question

active voice

answer

Language in which the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb.

question

ad hominem

answer

A fallacy in which someone attacks his or her opponent personally instead of criticizing the opponent's argument or position.

question

adverbial clause

answer

A clause that functions as an adverb, modifying a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

question

allusion

answer

Any reference to something historical, literary, religious, mythical, or popular, such as a well-known story or a legendary person.

question

analysis

answer

Gaining a critical understanding of something by examining its individual parts.

question

annotation

answer

A brief explanation that accompanies whatever it is explaining, such as an image, a line of poetry, or a difficult vocabulary word.

question

antagonist

answer

The character in a work of fiction who tries to stop the protagonist from achieving his or her purpose; the villain of a story is often the antagonist.

question

antecedent

answer

The noun or noun phrase that is replaced by a pronoun later in a sentence or in a nearby sentence: The people are here. They demand to be heard.

question

anticlimax

answer

An unexpected decrease of tension in a story that often ends the plot without resolving the central conflict.

question

arguable

answer

Controversial; not automatically assumed by reasonable people.

question

begging the question

answer

A fallacy that involves circular reasoning; the argument's support or reason is the argument itself.

question

bias

answer

The presence of a partial, opinionated, or prejudiced point of view in a written or spoken work.

question

body paragraph

answer

In an essay, a paragraph in which main ideas are presented in detail and supported.

question

business letter

answer

A letter about work-related issues, such as a cover letter, request for a raise, message to employees, and so on.

question

cause & effect

answer

A way of organizing a document so that it shows the relationship between one event or action and the events or actions that follow it.

question

character arc

answer

The development of a character's personality or attitude over the course of a story.

question

claim

answer

An argument or point that has not yet been proved.

question

clause

answer

A sentence or a part of a sentence that contains a subject and a predicate.

question

climax

answer

The high point of a plot, which is the moment of greatest tension or excitement in the story.

question

compare & contrast

answer

A way of organizing a document so that it identifies similarities and differences between two or more things or ideas.

question

complex sentence

answer

A sentence in which there is at least one independent and one dependent clause.

question

compound sentence

answer

A sentence made up of two simple sentences joined together.

question

conclusion

answer

The moment in a plot after the climax in which the reader, listener, or viewer learns what ultimately happens to the characters.

question

conclusion paragraph

answer

The final paragraph in an essay in which the writer sums up the overall point and leaves the reader with a lasting impression.

question

conflict

answer

A struggle or problem that causes the events in a story to progress.

question

conjunction

answer

A word used to join together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words.

question

connotation

answer

The suggested meaning or meanings of a word, in contrast to the literal meaning, or denotation.

question

context

answer

The background that gives meaning to examples, such as time, place, culture, family, genre, and so on.

question

contraction

answer

A shortened form of two words created by replacing some letters with an apostrophe.

question

contrivance

answer

In fiction, a device that authors use to force action in a story rather than letting events unfold naturally.

question

counterclaim

answer

A statement that opposes or points out problems in another person's claim.

question

cover letter

answer

A letter included with a résumé that expresses the applicant's interest in a specific position and highlights his or her relevant skills.

question

credibility

answer

The trustworthiness, authority, or professionalism of a researched source.

question

criteria

answer

Standards or requirements; the plural of criterion.

question

culture

answer

The set of socially acquired values, beliefs, and rules of conduct that determine the range of accepted behaviors in any given society.

question

dangling modifier

answer

A modifier that describes a word or phrase that's missing from the sentence.

question

defensible

answer

Capable of being supported by example or research.

question

denotation

answer

The most direct or literal meaning of a word; a word's definition.

question

dependent clause

answer

A part of a sentence that contains a subject and verb, but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence; also known as a subordinate clause.

question

dialogue

answer

A conversation between two or more characters in a literary text.

question

diction

answer

The word choice and arrangement of words that make up a piece of writing.

question

ellipsis

answer

Punctuation ( . . . ) consisting of three periods that indicates an omission in the text. It can also be used to indicate a pause or a trailing off of the text.

question

empathy

answer

The ability to understand and consider the emotions that others are feeling.

question

ethos

answer

The character and credibility of the writer in the eyes of the reader.

question

etymology

answer

The study of the origin of words.

question

euphemism

answer

A way of saying something in an indirect way so that it is less offensive or unpleasant. It can also come across as dishonest.

question

expository writing

answer

Writing intended to communicate information.

question

external conflict

answer

A struggle or problem between a character and something outside of him or her, such as another character.

question

fable

answer

A brief story designed to illustrate a moral or general truth about human nature, often using animals as characters.

question

fallacy

answer

A false idea or incorrect reasoning.

question

false causality

answer

A fallacy that happens when someone assumes a cause-and-effect relationship between events simply because one comes after the other.

question

figurative language

answer

A nonliteral use of language to suggest a specific feeling or meaning.

question

first person

answer

A style of narration that uses pronouns that refer to oneself, such as I, me, and my.

question

flashback

answer

A recollection or scene in a story that shows something that happened earlier.

question

flat character

answer

A simple character who may be described in one or two sentences.

question

fluff

answer

Unnecessary words in a work of writing that take up space but don't contribute to the overall meaning.

question

foil

answer

A character whose personality and attitude clash with the personality and attitude of the main character; the presence of the foil helps reveal traits of the main

question

foreshadowing

answer

Hints or suggestions that tell you what is going to happen in a story.

question

fragment

answer

An incomplete sentence that lacks either a subject or a predicate.

question

freewriting

answer

A brainstorming technique in which a student writes down anything that comes to mind without worrying about grammar, punctuation, or organization.

question

homophone

answer

A word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning.

question

hyperbole

answer

A type of figurative language that uses an exaggeration to make a point.

question

imagery

answer

Words or phrases that appeal to the senses (mostly sight, but also sound, touch, smell, and taste).

question

inciting incident

answer

An event early in a plotline that introduces the conflict.

question

indentation

answer

A space that appears before the first sentence of a paragraph in certain forms of writing, including essays and fiction, usually created by pressing in a word processor; standard indentations are half an inch; also called indentions.

question

independent clause

answer

A part of a sentence that has a subject and a verb, and which can form a complete sentence by itself.

question

inference

answer

A conclusion or opinion based on suggested, but not obvious, meanings in a text.

question

inside address

answer

The address of a person receiving a letter, usually included just before the salutation.

question

interjection

answer

A word or group of words used to express surprise or a sudden feeling.

question

internal conflict

answer

A struggle between a character and himself or herself; the struggle happens in the character's heart and mind.

question

interpretation

answer

An opinion or theory about the meaning of some part of a written text or work of art.

question

introduction paragraph

answer

A paragraph, usually the first in an essay, whose purpose is to grab the reader's attention, introduce the main topic, and anticipate the major ideas covered in later paragraphs.

question

letter to the editor

answer

A letter sent to a newspaper by one of its readers that comments on something the newspaper said; these letters are often published in the newspaper itself.

question

logos

answer

An appeal to logic and reason in a speech or written work, such as facts, statistics, and common sense.

question

medium

answer

The means by which something is communicated; the material something is created from.

question

metaphor

answer

A type of figurative language where one thing is said to be another thing.

question

misplaced modifier

answer

A modifier located in the wrong position in a sentence, making the overall meaning of the sentence unclear.

question

modifier

answer

A word or phrase, such as an adjective or adverb, that describes another word or phrase.

question

mood

answer

The overall feeling that a work of writing creates through its word choice.

question

moral

answer

A lesson learned or advice given in a story.

question

narrative

answer

Any kind of communication that resembles a story, such as a novel, movie, a person's life, or a spoken account of some memory.

question

nonrestrictive clause

answer

A clause that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

question

nonverbal communication

answer

Communication using gestures, facial expressions, body movements, silence, and other acts that replace or enhance speaking.

question

noun clause

answer

A clause that functions as a noun and serves as the subject or object of a predicate.

question

objective

answer

Without opinion or bias.

question

oxymoron

answer

A contradiction between two ideas that nevertheless makes sense: bittersweet, for example.

question

pacing

answer

The rate at which a story moves forward.

question

parable

answer

A short story, set firmly in reality, told to illustrate a moral or religious lesson.

question

paragraph

answer

A specific part of a text that starts with an indented line and usually focuses on a single topic

question

parallel plots

answer

Plots in the same overall story that follow different characters and events, and do not initially intersect; readers usually take turns reading sections of each as they progress through a story.

question

parallel structure

answer

A pattern of writing or speaking in which words and phrases are intentionally repetitive in structure.

question

paraphrase

answer

A rewording of a statement made by someone else.

question

paraphrasing

answer

Expressing an idea from a source in one's own words.

question

participle

answer

A verb form that modifies a noun; in the present tense, participles often end in -ing.

question

passive voice

answer

A sentence structure in which the subject receives the action rather than performs it.

question

past participle

answer

A past tense verb form that modifies a noun. It can be combined with a helping verb to create past perfect.

question

pathos

answer

The quality of a speech or written work that appeals to the emotions of the audience.

question

perfect tense

answer

A verb form that indicates an action or state that has already happened using a form of the helping verb have (including has, had, and will have).

question

personal pronoun

answer

A pronoun that refers to a specific person or thing, such as I, you, she, and it.

question

personification

answer

The attitude of an author or narrator toward the subject matter or the reader.

question

phrase

answer

A group of words; unlike a clause, a phrase does not have both a subject and predicate.

question

plagiarism

answer

Presenting someone else's words or ideas as one's own.

question

plagiarizing

answer

Using someone else's ideas, words, or creative work without giving credit to that person.

question

point of comparison

answer

The common value, idea, or trait by which two things can be compared.

question

point of view

answer

The perspective from which the narrator is telling the story.

question

possessive pronoun

answer

A pronoun that is used to show ownership, as in mine, yours, or his.

question

predicate

answer

The part of a sentence that shows what the subject is, or is doing; it includes the verb of the sentence.

question

print source

answer

A source, such as a book or newspaper, that literally appears printed on paper, unlike an online or electronic source.

question

problem-solution

answer

A way of organizing a document so that it presents a list of issues and addresses each one.

question

proper noun

answer

A person, place, or thing that has a unique name, and usually begins with a capital letter.

question

prose

answer

The standard writing found in fiction and nonfiction, usually arranged in paragraphs and complete sentences, unlike poetry and speech.

question

protagonist

answer

The character in a work of fiction who is trying to achieve a particular purpose and who is usually the main character.

question

resume

answer

A short summary of one's work history, education, and/or skills.

question

redundancy

answer

Repetition that is not needed.

question

relative clause

answer

A phrase that describes a noun and usually begins with words such as that, which, who, or where.

question

research question

answer

A narrow and focused question about an issue or topic that can be researched.

question

restrictive clause

answer

A clause that gives identifying information about a noun or noun phrase, and that doesn't use a comma.

question

revision

answer

The process of polishing and editing a piece of writing.

question

rhetoric

answer

The art of using language persuasively.

question

rising action

answer

The increase of tensions within a story; rising action drives the plot toward the climax.

question

round character

answer

A character with many complex characteristics, some of which may seem to contradict one another.

question

salutation

answer

The opening line of a letter that addresses the recipient directly.

question

satire

answer

A form of writing that criticizes a person, group, or society using indirect, often disguised, methods.

question

second person

answer

A style of narration that depicts the perspective of the reader as if he or she were the main character. Second-person narration uses the pronouns you and your.

question

sequential

answer

A way of organizing a document so that information is presented step-by-step, often as instructions.

question

setting

answer

The time, place, and social environment in which a story takes place.

question

simille

answer

A type of figurative language in which one thing is compared to another using the words like, as, than, similar to, or resembles.

question

simple sentence

answer

A sentence that consists of only one clause.

question

spatial

answer

A way of organizing a document by location, such as by rooms in a house or regions of a country.

question

straw man

answer

A fallacy that occurrs when someone oversimplifies an opponent's argument or position to make it easier to attack.

question

subject

answer

A noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that identifies the person, place, thing, or idea that a sentence is about.

question

subjective

answer

Based on an individual's emotions, feelings, opinions, or perceptions.

question

suffix

answer

A group of letters at the end of a word that changes the word's meaning.

question

suspense

answer

The feeling of not knowing what is going to happen next in a story, and wanting to know.

question

synthesis

answer

When different ideas are combined into a new idea that explains all of them.

question

technical writing

answer

Writing that provides instructions or explains complicated things and processes, such as machines, organisms, court procedures, and so on.

question

tension

answer

The feeling produced by a conflict or problem in a story that has not yet been solved.

question

theme

answer

An idea or meaning that runs through a piece of music, literature, visual art, or other form of artistic expression.

question

thesis statement

answer

A one-sentence statement of the purpose or main point of an essay; usually included in the first paragraph.

question

third person

answer

A style of narration that uses pronouns that refer to someone who is neither the reader nor the narrator, such as he, she, they, and them.

question

third person limited

answer

A style of narration that uses pronouns that refer to someone who is neither the reader nor the narrator, such as he, she, and they, and that describes the events of a story from a single character's perspective.

question

third person omniscient

answer

A style of narration that uses pronouns that refer to someone who is neither the reader nor the narrator, such as he, she, and they, and can describe the events of a story from any character's perspective or from no character's perspective.

question

topic sentence

answer

The sentence in which the main idea of a paragraph is stated; usually the first sentence of a paragraph.

question

topical

answer

A way of organizing a document by topic or subject matter.

question

transition

answer

In writing, a word, phrase, or sentence that helps move the reader smoothly from one idea or moment in time to the next.

question

typo

answer

A typographical error, or minor, sentence-level error, in typed text.

question

unreliable narrator

answer

A narrator whose understanding or interpretation of the events in a story is heavily biased or untrustworthy.

question

visual aid

answer

A picture, diagram, object, or other image used in a speech or written work to help the audience understand.

question

works cited list

answer

A list of all researched sources referenced in an essay, usually organized according to specific guidelines.

Apex Learning English Key Terms – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards