Essay Writing Terms for Literary Analysis
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
title
answer
the name of your essay; should capture your audience's interest
question
introduction
answer
the first paragraph of your essay; may include "hook", must include focus statement and thesis statement (always the last sentence of your introduction!) Title, author and genre of the work to be discussed must also be included.
question
"lead in"
answer
the first sentence of your essay; should lead the reader into your essay; can be a question or statement
question
focus statement
answer
the topic or subject of your essay in complete sentence form; must be written as a statement. Introduces your topic in general terms and can include information needed to establish context or define relevant terms
question
thesis statement
answer
the last sentence of your introduction; provides the reader with the framework of your body paragraphs and extends the focus statement by including making an assertion about the topic; guides the content of the entire essay
question
thesis support
answer
a brief phrase that supports your thesis; used in planning stages and eventually become topics sentences of body paragraphs
question
topic sentence
answer
guides the content of a body paragraph and is a statement in support of the thesis
question
body paragraph
answer
a paragraph in support of the thesis; must include cited quotes from the literature being discussed; follows pattern of assert (section of thesis being discussed) - support (cited quote) - explain (how is the quote relevant to the thesis)
question
supporting details
answer
facts, statistics, quotes and examples that support the topic sentence of a body paragraph
question
conclusion
answer
the last paragraph of an essay; includes a modified thesis statement and a possible challenge to the reader
question
modified focus
answer
a restated focus statement in the concluding paragraph; should remind readers of the original topic
question
modified thesis
answer
a restated thesis statement; should remind readers of your assertion about the topic
question
challenge
answer
a challenging question, quotation, vivid image, call for action, warning or suggestion to the reader; leaves the reader thinking about your essay
question
bridge (transition)
answer
a transition word, phrase or sentence connecting paragraphs; designed to help essay flow smoothly
question
audience
answer
the reader of your essay
question
formality
answer
determined by audience; the level by which you choose your words for an essay
question
tone
answer
the "attitude" of an essay; word choice and word arrangement determine the tone
question
purpose [theme]
answer
the reason you are writing your essay (to express yourself, to inform readers, to analyze, etc.)
question
organization
answer
the order in which your paragraphs and / or details are arranged
question
flow (cohesive and fluid)
answer
the efficiency of an essay; good flow means that the essay is easy to read and paragraphs and ideas transition well
