Definition:

allusion

a reference to something with which the reader is likely familiar, such as a person, place or event from history or literature.

Synonyms: indirect, imply Antonym: direct, to the point Sentence: “Follow the yellow Brick road” is an allusion Wizard of Oz.

Etymology: 1548, Late Latin Part of speech: noun to the 1

argument or persuasive writing

Definition – writing that attempts to prove something is true or convince the reader to adopt the same viewpoint Synonyms – essay, advertising Antonyms – biography

aspect

Definition – part or phase Synonyms – angle, view, facet Antonyms – entire, total Sentence – He considered all aspects of college life.

Etymology – 14 th Century, Middle English, from Latin

author’s argument

Definition – the point of view or position the author presents Synonyms – perspective Antonyms – compromise Sentence –

blueprint

Definition: a plan Synonyms: design, draft, model, master plan, game plan Antonym: disorganized, unplanned Sentence: I will create a blueprint the house I plan to build.

Etymology: 1886 Part of speech: noun for 5

body paragraph

Definition – the meat of your essay where you will expand upon and support your thesis. Body paragraphs contain a topic sentence, ideas, examples, data, and an ending sentence or transition sentence.

brevity

Definition – shortness of expression Synonyms – brief, concise Antonyms – lengthy Sentence – Due to brevity, the essay lacked enough information.

Etymology – 15 th Century, from Latin

cause and effect

Definition – the process by which one event brings about another.

Synonyms – reason and result Antonyms – compare and contrast Sentence –

chronological

Definition – the arrangement of details in time order (the order in which they actually occurred) Synonyms – sequential, time order Antonyms – random, unorganized

cite Definition – to refer to or quote Synonym – mention Antonym – plagiarize Etymology – Middle English, from Anglo French, from Latin 15 th Century “All men are created equal.” From The Declaration of Independence Sentence – All of the sources I use for my research paper must be cited in my bibliography.

closure

Definition – a satisfying sense of finality Synonyms – satisfying ending Antonyms – continue Sentence – The conclusion provided a sense of closure.

Etymology – 14 th Century, Middle English, from Anglo French, from Latin

compare

Definition – the similarities between two things Synonyms – analyze, examine Antonyms – ignore, disregard

composition

Definition – a piece of writing Synonyms – work, writing Antonyms – reading Sentence – Etymology – 14 th Century, Middle English, From Anglo-French, from Latin

concrete ideas

Definition – references to solid objects, things you can see and touch, visual impact Antonyms – ideas and thoughts Sentence – Martin Luther King, Jr. used a concrete idea when he talked about the “red hills of Georgia.”

contrast

Definition – the differences between two things Synonyms – unalike, vary Antonyms – similar agree

controlling idea

Definition –the primary idea of your topic sentence or thesis, expresses your attitude and approach toward your topic Synonyms – direction, writing strategy Antonyms – scattered Sentence –

collaborate

Definition: Work Together Synonyms: Come Together, Team Up Antonym: Disagree, Part Sentence: The students will collaborate in order to complete the project. Etymology: Latin, 19 th Century Free powerpoint template: www.brainybetty.com

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competence

Definition – have adequate ability or qualities Synonyms – capability Antonyms – unfit, unqualified Sentence – Every car owner needs a competent auto mechanic. Etymology – 15 th Century, Middle English, from Anglo French, from Latin

concluding paragraph

Definition – the last paragraph in an essay where you summarize all of your topics and bring your writing to a satisfying end.

Synonyms – finish line Antonyms – introductory paragraph Sentence – When I wrote my conclusion, I restated my thesis statement and summarized my topics.

consistent

Definition – regular or steady Synonyms – uniformity Antonyms – unbalanced Sentence – He has consistent focus on the topic.

Etymology – 1638 Latin

context

Definition – the interrelated Sentence – condition in which something exists Synonyms – circumstance Antonyms – unrelated Etymology – 1568 Middle English, from Latin

conventions

Definition – include spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing.

connotation

Definition – emotional feelings that surround a word Synonyms – imply, suggest Antonyms –dictionary definition Sentence – The connotation of red roses is love. Etymology - 1532

denotation

Definition – the strict, literal meaning of a word Synonyms –dictionary definition Antonyms – connotation Sentence – The denotation of red rose is a flower with thorns.

Etymology - 1532

dignity

Definition: the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed.

Synonym: Honor, Importance Antonym: Lowliness Sentence: The graduation ceremony was conducted with great dignity.

Etymology: 13 th Century, Middle English, Anglo-French, Latin Free powerpoint template: www.brainybetty.com

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drafting

Definition – in writing an essay, this is the stage when you put your ideas on paper and allow them to develop as you write.

You don’t need correct grammar and spelling at this stage.

drawing conclusions

Definition – taking bits of information and coming up with something else Synonyms – figure out, reason Antonyms – guess

editing

Definition – correct errors and mistakes before writing the final draft. This is the stage when you correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, fragments, run-ons, paragraph indentation.

elaborate

Definition – to work out in detail Synonyms – develop Antonyms – destroy Sentence – She elaborated with relevant ideas.

Etymology – 1611

engages

Definition –to hold the attention of, to involve, to attract Synonyms – interest Antonyms – release Sentence – Etymology – 15 English from Anglo-French th Century, Middle –

essay

Definition – a short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject.

Synonyms – short composition Antonyms – novel, poem

evaluating

Definition – to exam and Antonyms – ignore, guess judge carefully Synonyms – inspect, understand

evidence

Definition – something that is proof Synonyms – confirm, witness Antonyms – guess Sentence – His essay contains minimal evidence of sequencing.

Etymology – 14 th Century

expository

Definition – text that explains or informs Synonyms – nonfiction Antonyms – narrative

extraneous information

Definition – off topic, not Sentence – From Latin relevant Synonyms – foreign, accidental Antonyms – relevant Etymology – 1638

facilitate

Definition – to make easier, to help bring about Synonyms – assist, help Antonyms – hinder, worsen Sentence – The teacher’s role is to facilitate the discussion by asking appropriate questions.

Etymology – 1611

Final Draft

Definition – the last writing of an essay. The finished piece of work.

focus

Definition – to concentrate attention or effort Synonyms – center, direct Antonyms – distracted Sentence –Her writing remained focused on the topic & purpose.

Etymology – 1775

formulaic

Definition – a set form or method allowing little room for originality Synonyms – recipe, imitate Antonyms – inventive, fresh Sentence – Their use of transitions was formulaic.

Etymology – 1618

genre-appropriate

Definition – compatible or suitable for a certain type of writing Synonyms – proper, right Antonyms – improper, incorrect Sentence – The use of slang is not genre-appropriate for a business letter.

Etymology – 15 th Century

hook Definition – An opening sentence or two in an essay that grabs the reader’s interest and introduces the general topic of the essay Examples:

–

Historical information

–

An anecdote

– –

A surprising statement A strong opinion

–

A quote Sentence – When I opened the book and began reading, I was hooked! I couldn’t put it down!

ideas

Definition – thoughts, concepts, sensations, images, opinions,

idiom

Definition: an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words.

Synonym: phrase, expression Antonym: Example: literal meaning “Running out of time” Etymology: 16 th century, Latin Part of Speech: noun Free powerpoint template: www.brainybetty.com

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inappropriate

Definition – out of place Synonyms – unsuitable, unfit Antonyms – correct, proper Sentence – Her use of bulleted points was inappropriate for her narrative essay.

Etymology – 1804

introductory paragraph

Definition – the first paragraph of an essay. It introduces the topic (thesis statement) and hooks the reader so they are interested in reading more.

irrelevant

Definition – not necessary, beside the point Synonyms – insignificant, useless Antonyms – important, useful Sentence – The essay lost its focus due to irrelevant details. Etymology – 1786

limited

Definition – incomplete, partial, not thorough Synonyms – confined Antonyms – thorough Sentence – The writing showed limited focus on the assigned topic.

Etymology – 1597

Logical Order

Definition - arranged in order or in sequence; logical flow, progression Synonym – sequence Antonym – random, unorganized Sentence –

metaphor

Definition: comparing two unlike things without using “like” or “as” Synonym: comparison, analogy Antonym: simile Sentence: Life is a dance through the universe.

Etymology: Middle English, 15 th Century Part of Speech: noun

minimally

Definition – the least possible, barely adequate Synonyms – fewest, smallest Antonyms – full, most Sentence – The controlling idea was minimally developed.

Etymology – 1666

nonfiction

Definition – literature that is not fictional or imaginary. It is real.

Synonyms – news, facts Antonyms – fairy tale

organizing structure

Definition – how the information is arranged: cause and effect, chronological, compare and contrast, problem and solution Synonyms – method Antonyms – random Sentence –

outlining

Definition – a strategy to help identify the 3 main parts of an essay: introduction, body, and conclusion Synonyms – summary Antonyms – skimming I. Introduction II. Body III. Conclusion

peer response

Definition –thoughtful encouragement, suggestions and comments from your peers – other students.

presentation

Definition – Your essay should make a good first impression.

It should be legible (neat hand writing or printing), no errors, if an error – then draw one line through it, leave margins, no scribbles.

Pre-writing

Definition – the stage of writing where you explore what you want to write about, your purpose for writing, for whom you are writing, and what form you will use to express your ideas

problem and solution

Definition – author describes a problem and then offers one or more possible solutions Synonyms – dilemma, solve Antonyms – viewpoint and evidence

proofreading

Definition – look for mistakes and correct them

publishing

Definition – sharing your finished writing with a wider audience. Post it on a weblog, present to class, put in newspaper, etc.

purpose

Definition – an end to be attained, Sentence – point, reason Synonyms – goal, intention Antonyms – chance Etymology – 14 th century Middle–English from Anglo–French from Latin

repetition

Definition – the act of repeating Synonyms – say again Antonyms – varied, different, new Sentence – Because of repetition, the essay didn’t contain enough details.

Etymology – 15 th Century, Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin

relevant

Definition – having significance on the matter at hand Synonyms – useful, meaningful Antonyms – insignificant, minor Sentence – His ideas were relevant to the topic.

Etymology – 1560 Medieval Latin, from Latin

resolution

Definition – to deal with successfully, make clear Synonyms – solving, conclusion Antonyms – confuse Sentence – Etymology – Middle English from Anglo-French

revising

Definition – this is when you make your essay the best possible piece of writing: word choice, transitions, complexity of sentences, voice, anecdotes, variety of sentence types, ideas, organization, style.

sequencing

D efinition – Arranged in order or sequence, logical flow Synonyms – progression Antonyms – random Sentence – Etymology –Middle English from Anglo-French

sensory details

Definition – words and phrases that appeal to the reader’s sense: sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste Hear the sizzle, smell the sweet aroma, taste the bitterness, feel the heat, see the haze

sentence fluency

Definition – sentences vary in length and structure, easy to read expressively, sounds great when read aloud

speaker’s voice

Definition – a distinctive style of writing that sounds like the manner in which the writer speaks, writer’s personality Synonyms – style, personality Antonyms – topic, audience Sentence –

sufficient

Definition – enough to meet the needs of a situation Synonyms – adequate, enough Antonyms – lacking, incomplete Sentence – Etymology – Middle English from Latin

supporting evidence

Definition – facts, figures, statistics and examples used to support a view point Synonyms – proof, details Antonyms – opinions, beliefs

synthesize

Definition – reflecting on individual parts or elements of a text and deciding how they affect the subject as a whole Synonyms – combine Antonyms – separate

topic

Definition – the subject matter or issue Synonyms – content Antonyms – purpose Sentence – Etymology – 1569 Latin from Greek

topic sentence

Definition – usually the first sentence of a paragraph and tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about Synonyms – main idea Antonyms – supporting sentence

transitions

Definition – words and phrases that show connections between details.

Synonym – relationships among ideas Antonym – disconnected, unrelated Sentence – Clear transitions help show how your ideas relate to one another.

Etymology – 1551, Latin

transitional elements

Definition – Words or phrases that connect related ideas Synonyms – link together Antonyms – incoherent Sentence – First, second, lastly, and finally are transitional elements.

Etymology – Latin

undeveloped

Definition – very imperfectly developed, unclear, lacking details Synonyms – incomplete Antonyms – advanced Sentence – Etymology – French from Old French

vague

Definition – not clearly expressed, not precise Synonyms – hazy, not clear Antonyms – clear, definite Sentence – Etymology – Middle French, from Latin

varied

Definition – many, diverse Synonyms – assorted Antonyms – the same Sentence – Etymology – Middle English from Anglo-French

viewpoint

Definition – the author’s opinion on an issue or topic Synonyms – perspective, belief Antonyms – ignorance

word choice

Definition – strong verbs, adjectives and adverbs, words and phrases the readers remember, accurate and effective use of words and phrases, language that is appropriate to the purpose and audience