Glossary of Writing Terminology
Brainstorm
making a list of all of your ideas about a topic and then finding patterns of organization and the ideas you want to develop
Citation
the signal to the reader where the ideas come from; the pattern of creating a citation will vary by style but should always directthe reader on where to find the original source
Cohesion
the movement from one idea to the next is logical and clear
Concluding sentence
the final idea in a paragraph that effectively ends the discussion
Controlling idea
focuses, limits, or controls the topic to make it more specific (ex. sandwiches > the best type of sandwich)
Development
adding adequate details, examples, and support to fully present an idea
Drafted writing
the focus is on the process of writing, meaning that the writer will make many different versions of the writing in order to improve it
Evaluate
to look at something and decide if it is good or if it needs to change
Feedback
ideas someone gives for how to improve your writing after they finish reading it
Formatting
how you organize the words on the page, there are specific rules for formatting an essay in English (indentations, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, etc)
Hook
the first sentence in an essay that is used to make the reader interested and continue to read
Independent
writing that focuses on a response to a prompt and does not have an expectation of integration
Integrated
writing that requires other skills (usually reading and/or listening) to accomplish the task
Opinion
a belief or point of view on a topic; not always based on fact
Organization
a group of paragraphs connected to the same topic and organized to present a big idea by presenting it in detail
Outline
the basic organization of the main idea and most important details and where they will be in the essay, this helps you to keep control of your essay
Paragraph
a group of sentences that are all connected by one topic and organized clearly, typically includes a topic sentence, supporting sentence, and concluding sentence
Paraphrase
a restatement including all of the important ideas but phrased differently than the original; typically the same length as the original
Plagiarism
the use of any ideas or words without crediting the original source
Position
the point of view a writer approaches a topic from; does not always align with opinion
Quote
direct, unaltered words from a source
Reference Page
a list of where to find the information the writer used that are not original or general knowledge; should direct the reader to a specific book, website, or article
Restate
to say the same idea in a different way
Summarizing
the most important ideas expressed in a different way from the original; should be shorter than the original
Supporting sentence
follow the topic sentence and give reasons, examples, and explanations that explain it in more detail
Timed writing
the focus is on the what a writer can create with a time limit and without access to additional help
Topic sentence
the main idea for a paragraph, often the first sentence
Unity
writing all relates to the same idea and purpose
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