allusion Definition: a reference to something

with which the reader is likely familiar, such as a person, place or event

from history or literature.Synonyms: indirect, implyAntonym: direct, to the pointSentence: “Follow the yellow

Brick road” is an allusion to the Wizard of Oz.

Etymology: 1548, Late LatinPart of speech: noun

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, advertisingAntonyms – biography

aspectDefinition – part or phaseSynonyms – angle, view, facetAntonyms – entire, total Sentence – He considered all aspects of college life.Etymology – 14th Century, MiddleEnglish, from Latin

author’s argument

Definition – the point of view or position the author presents

Synonyms – perspectiveAntonyms – compromiseSentence –

blueprint

Definition: a planSynonyms: design, draft,

model, master plan, game plan

Antonym: disorganized, unplannedSentence: I will create a blueprint

for the house I plan to build.Etymology: 1886Part of speech: noun 5

body paragraphDefinition – 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.

brevityDefinition – shortness of

expressionSynonyms – brief, conciseAntonyms – lengthySentence – Due to brevity,

the essay lacked enough information.

Etymology – 15th Century, from Latin

cause and effectDefinition – the process by which one event brings about another.

Synonyms – reason and resultAntonyms – compareand contrast

Sentence –

chronologicalDefinition – the arrangement of

details in time order (the order in which they actually occurred)

Synonyms – sequential, time orderAntonyms – random, unorganized

Definition – to refer to or quoteSynonym – mention Antonym – plagiarizeEtymology – Middle

English, from Anglo- French, from Latin

15th Century

Sentence – All of the sources I use for my research paper must be cited inmy bibliography.

“All men are created equal.”

From The Declaration of Independence

cite

closureDefinition – a satisfying sense of

finalitySynonyms – satisfying endingAntonyms – continueSentence – The conclusion

provided a sense of closure.Etymology – 14th Century, MiddleEnglish, from Anglo-French, from Latin

compareDefinition – the similarities between two things

Synonyms – analyze, examine

Antonyms – ignore,disregard

compositionDefinition – a piece of writing Synonyms – work, writingAntonyms – readingSentence – Etymology – 14th

Century, Middle English, From Anglo-French, from Latin

concrete ideasDefinition – 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.”

contrastDefinition – the differences

between two things

Synonyms – unalike, varyAntonyms –

similaragree

controlling ideaDefinition –the primary idea of

your topic sentence or thesis, expresses your attitude and approach toward your topic

Synonyms – direction, writing strategyAntonyms – scatteredSentence –

collaborateDefinition: Work TogetherSynonyms: Come Together, Team UpAntonym: Disagree, PartSentence: The students will

collaborate in order to complete the project.

Etymology: Latin, 19th Century

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competenceDefinition – have adequate ability

or qualities Synonyms – capabilityAntonyms – unfit, unqualifiedSentence – Every car owner needs a

competent auto mechanic. Etymology – 15th Century, MiddleEnglish, from Anglo-French, from Latin

concluding paragraphDefinition – the last paragraph in

an essay where you summarize all of your topics and bring your writing to a satisfying end.

Synonyms – finish lineAntonyms – introductory paragraphSentence – When I wrotemy conclusion, I restatedmy thesis statement and summarized my topics.

consistentDefinition – regular or steadySynonyms – uniformityAntonyms – unbalancedSentence – He has consistent

focus on the topic.Etymology – 1638

Latin

contextDefinition – the interrelated

condition in which something existsSynonyms – circumstanceAntonyms – unrelatedSentence – Etymology – 1568 Middle English, from Latin

conventions

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

connotationDefinition – emotional feelings that surround a word Synonyms – imply, suggestAntonyms –dictionary definitionSentence – The connotation of red roses is love.

Etymology - 1532

denotationDefinition – the strict, literal

meaning of a word Synonyms –dictionary definition Antonyms – connotationSentence – The denotation of red rose is a flowerwith thorns.

Etymology - 1532

dignity

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

Synonym: Honor, ImportanceAntonym: LowlinessSentence: The graduation ceremony

was conducted with great dignity.

Etymology: 13th Century, Middle English, Anglo-French, Latin

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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 conclusionsDefinition – taking bits of information and coming up

with something elseSynonyms – 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.

elaborateDefinition – to work out in detailSynonyms – developAntonyms – destroySentence – She elaborated with

relevant ideas.Etymology – 1611

engagesDefinition –to hold the attention

of, to involve, to attractSynonyms – interestAntonyms – releaseSentence – Etymology – 15th

Century, Middle – English from Anglo-French

essayDefinition – a short work of

nonfiction that deals with a single subject.

Synonyms – short compositionAntonyms – novel,

poem

evaluatingDefinition – to exam and judge carefully

Synonyms – inspect, understand

Antonyms – ignore,guess

evidenceDefinition – something that is

proof Synonyms – confirm, witnessAntonyms – guessSentence – His essay

contains minimal evidence of sequencing.

Etymology – 14th Century

expositoryDefinition – text that explains or informsSynonyms – nonfictionAntonyms – narrative

extraneous information

Definition – off topic, not relevantSynonyms – foreign, accidentalAntonyms – relevantSentence – Etymology – 1638From Latin

facilitateDefinition – to make easier, to

help bring aboutSynonyms – assist, helpAntonyms – hinder, worsenSentence – 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.

focusDefinition – to concentrate

attention or effortSynonyms – center, directAntonyms – distractedSentence –Her writing remained focused on the

topic & purpose.Etymology – 1775

formulaicDefinition – a set form or method

allowing little room for originality

Synonyms – recipe, imitateAntonyms – inventive, freshSentence – Their use

of transitions was formulaic.

Etymology – 1618

genre-appropriateDefinition – compatible or

suitable for a certain type of writing

Synonyms – proper, rightAntonyms – improper, incorrectSentence – The use of slang is

not genre-appropriate for a business letter.

Etymology – 15th Century

hookDefinition – 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,

idiomDefinition: an expression that

cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words.

Synonym: phrase, expressionAntonym: literal meaningExample: “Running out of time”Etymology: 16th century, LatinPart of Speech: noun

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inappropriateDefinition – out of placeSynonyms – unsuitable, unfitAntonyms – correct, properSentence – 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.

irrelevantDefinition – not necessary, beside

the pointSynonyms – insignificant, uselessAntonyms – important, usefulSentence – The essay

lost its focus due to irrelevant details.

Etymology – 1786

limitedDefinition – incomplete, partial,

not thoroughSynonyms – confinedAntonyms – thoroughSentence – The writing showed limited focus on the assigned topic.

Etymology – 1597

Logical OrderDefinition - arranged in order or in

sequence; logical flow, progressionSynonym – sequenceAntonym – random, unorganizedSentence –

metaphorDefinition: comparing two unlike things

without using “like” or “as”Synonym: comparison, analogyAntonym: simileSentence: Life is a dance through the universe.Etymology: Middle English,

15th CenturyPart of Speech: noun

minimallyDefinition – the least possible,

barely adequateSynonyms – fewest, smallestAntonyms – full, mostSentence – The controlling idea was minimally developed.

Etymology – 1666

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

Synonyms – news, factsAntonyms – fairy tale

organizing structure

Definition – how the information is arranged: cause and effect, chronological, compare and contrast, problem and solution

Synonyms – methodAntonyms – randomSentence –

outliningDefinition – a strategy to help

identify the 3 main parts of an essay: introduction,

body, and conclusionSynonyms –

summary I. IntroductionAntonyms – II. Body skimming 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-writingDefinition – 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 solutionDefinition – 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.

purposeDefinition – an end to be

attained, point, reasonSynonyms – goal, intentionAntonyms – chanceSentence – Etymology – 14th centuryMiddle–Englishfrom Anglo–French from Latin

repetitionDefinition – the act of repeatingSynonyms – say againAntonyms – varied, different, newSentence – Because of repetition,

the essay didn’t contain enough details.

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

relevantDefinition – having significance

on the matter at handSynonyms – useful, meaningfulAntonyms – insignificant, minorSentence – His ideas were

relevant to the topic.Etymology – 1560Medieval Latin, from Latin

resolutionDefinition – to deal with successfully, make clear

Synonyms – solving, conclusion Antonyms – confuseSentence – 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.

sequencingDefinition – Arranged in order or sequence, logical flow

Synonyms – progressionAntonyms – randomSentence – 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 voiceDefinition – a distinctive style of writing that sounds like the manner in which the writer speaks, writer’s personalitySynonyms – style,

personality Antonyms – topic,

audienceSentence –

sufficientDefinition – enough to meet the needs of a situation

Synonyms – adequate, enoughAntonyms – lacking, incompleteSentence – Etymology – Middle English from Latin

supporting evidenceDefinition – facts, figures, statistics and examples used to support a view point

Synonyms – proof, details

Antonyms – opinions, beliefs

synthesizeDefinition – reflecting on

individual parts or elements of a text and deciding how they affect the subject as a whole

Synonyms – combineAntonyms – separate

topicDefinition – the subject

matter or issueSynonyms – contentAntonyms – purposeSentence – Etymology – 1569Latin from Greek

topic sentenceDefinition – usually the first sentence of a paragraph and tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about

Synonyms – main ideaAntonyms – supporting sentence

transitionsDefinition – words and phrases that show connections between details.Synonym – relationships among ideasAntonym – disconnected, unrelatedSentence – 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 togetherAntonyms – incoherentSentence – First, second, lastly, and finally are transitional elements.

Etymology – Latin

undevelopedDefinition – very imperfectly developed, unclear, lacking details

Synonyms – incompleteAntonyms – advanced Sentence – Etymology – French from Old French

vagueDefinition – not clearly expressed, not precise

Synonyms – hazy, not clearAntonyms – clear, definiteSentence – Etymology – Middle French, from Latin

variedDefinition – many, diverseSynonyms – assortedAntonyms – the sameSentence – Etymology – Middle English from Anglo-French

viewpointDefinition – 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