from facts of

the text or researched texts

Aside - an actors speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to be heard by other

actors on stage. An aside is usually used to let the audience know what a character is about to do

or what he or she is thinking.

Audience Who you are writing or speaking to. You are trying to give them the information you

need to make them understand your points in a simple and clear way.

Author's Purpose The effect the writer wants to have on the reader. Authors purpose is

motivation they have based on the topic. There are 4 types: to entertain, to persuade, to inform,

and to inspire.

Bias to preference one item over another.

Central Idea a main idea that is important to an entire piece of writing.

Character's Motivation Explains why a character behaves the way he or she does and can be

based on personality or desires.

Citation a reference in a research paper or other document to an outside source that the reader

used to gain information. Both paraphrases and direct quotations need citations.

Cite to give a writer credit for his or her ideas that you use in your own written work.

Claim a statement that must be proven using specific evidence.

Clarity clearness of thought and style. Clarity is important in a research paper because it allows

your reader to more clearly understand your ideas.

Clauses a group of words consisting of a noun and a verb. Independent clauses can stand alone

while dependent ones need an independent clause to make a complete thought.

Coherence In an essay, coherence is putting your ideas into a logical order which allows your

reader to more clearly understand your ideas. You should put like ideas together and transition

between ideas.

Comedy - a ludicrous and amusing event or series of events designed to provide enjoyment and

produce smiles or laughter usually written in a light, familiar, bantering, or satirical style.

Comedy is the opposite of tragedy.

Compare suggest similarities between items that are different.

Concise to give a lot of information in clearly but in only a few words

Conjunction a part of speech that connects two words, phrases, or clauses together. The most

common are the FANBOYS: F(or) A(nd) N(or) B(ut) O(r) Y(et) S(o)

Connotation an association that comes along with a particular word. Connotations relate not to

a word's actual meaning, or denotation, but rather to the ideas or qualities that are implied by that

word.

Contrast describing the differences between two or more ideas or items; does not always

choose one over the other

Credible literally it means able to be believed; used when discussing research sources. For a

source to be credible, it must use reliable data and must not be unfairly biased.

Culture The characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from

language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, etc.

Denotation the exact meaning of a word, without the feelings or suggestions that the word may

imply.

Diction a major rhetorical strategy in which a writer chooses words carefully for distinct

effects. Can include slang, allusions, jargon, hyperboles, similes, metaphors, etc.

Direct Characterization - when the narrator tells the reader DIRECTLY what a particular

character is like. It can describe physical characteristics or personality.

Dynamic Character - experience changes throughout the plot of a story. Although the change

may be sudden, it is expected based on the storys events.

Epithet - Using an appropriate adjective (often habitually) to characterize a person or thing.

Essay a written form in which people develop ideas concerning a particular topic. Essays are

focused and specific. In English I, essays are at least 5 paragraphs long, include a thesis

statement, and argue a claim.

Evidence Serves as proof for your claim; usually comes directly from the text (primary) or

from an expert on the topic (secondary)

Expository type of writing where the purpose is to inform, describe, or explain

External Conflict struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as

nature or another character, which drives the dramatic action of the plot

Facts something that actually occurred or can be proven true

Fallacy a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief, etc

Figurative Language - a type of language that varies from the norms of literal language, in which

words mean exactly what they say. Figurative language does not mean exactly what it says, but

instead forces the reader to make an imaginative leap in order to comprehend an author's point.

Flashback an interruption of the chronological sequence (as of a film or literary work) of an

event of earlier occurrence. A flashback is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present

past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration.

Flat Character Character with little development who does not change or grow during the

course of a story

Foil a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to

highlight particular qualities of the other character

Foreshadowing a literary device in which an author hints certain plot developments that

perhaps will come to be later in the story

Formatting a plan for the organization and arrangement of your essay. In English classes, we

use the MLA Handbook for guidelines on formatting.

Fragment incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become

disconnected from the main clause. One of the easiest ways to correct them is to remove the

period between the fragment and the main clause.

Free Verse poetry that does not use consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical

pattern

Parable a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson

Hyperbole an extravagant exaggeration. Ex.) Shes older than the hills.

Idiom expressions that are not meant to be taken literally because the meaning is not consistent

with the wording

Indirect Characterization -- The audience must infer for themselves what the character is like

through the characters thoughts, actions, speech (choice of words, way of talking), looks and

interaction with other characters, including other characters reactions to that particular person.

Inference making a logical decision based on the information one knows to be true

Internal Conflict the struggle occurring within a character's mind

Loaded Language wording that attempts to influence the certain audience by using an appeal to

emotion

Lyric Poetry - a song-like poem written mainly to express the feelings of emotions or thought

from a particular person

Main Idea the central thought or message to a body of text

Metaphor - a type of figurative language in which a statement is made that says that one thing is

something else but, literally, it is not

Generalization the act or process of forming opinions that are based on a small amount of

information.

Monologue is presented by a single character, most often to express their mental thoughts

aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues

are common across the range of dramatic media

Noun a person, place, thing, or idea

Nuance a subtle difference or distinction in expression or, meaning

Objective Uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices

Opinions a belief about matters commonly considered to be subjective

Paradox an argument that produces an inconsistency, typically within logic or common sense

Parallelism a balance within one or more sentences of similar phrases or clauses that have the

same grammatical structure. The application of parallelism improves writing style and

readability, and makes sentences easier to process

Paraphrasing a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words

Parenthetical Citation used to document any external sources used within a document (unless

the material cited is considered general knowledge). The parenthetical citations direct readers to

the full bibliographic citations listed in the Works Cited, located at the end of the document. In

most cases, the parenthetical citations include the author's last name and the specific page

number for the information cited. Also called an in-text citation.

Personal Narrative allows a writer to share his/her life with others and allows a reader to

vicariously experience the things that happen without actually experiencing them

Personification - A figure of speech where animals, ideas or inorganic objects are given human

characteristics

Plagiarism representing someone elses ideas or work as your own without giving credit. To

prevent plagiarism, one must use in-text citations and a Works Cited page. Plagiarism results in a

failing grade and, in some cases, punishment.

Point of View a way the events of a story are conveyed to the reader, it is the vantage point

from which the narrative is passed from author to the reader

Preposition describes a relationship between other words in a sentence

Pronoun a word or phrase that that substitutes for a noun or noun phrase

Pronoun-Antecedent a pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it represents) in

number

Protagonist considered to be the main character or lead figure in a novel, play, story, or

poem. It may also be referred to as the "hero" of a work

Pun -- the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest different

meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound

but different in meaning; a play on words.

Qualitative Deals with descriptions; Data can be observed but not measured; Examples include

colors, textures, smells, tastes, appearance, beauty, etc.

Quantitative Deals with numbers; Data which can be measured; Examples are Length, height,

area, volume, weight, speed, time, temperature, humidity, sound levels, cost, members, ages, etc.

Quotation When you copy an author's words directly from the text and use that exact wording

in your essay. This does not have to be information that was actually said. When you use

quotations, you should give the author credit.

Rhetoric the study of effective speaking and writing

Rhyme Scheme the pattern of rhyming lines in a poem. It is usually referred to by using letters

to indicate which lines rhyme.

Round Character a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed

by it. Round characters tend to be more fully developed

Euphemism a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or

offensive

Satire a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn

Setting is the place and time when a story takes place

Simile a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the

words "like" or "as"

Soliloquy a device often used in drama when a character speaks to himself or herself, relating

thoughts and feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience. Other characters, however,

are not aware of what is being said.

Sonnet derives from the Italian word meaning "little song; consists of fourteen lines, each line

containing ten syllables and written in iambic pentameter, in which a pattern of an unstressed

syllable followed by a stressed syllable is repeated five times

Static Character minor characters in a work of fiction who do not undergo substantial change

or growth in the course of a story.

Validity Is based on truth or fact; can be proven

Subjective something that is based on personal opinion

Subject-Verb Agreement Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural

verbs

Supporting Details They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph.

They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph.

Anecdote -- a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. Usually used

to help prove a claim.

Synthesize -- Combine ideas so that they are clear and more complex

Theme -- Unifying or dominant idea in a text

Thesis Statement -- a sentence in your text that contains the focus of your essay and tells your

reader what the essay is going to be about. As discussed, it includes a claim, because, and three

reasons.

Tragedy -- a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme,

typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some

overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction

Transition words or phrases or techniques that help bring two ideas together

Tone Attitude towards subject or audience in a literary work.

Verb conveys an action, an occurrence, or a state of being

Works Cited a list of citations located at the end of a written work. A works cited page only

contains citations for resources cited by an author within the body of his/her work. A works cited

page must adhere to the format of a citation style