Unit 01 Vocab
Annotating — marking a text with notes and/or comments
Explicit meaning — an idea that is clearly stated, unambiguous, and leaves little room for interpretation
Implicit meaning — an idea that must be inferred through an analysis of details, actions, tone, dialogue, body language, visuals, etc.
Inference — a logical guess made by connecting bits of information
Key ideas — important ideas throughout a work that support the central message, theme, tone, etc.
Notetaking — the study skill of outlining or summarizing the ideas of a lecture, a book, or another source of information to aid in the retention of ideas
Paraphrase — 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.
Prediction — a form of inference in which the reader gathers and analyzes details in order to anticipate and foresee forthcoming events and information
Summarize — to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main idea. Note: It is still important to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.
Related Vocab
Pre-reading strategies
Reading strategies
Unit 02A Vocabulary
Characterization — the method in which an author constructs a character by explicitly stating aspects of his/her personality and appearance (direct characterization) or by revealing aspects of a character through their actions, thoughts, speech, other characters, etc. (indirect characterization)
Conflict — in literature, 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).
Editing — a stage in the writing process when a written text is prepared for an audience by attending to and correcting mechanics, grammar, and spelling
Figurative language — language not intended to be taken literally but layered with meaning through the use of imagery, metaphors, and other literary devices
Foreshadowing — a literary device used by an author to provide hints about future events and details that may occur later in the story
Literary device — a specific convention or structure—such as imagery, irony, or foreshadowing—that is employed by the author to produce a given effect.
Literary text — written works that are generally recognized as having artistic value. Basic forms of literary texts include prose, fiction, drama, poetry, and literary non-fiction.
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. For example, the mood evoked in Edgar Allan Poe’s work is gloomy and dark.
Personal narrative— an expressive literary piece written in first person that centers on a particular event in the author’s life and may contain vivid description as well as personal commentary and observations.
Plot — the basic sequence of events in a story that includes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution
Point of view — the perspective from which the events in the story are told
Topic — a specific subject, idea, or issue that is the focus of a discussion, essay, article, or other work
Revising — a stage in the writing process when a text is examined holistically and changes are made to improve the focus, content, organization, sentence structure, and word choice in order to clarify the intended message, create flow, and more successfully engage the audience
Setting — the time and place in which a narrative occurs. Elements of setting may include the physical, psychological, cultural, or historical background against which the story takes place.
Style — the unique characteristics that describe a writer’s use of language; diction, syntax, sentence fluency, figurative language, and voice all contribute to a writer’s style
Theme — the central or universal idea of a literary work that often relates to morals and/or values and speaks to the human experience/ condition
Tone — the author’s particular attitude, either stated or implied in the writing
Voice — an author’s unique articulation or expression of language created by stylistic elements such as syntax, diction, and figurative language
Word choice — the author’s thoughtful use of precise vocabulary to fully convey meaning to the reader
Reading Vocabulary
Close Reading
Metacognition
Peer Review
Writing Process
Unit 02B Vocab
Audience — the intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium
Author’s craft — intentional and deliberate use of organizational patterns, text and graphic features, syntax, devices, and diction to create an effective written work; author’s craft may vary by genre
Author’s purpose — the reason an author writes about a particular topic (e.g., to persuade, to entertain, to inform, to explain, to analyze, etc.); the reason an author includes particular details, features, or devices in a work
Characterization — the method in which an author constructs a character by explicitly stating aspects of his/her personality and appearance (direct characterization) or by revealing aspects of a character through their actions, thoughts, speech, other characters, etc. (indirect characterization)
Context — the words, sentences, or passages that precede or follow a specific word, sentence, or passage
Dialogue — the lines spoken between characters in fiction or a play; dialogue in a play is the main way in which plot, character, and other elements are established
Drama — literary works written in a stage play format which includes dialogue and stage directions that is intended to be performed
Editing — a stage in the writing process when a written text is prepared for an audience by attending to and correcting mechanics, grammar, and spelling
Figurative Language — language not intended to be taken literally but layered with meaning through the use of imagery, metaphors, and other literary devices
Foreshadowing — a literary device used by an author to provide hints about future events and details that may occur later in the story
Graphic elements of poetry — capital letters, line length, and word position; also called the “shape” of a poem
Meter — the basic rhythmic structure in verse, composed of stressed and unstressed syllables
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. For example, the mood evoked in Edgar Allan Poe’s work is gloomy and dark.
Plot — the basic sequence of events in a story that includes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution
Poetic form — a distinctive poetic structure with distinguishable characteristics based on meter, lines, stanzas, and rhyme schemes such as a sonnet, blank verse, ballad, haiku, epic, lyric, etc.
Poetry — literary works focused on the expression of feelings and ideas through a distinctive style that is often rhythmical and may have elements such as meter, rhyme, and stanzas
Rhyme scheme — the pattern of rhyming lines (e.g., ABAB, ABBA)
Setting — the time and place in which a narrative occurs. Elements of setting may include the physical, psychological, cultural, or historical background against which the story takes place.
Stage directions — descriptions or instructions in a play that provide information about characters, dialogue, setting, and actions
Suspense — the sustained interest created by the buildup of events and delayed resolution of the plot’s conflict
Theme — the central or universal idea of a literary work that often relates to morals and/or values and speaks to the human experience/ condition
Tone — the author’s particular attitude, either stated or implied in the writing
Voice —an author’s unique articulation or expression of language created by stylistic elements such as syntax, diction, and figurative language
Related Vocabulary:
Close Reading
Writing Process
Unit 03 Vocab
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
Credibility — the quality of having reliable and trustworthy characteristics which may be influenced by an author having expertise on a topic, using unbiased and accurate reasoning, evidence, and sources to support ideas, and providing current and up-to-date information
Editing — a stage in the writing process when a written text is prepared for an audience by attending to and correcting mechanics, grammar, and spelling
Graphic feature — picture or other image within a text
Informational text — text that presents information in order to inform or educate an audience
Inquiry — an act of searching for information or knowledge about a particular subject or topic
Key ideas — important ideas throughout a work that support the central message, theme, tone, etc.
Organizational patterns — the pattern an author constructs as he organizes his or her ideas and provides supporting details
Paraphrase — 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.
Primary Source — a source from the time in which an event being studied occurred and created by someone who was present at the event
Reliable source — a credible or believable source. Some questions to evaluate 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?
Research Plan — a timeline created around the research process that identifies the initial steps needed to find accurate, significant, and relevant sources to support the topic of inquiry or working thesis, intermediary steps of reevaluating the research question and revising the thesis based on source analysis, and the final steps of drafting (or equivalent preparation), revision, editing, and presenting results in an appropriate mode of delivery (written, oral, or multimodal)
Secondary Source — a source that is a step removed from the original accounts of an event or experience
Summarize — to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main idea. Note: It is still important to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.
Synthesize — to combine elements and parts to form a coherent whole
Text structure — the way or pattern in which an author organizes ideas within a text
Text/print feature — any characteristic of the text outside the main body of the text that helps convey meaning
Related Vocabulary:
Close Reading
Writing Process
Unit Vocabulary
Argumentative Text — a text in which the writer develops and defends a position or debates a topic using logic and persuasion
Audience — the intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium
Author’s purpose — the reason an author writes about a particular topic (e.g., to persuade, to entertain, to inform, to explain to analyze, etc.); the reason an author includes particular details, features, or devices in a work
Bias — a particular inclination, feeling, or opinion about a subject that is often preconceived or unreasoned
Claim — an assertion, position, or arguable thesis about a topic or issue
Counterargument — is a viewpoint that opposes an author’s thesis or claim; addressing and rebutting counterarguments are essential in persuasive writing and speaking
Conjunctive adverb —an adverb that introduces or connects independent clauses and that shows cause and effect, comparison, contrast, or some other relationship between clauses
Context — the words, sentences, or passages that precede or follow a specific word, sentence, or passage
Credibility the quality of having reliable and trustworthy characteristics which may be influenced by an author having expertise on a topic, using unbiased and accurate reasoning, evidence, and sources to support ideas, and providing current and up-to-date information
Critique — a detailed evaluation or critical commentary on a problem, subject, or work
Digital text — an electronic text read on a computer screen or other electronic device that may include images, sound, video, and other multimodal interactive and embedded elements
Direct address — a technique that addresses or calls to an absent person or personified object as if he/she/it is able to reply, yet they are not actually present; also known as apostrophe
Editing — a stage in the writing process when a written text is prepared for an audience by attending to and correcting mechanics, grammar, and spelling
Evidence — specific details or facts that support an inference or idea
Faulty reasoning — a logically incorrect argument, or fallacy, that contains a conclusion that is not supported by data, has limited information, and/or includes personal opinion or bias
Graphic feature — picture or other image within a text
Hyperbole — an intentional and extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., this book weighs a ton)
Key ideas — important ideas throughout a work that support the central message, theme, tone, etc.
Loaded language — a term or phrase that has strong emotional overtones and that is meant to evoke strong reactions beyond the specific meaning (e.g., tax relief instead of tax cut, or death tax instead of estate tax)
Logical fallacy — an incorrect or problematic argument that is not based on sound reasoning
Multimodal texts — the strategic integration of two or more modes of communication to create meaning, including written and spoken texts, images, gestures, music, digital texts and media, and live performances
Organizational patterns — the pattern an author constructs as he organizes his or her ideas and provides supporting details
Paraphrase — 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.
Preposition — a word that relates its object to another word in the sentence
Reliable source — a credible or believable source. Some questions to evaluate 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?
Rhetorical device — a technique that an author or speaker uses to influence or persuade an audience
Rhetorical questions — a question asked in order to create dramatic effect or to make a point meant to be considered by the audience and not actually answered by the audience
Secondary source — a source that is a step removed from the original accounts of an event or experience
Stereotyping — a rhetorical fallacy in which one classifies a person or group according to a common aspect that is oversimplified, rigidly applied, and often uncomplimentary
Subordinating Conjunction — a conjunction that introduces a dependent clause and connects it to an independent clause; the subordinating conjunction shows the relationship between two ideas in a sentence to indicate time, place, or cause/effect
Summarize — to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main idea. Note: It is still important to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.
Sweeping Generalization — a writer or speaker’s use of a general statement meant to apply to many cases when some cases may include specific or unique details that make the assertion invalid
Synthesize — to combine elements and parts to form a coherent whole
Tone — the author’s particular attitude, either stated or implied in writing
Related Vocabulary:
Blogs
Close Reading
Hyperlinks
Infographics
Social Media
Writing Process
Unit 05 Vocab
Audience — the intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium
Author’s craft — intentional and deliberate use of organizational patterns, text and graphic features, syntax, devices, and diction to create an effective written work; author’s craft may vary by genre
Author’s purpose — the reason an author writes about a particular topic (e.g., to persuade, to entertain, to inform, to explain, to analyze, etc.); the reason an author includes particular details, features, or devices in a work
Context — the words, sentences, or passages that precede or follow a specific word, sentence, or passage
Digital text — an electronic text read on a computer screen or other electronic device that may include images, sound, video, and other multimodal interactive and embedded elements
Genre — the type or class of a work, usually categorized by form, technique, or content
Key ideas — important ideas throughout a work that support the central message, theme, tone, etc.
Multimodal texts — the strategic integration of two or more modes of communication to create meaning, including written and spoken texts, images, gestures, music, digital texts and media, and live performances
Organizational patterns — the pattern an author constructs as he organizes his or her ideas and provides supporting details
Paraphrase — 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.
Summarize — to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main idea. Note: It is still important to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.
Synthesize — to combine elements and parts to form a coherent whole
Text structure — the way or pattern in which an author organizes ideas within a text
Tone — the author’s particular attitude, either stated or implied in writing
Style — the unique characteristics that describe a writer’s use of language; diction, syntax, sentence fluency, figurative language, and voice all contribute to a writer’s style
Related Vocabulary:
Close Reading
Peer Review
Writing Process
Unit 06 Vocab
Audience — the intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium
Author’s craft — intentional and deliberate use of organizational patterns, text and graphic features, syntax, devices, and diction to create an effective written work; author’s craft may vary by genre
Author’s purpose — the reason an author writes about a particular topic (e.g., to persuade, to entertain, to inform, to explain to analyze, etc.); the reason an author includes particular details, features, or devices in a work
Bias — a particular inclination, feeling, or opinion about a subject that is often preconceived or unreasoned
Citation — a reference to the author’s name, title of work, date published, publisher, and/or page numbers of quoted or paraphrased text in a shortened in-text notation or in a longer bibliographic entry
Correspondence — any written or digital communication exchanged between two or more people in the form of a letter, e-mail, fax, etc.
Credibility — the quality of having reliable and trustworthy characteristics which may be influenced by an author having expertise on a topic, using unbiased and accurate reasoning, evidence, and sources to support ideas, and providing current and up-to-date information
Inquiry — an act of searching for information or knowledge about a particular subject or topic
Multimodal — the strategic integration of two or more modes of communication to create meaning, including written and spoken texts, images, gestures, music, digital texts and media, and live performances
Paraphrase — 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.
Plagiarize — to present the ideas or word of another as one’s own without crediting the source
Primary source — a source from the time in which an event being studied occurred and created by someone who was present at the event
Reliable source — a credible or believable source. Some questions to evaluate 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?
Research process — the process of objectively investigating and collecting information regarding a particular subject in order to discover facts, theories, perspectives, etc.
Secondary source — a source that is a step removed from the original accounts of an event or experience
Synthesize — to combine elements and parts to form a coherent whole
Related Vocabulary:
Direct quote
Ethical use of sources
Presentation
Writing Process