Writing - Organization and Form - Definition

Close Reading

A careful reading, articulated in writing, that is attentive to organization, figurative language, sentence structure, vocabulary, and other literary and structural elements of a text.

Genre

A category or type of literature (or of art, music, etc.) characterized by a particular form, style, or content.

Dependent Clause

A clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb

Block Quotes

A direct quotation longer than 4 typed lines that is not placed inside quotation marks, but instead, is set off from the rest of a text by starting it on a new line and double indenting it from the left margin.

Works Cited Page

A list of all the sources cited in a research paper (sources you acknowledge by including parenthetical citations/internal citation).

Annotated Bibliography

A list of the sources used for research. Each source should include a paragraph with the following; a summary of the source, an evaluation of the source, and how it will be used to support the thesis.

Investigative question (unexplored thesis)

A question that is used in place of a thesis, (at the beginning of a paper), and through the analytical/evidentiary paragraphs is answered in the concluding paragraph.

Paraphrase

A restatement of a text or passage in other words.

Topic Sentence

A sentence, most often appearing at the beginning of a paragraph, that announces the paragraph's idea and often unites it with the work's thesis.

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Summary

A short description of a plot, an essay, or an article. In fiction, the summary should include a description of main characters, (or any characters written about in the analytical/evidentiary paragraphs), and what their objectives are. In non-fiction, the summary should include what main points/arguments are made by the author and/or central persons in the text.

Thesis Statement

A single sentence that gives the writer's position/controlling idea/ argument/main point, which has been drawn from the analytical/evidentiary paragraphs.

Claim

A statement or assertion, usually supported by evidence that supports a position or proves an argument.

Lens/perspective/criticism

A way of reading a text with a certain perspective or viewpoint: feminist, Marxist, psychological, queer/LGBT, historical.

Context information

Any information used in the introductory paragraph that will help the reader understand what will be talked about in the analytical/evidentiary paragraphs. It could include a summary of the work, the genre of a work, or any character/person introductions.

Secondary Text

Any texts that are referred to/used to compliment the ideas being explored in the primary text.

Counterclaims

Arguments in direct opposition to the original claim. In an argumentative paper counterclaims would be brought up to contest them, dismantle them, or weaken them.

sensory language

Descriptive language that attempts to invoke one or more of the five senses.

Primary Text

In literary analysis, it is the main text the writer is examining.

In-text citations

Information in parenthesis, (author's last name and/or page number), that tells the reader where the information (textual evidence, another writer's idea) came from.

Voice

Refers to two different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence's subject and verb (active and passive voice). The second refers to the total "sound" of a writer's style.

Situating Text

Tells the reader where the evidence comes from in the text. It could be a description of what is happening in the plot at the moment, an act or scene in a play, a paragraph in an essay, a chapter in a book.

Analysis/Evidence

Text that is close read for the purposes of supporting a thesis or answering an investigative question.

Introductory Paragraph

The first paragraph of an essay which includes a hook/lead-in, context information, and either a thesis or an investigative question.

Hook/Lead-in

The first part of an introductory paragraph (it may also be its own paragraph), which piques the interest of the reader by using a topical news story, a compelling question, an anecdote, or a universal idea/dilemma.

Setting

The general locale, historical time, and social circumstances in which the action of a fictional or dramatic work occurs.

Explanation

The information which helps the reader understand or interpret the meaning of the text, explains any figurative language, or ties the text to the thesis.

Academic Tone

The language used in a paper to express ideas. It is the "feel" of the paper. The language should include higher order vocabulary, avoid hyperbolic adjectives/statements and slang/colloquialisms. It should be in 3rd person present.

Concluding Paragraph

The last paragraph in the essay. It should do the "3 R's". Restate the thesis; Recap body paragraphs; Reflect on the essay content.

Formatting

The lay out of an essay/paper. It includes: margins, line spacing, font, font size, and headings.

Syntax

The order of words in a sentence.

Character development

The ways in which a character changes their mental, physical, or social state and evolves throughout a story, often as a result of some conflict within the story.

Working Thesis

This is the general idea or hypothesis (guess) that is used to begin writing the analytical/evidentiary paragraphs.

Character/person introduction

This is the information the reader needs to know about a character or a person referred to in a text. For fiction, it should include physical and emotional traits, what they are motivated by, and what their relationship is to other characters. For non-fiction it should provide a history of the person and/or background information.

Thesis Location

This is where the thesis might be located in an essay: at the end of the introductory paragraph(s) or in the concluding paragraph.

Universalize

To make universal, generalize. An essay about fish might be universalized to talk about animals in general, or all living things.

Challenge the text

To question the validity of ideas in a text.

Higher order vocabulary

Words that have a more specific meaning or connotation other than "good," "nice," "great."

Reflection

Writing that is "thinking out loud." A reflection might universalize or personalize ideas in the essay. It is more opinion than factual knowledge.

Independent Clause

expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. Has both a subject and a verb.