English: every term, defined

Every word defined anywhere in the english courses — 337 of them. Each links to its definition and to the lessons where it is taught, so you can look a word up and go straight to the place it is explained.

A

academic (tier-two) vocabulary — General-purpose scholarly words that recur across many subjects — analyze, synthesize, infer, arbitrary, empirical — as opposed to the technical terms locked to a single field.
academic integrity — The shared scholarly commitment to credit ideas honestly and represent sources fairly — of which avoiding plagiarism is only one part.
accessibility — Ways of making information usable through different modes and needs.
accurate summary — A concise representation preserving the main idea and important limits.
active voice — A sentence structure in which the subject performs the action (e.g., 'Maria threw the ball').
ad hominem — Attacking the person making an argument instead of addressing the argument itself.
adaptation — A version of a text shaped for another form, medium, or audience.
affix — A prefix or suffix added to a base or root to affect meaning or function.
agenda-setting — The media's power to shape what the public thinks is important simply by choosing what to cover and what to ignore.
allegory — An extended work built so that its whole surface story systematically maps onto a second meaning — a farmyard tale that is really about revolution and power.
allusion — A brief reference within one text to another text, figure, or event, which brings the older work's meaning into the new one.
alternative reading — Another interpretation tested against the same text.
ambiguity — A deliberate openness to more than one supportable interpretation, which the text does not resolve into a single answer.
analogy — A comparison between two different things to explain or persuade by highlighting their similarity.
anaphora — The deliberate repetition of the same word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences, used to build rhythm and drive a point home.
anecdote — A brief, illustrative story used to support a larger point.
antecedent — The noun that a pronoun refers back to (in 'Maria packed her lunch,' Maria is the antecedent of 'her').
antithesis — The placing of contrasting ideas in balanced grammatical structure so the opposition feels sharp, clear, and quotable.
archetypal criticism — A lens that asks how a work draws on universal, myth-deep patterns — the hero's journey, the descent into the underworld, death and rebirth, the shadow-self.
archetype — A recurring pattern or figure used as an interpretive comparison, not proof of universal meaning.
arguable — Describes a claim that reasonable people could genuinely disagree about — not an obvious fact or a pure matter of taste.
attribution — Identification of the source of words, information, or ideas.
audience — The intended listeners or readers.
author's purpose — The main reason an author writes something — usually to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to explain.

B

bias — A slant toward one side that can affect how fairly information is presented.

C

call to action — A specific request for what the reader should think or do, often placed in the conclusion.
caption — Text that identifies or interprets a visual.
cause and effect — A relationship explaining how a condition or action contributes to an outcome.
cause and effect structure — Organizes information by showing how one event or condition (the cause) leads to a result (the effect).
central idea — The most important idea a text develops; in a story this is closely tied to its theme, and in a poem it is the main feeling or insight the poem builds toward.
chapter log — A concise record of events, evidence, questions, and developing patterns across a book.
chapter reference — A stable location label in the assigned edition.
characterization — The techniques an author uses to reveal a character's personality and traits.
chiasmus — A structure whose second half reverses the grammatical order of the first, an ABBA mirror ('when the going gets tough, the tough get going').
chronological/sequence structure — Organizes information in time order or as a series of steps, like a recipe or a timeline.
circular reasoning — An argument (also called begging the question) that assumes the very thing it is trying to prove, so its conclusion is smuggled into its premises.
cite — To quote or point to specific words from a text as proof for what you're saying.
claim — The position or opinion an argument takes — a statement that reasonable people could agree or disagree with.
clarifying question — A question seeking a more precise understanding of meaning, evidence, or scope.
clause — A group of words that contains both a subject and a verb.
climax — A significant turning point in a story’s central conflict, not necessarily its loudest or most exciting moment.
close reading — Sustained, patient attention to the exact words of a text — how each detail of diction, image, and syntax contributes to meaning.
coherence — A clear relationship among parts of a text that helps a reader follow its meaning.
cohesion — The sense of flow created by transitions and clear structure that shows how each idea relates to the next.
colloquial — Casual, conversational language, often specific to everyday speech.
colon — A punctuation mark (:) that introduces a list, explanation, or quotation after a complete independent clause.
comma — A punctuation mark that signals a brief pause, separates items in a list, or sets off extra information.
comma splice — The error of joining two independent clauses with only a comma, when a semicolon, period, or conjunction is needed.
commentary — The writer’s explanation of how evidence supports a claim.
comparative analysis — Reading two or more texts against each other to reveal how each treats a shared theme, subject, or source.
compare and contrast — A text structure that shows how two or more things are similar and different.
compare and contrast structure — Organizes information by showing how two or more things are alike and different.
comparison — An analysis using matched categories across cases.
comparison criterion — A defined feature used consistently to compare texts.
complex character — A character with multiple, sometimes conflicting, motivations or traits — not simply 'good' or 'bad.'
compound modifier — Two or more words working together as a single adjective before a noun, normally joined by a hyphen: a 'well-documented claim,' a 'nineteenth-century novel.'
compound-complex sentence — A sentence with at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
concession — Admitting that some part of the opposing view is genuinely valid.
concluding statement — A closing sentence or two that wraps up an informative piece by pulling its main points together.
conflict — A tension between goals, needs or forces.
conflicting information — Information from different sources that disagrees or contradicts on the same topic.
conjunctive adverb — A transition word, like 'however' or 'therefore,' often paired with a semicolon.
connotation — The feelings and associations a word carries beyond its dictionary definition, such as the warm feeling of 'home' versus the plain meaning of 'house.'
container — MLA's model for the larger whole that holds a source — a journal holding an article, a database holding the journal, a website holding a page — tracked so a reader can find the exact version you used.
context clue — A hint in the surrounding sentence or paragraph — a definition, synonym, contrast, or example — that helps reveal an unfamiliar word's meaning.
context clues — Hints in the surrounding text — definitions, examples, contrasts, or synonyms — that help reveal an unfamiliar word's meaning.
contraction — A shortened form such as they’re, with an apostrophe marking omitted letters.
contrast — An explained difference.
convention — A shared, agreed-upon norm for punctuation, capitalization, and spelling that readers expect — a matter of accepted usage rather than a law of nature.
corroborate — When independent sources reach the same finding, strengthening a claim beyond what any one source could support alone.
corroboration — Checking a claim against relevant additional evidence.
counter-reading — A plausible alternative interpretation tested against the same text.
counterargument — Acknowledging an opposing view (concession) and then explaining why your position still stands (rebuttal).
counterclaim — A relevant competing position that a reasonable reader could hold.
counterinterpretation — A competing reading tested against the same relevant evidence.
credibility — Reasons to trust a source for a particular claim.
credible source — A source that is accurate and trustworthy, typically written by someone with real expertise or backed by solid evidence.
critical lens — A disciplined set of questions a reader brings to a text; the same work read through different lenses opens different meanings.
cumulative sentence — A 'loose' sentence that states its main clause first and then adds a train of modifying phrases and clauses.
currency — How recent and up-to-date a source is — important for fast-changing topics.

D

dangling modifier — A modifying phrase that fails to attach clearly to the word it is meant to describe, producing an illogical meaning ('Rushing to finish, the essay was left unpolished' — the essay was not rushing).
dash (em dash) — A long punctuation mark (—) that sets off information with strong emphasis or a dramatic break.
definition — A precise account of what a term means in the relevant context.
denominator — The whole amount used as the basis of a fraction or percentage.
denotation — The literal, dictionary definition of a word.
denotation vs. connotation — Denotation is a word's literal, dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional and cultural coloring it carries beyond that literal sense.
dependent clause — A clause that relies on another clause to complete its grammatical relationship in that use.
development — A pattern of change or refinement across a text.
dialect — A rule-governed variety of a language — with its own consistent vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation — shared by a regional or social community.
dialogue — Speech assigned to characters.
diction — An author's specific choice of words.
direct characterization — When the narrator states a character's trait outright, like 'Elena was fiercely loyal.'
direct quotation — Using a source's exact words, enclosed in quotation marks.
director's choice — A decision made in adapting a story — such as casting, setting, or cutting a scene — that shapes how the audience experiences it.
discussion contribution — A statement or question that advances a shared inquiry.
discussion norm — An agreed practice that helps participants reason together.
domain-specific vocabulary — Words specific to a topic's field of study, like 'photosynthesis' in a biology essay.
draft — An early version of a piece that a writer expects to change and improve, not a finished product.
dynamic character — A character who changes in an important way over the course of the story, usually because of what they experience.

E

editing — Correcting surface-level details such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice.
elaboration — The facts, definitions, and examples a writer adds to develop a point so the reader truly understands it.
ellipsis — Three dots (…) that show a pause, a trailing off, or an omission of words.
em dash — A long dash (—) used to set off, emphasize, or interrupt with a phrase — more emphatic and informal than commas or parentheses.
entering the conversation — Positioning your synthesis within an ongoing exchange among sources, so the essay adds to a discussion rather than merely reporting one.
enthymeme — An argument that leaves one premise unstated, relying on the audience to supply the missing assumption — powerful, but only if that assumption actually holds.
enumeration — The deliberate listing of items — such as grievances or rights — to build a cumulative, weighty case.
epic — An extended narrative concerning significant journeys, conflicts, or communal values.
ethos — An appeal to credibility or character — why the audience should trust the speaker.
etymological doublet — Two words in the same language that descend from a single original source but drifted apart in form and meaning (such as 'fragile' and 'frail,' or 'guarantee' and 'warranty').
etymology — The origin and history of a word — where it came from and how its form and meaning shifted over time.
evidence — The facts, examples, or details a writer uses to prove that a reason is true.
exigence — The pressing problem, gap, or occasion that calls a text into being and demands a response.
explanation — Writing that clarifies how, why, or in what relationship something can be understood.
explicit — Stated directly and clearly in the text, with no guessing needed.
exposition — The opening part of a story that introduces the characters, the setting, and the situation before the main problem begins.

F

fact — A statement that can be checked and verified as true or false.
fallacious reasoning — Reasoning that seems logical but is actually flawed, such as attacking a person instead of their argument.
falling action — The events after the climax, as the tension eases and the results of the turning point play out.
false balance — Presenting two sides as equally supported when the weight of evidence is not equal, so 'fairness' quietly misleads.
false dilemma — Presenting only two options when other possibilities actually exist.
feasibility — Whether a question can actually be answered well with the sources, access, and time a single researcher genuinely has.
feedback — Information about a reader’s understanding that can guide a specific revision.
feminist criticism — A lens that asks about gender and power — whose voices speak and whose are silenced, how women are represented, what the text assumes about men's and women's roles.
fidelity (to a text) — How closely an adaptation matches the events, characters, and tone of its original source text.
figurative language — Language that means something beyond its literal, word-for-word meaning, used to create a vivid image or feeling.
first-person point of view — The narrator is a character in the story, using 'I' and 'we,' and only knows what that character knows.
flashback — A scene that interrupts the present action to show an earlier event.
foil — A character whose traits contrast with another character's, highlighting those traits by comparison.
foreshadowing — A hint or clue about something that will happen later in the story.
form — The arrangement of language, lines and sound patterns.
foundational document — A text that establishes or defines a nation's principles, rights, or government, such as the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.
frame narrative — A story told inside another story, like a narrator recounting a tale from the past.
framing — The choice of angle, context, and emphasis that shapes how an audience understands an issue — often decided before any explicit claim is made.
free indirect discourse — A blend in which third-person narration slips into a character's own words and thoughts without quotation marks.

G

gap — An unanswered question, contested claim, or unexamined angle in the existing conversation that a new project can step into.
genre — A form or type of work with conventions.

H

hasty generalization — Drawing a broad conclusion from too few or unrepresentative examples.
historical context — Verified circumstances around a work, used with explicit limits rather than as a substitute for reading.
historical criticism — A lens that asks how a work's period, culture, and author's life shape its meaning, reading the text as embedded in its moment.
homophone — A word sounding like another word while differing in meaning or spelling.
hospitality — The treatment and obligations of hosts and guests; examine how the epic constructs these expectations.
hyperbole — Extreme exaggeration used for effect, not meant to be taken literally, like 'I've told you a million times.'

I

idiom — A common expression whose meaning cannot be figured out from the literal words (e.g., 'break the ice' means to ease tension, not to shatter anything).
image — Language that evokes a sensory experience.
imagery — Language that evokes sensory experience.
imperative mood — Gives a command or request (e.g., 'Close the door.').
in medias res — A structural technique of opening a story 'in the middle of things,' at a moment of action or crisis, before explaining how events got there.
in-text citation — A brief citation within the essay, usually the author's last name and a page number, such as (Garcia 42).
independent clause — A clause that can stand as a complete sentence.
indicative mood — States a fact or opinion (e.g., 'The bus arrives at 8.').
indirect characterization — When a character's traits are revealed through their actions, speech, thoughts, or how other characters react to them, rather than being stated directly.
individualism — The belief that the individual — their conscience, freedom, and self-reliance — matters more than conformity to the group; a defining American value.
inductive reasoning — Reasoning from specific cases toward a general conclusion; it yields probability, never certainty, so it lives or dies on the quality of its sample.
inference — A logical conclusion you reach by combining clues in the text with what you already know, since the text doesn't state it outright.
informative/explanatory writing — Writing whose purpose is to explain a topic clearly and fairly, not to argue a side or tell a story.
inquiry — The whole process of investigating a question, including revising the question as you learn.
inquiry question — A focused question that evidence can help investigate.
integrate — To weave a quotation or paraphrase smoothly into your own sentence, rather than dropping it in unexplained.
interpretation — A reasoned account of meaning supported by details.
irony — A gap between appearance and reality — between what is said and what is meant (verbal), what is expected and what happens (situational), or what a character knows and what the audience knows (dramatic).
irrelevant evidence — Information that doesn't actually support the claim, even if it's true or interesting.

K

kairos — The sense of the opportune moment and audience — saying the right thing at the right time to the right people.

L

limited perspective — Narration restricted to a particular position or range of knowledge.
line break — The end of a printed poetic line.
line of inquiry — The planned sequence of sub-questions and searches a researcher follows to answer the main question.
literary analysis — An explanation of how textual choices and details develop meaning.
literary movement — A cluster of writers who share the questions, styles, and convictions of their era, such as Transcendentalism or Modernism.
loaded language — Words chosen to stir up strong feelings and push readers toward a certain opinion, like calling a plan 'a disaster' instead of just describing it.
locator — A paragraph, line, chapter, or other available label that helps a reader find evidence.
logical fallacy — A pattern of reasoning that seems persuasive but is actually flawed.
logos — An appeal to logic — facts, statistics, and reasoning.

M

Marxist criticism — A lens that asks about class, money, labor, and power — who owns, who works, who profits, and how a text's conflicts track economic ones.
mediation — How an account reaches a reader through selection, narration, quotation, or performance.
medium — A form through which a message is presented.
metaphor — A direct comparison that says one thing IS another, without using 'like' or 'as,' such as 'the classroom was a zoo.'
MLA format — Modern Language Association style, a common citation format used in English and humanities classes.
Modernism — An early-1900s movement that broke traditional forms to capture a fragmented, disillusioned world through irony, interior voice, and ambiguity.
mood — The overall feeling a story creates in the reader, such as tense, peaceful, gloomy, or hopeful — often set by the details of the setting.
mood shift — An inconsistent, incorrect switch from one verb mood to another within the same sentence or passage.
morpheme — The smallest meaningful unit of language: a root or affix that cannot be divided further without losing its meaning (for example, 'un-,' 'break,' and '-able' in 'unbreakable').
morphology — The study of a word's meaningful parts — roots, prefixes, and suffixes — and how they combine to build meaning.
motif — An image, word, or idea that repeats across a story, helping to develop its theme.
motivation — The reason a character wants something or acts the way they do — the 'why' behind their choices.
motive — A reason that may explain a particular character choice.
multiple-meaning word — A word with more than one possible meaning, where the surrounding context tells you which meaning applies.

N

narrative arc — The shaped development of a goal, tension, consequential choice, and outcome.
narrative position — The location and knowledge from which a narrator reports events.
narrative technique — A tool writers use to tell a story effectively, such as dialogue, description, or pacing.
narrative voice — The distinct personality, perspective, and attitude of whoever is telling the story.
narrator — The voice that tells the story.
nonessential (parenthetical) element — Extra information a sentence could drop and still make complete sense, such as 'who moved in last week' in 'My neighbor, who moved in last week, waved.'
novel — A sustained prose narrative developing connected events and characters.
nuance — A subtle difference in meaning, tone, or connotation between similar words.
nuanced claim — A thesis precise enough to acknowledge complexity — it takes a real side while admitting the conditions, limits, or trade-offs the position involves.

O

objective summary — A short retelling of the most important events or ideas of a text, stated in your own words and kept free of personal opinions, reactions, or judgments.
oral tradition — Transmission and performance through spoken forms; written editions preserve particular versions.

P

pacing — How fast or slow a story moves — slowing down for big moments and speeding through less important stretches of time.
paired evidence — Relevant details considered together for one question.
parallel structure — Using the same grammatical pattern for a series of related words, phrases, or clauses.
parallelism — Repeating a grammatical structure for rhythm and emphasis.
paraphrase — A restatement in new wording and structure that retains source meaning.
parentheses — A pair of curved marks ( ) used to tuck in a quiet aside or extra detail.
passive voice — A sentence structure in which the subject receives the action, and the doer may be left unstated (e.g., 'The ball was thrown by Maria').
patchwriting — Changing a few words while closely retaining source wording or structure.
pathos — An appeal to emotion — how the argument makes the audience feel.
periodic sentence — A sentence that delays its main idea until the end to build suspense and emphasis — the opposite of a loose (cumulative) sentence, which states its main point first and then adds detail.
persona — The constructed version of the speaker's self that a text projects — a crafted role, not simply the author.
personification — Giving human qualities or actions to something that is not human, like 'the wind whispered through the trees.'
perspective — A position shaped by access, experience and purpose.
phrase — A word group functioning as a unit without its own subject–predicate relationship.
plagiarism — Presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own without giving credit.
plot — The sequence of events in a story, usually organized around a central problem or conflict.
point of view — The perspective from which a story is told — whose eyes and mind we experience the events through.
portfolio — A selected collection of work and process records showing learning and revision.
preamble — An opening statement that announces a document's purpose and the principles used to justify it.
precise claim — A specific, arguable thesis that stakes out a limited, defensible position rather than a vague topic.
prefix — A word part added to the beginning of a root that changes its meaning, like 're-' (again), 'un-' (not), or 'pre-' (before).
premise — A statement an argument assumes or asserts as a starting point on the way to its conclusion.
prescriptivism vs. descriptivism — Two stances toward language: prescriptivism prescribes how language should be used; descriptivism describes how it actually is used by fluent speakers.
prewriting — The planning a writer does before drafting — brainstorming, listing, webbing, or outlining ideas.
primary source — A firsthand account or original material, such as an interview, a diary, or raw data.
problem and solution structure — Organizes information by presenting an issue and then one or more ways to solve it.
pronoun — A small word that stands in for a noun so you don't have to repeat it, like I, she, him, they, or we.
proper noun — The specific name of a particular person, place, or thing, which is always capitalized (e.g., Maria, Chicago, Monday).
psychoanalytic criticism — A lens that asks about the unconscious — desire, repression, dream, and the buried motives beneath what characters say they want.
publishing — Sharing a finished piece with its intended audience, whether that's turning it in, posting it, or reading it aloud.
purpose — The specific result a writer seeks through a text.

Q

qualification — A stated limit that makes a claim more precise.
qualifier — A word or phrase (such as 'in most cases' or 'often') that narrows a claim so it is easier to defend.
qualify — When one source limits or adds a condition to another's claim rather than flatly contradicting it.
quotation — Exact source wording clearly marked and credited.

R

Realism — A late-1800s movement that portrayed ordinary people, ordinary speech, and real social conditions honestly, reacting against romantic idealization.
reason — A logical point that explains WHY the claim is true; the evidence then backs it up.
reasoning — The logical explanation connecting evidence to the claim — why the evidence actually proves the point.
rebuttal — A reasoned response to a counterclaim using evidence or a supported distinction.
reflection — An explanation of choices, changes, evidence of learning, and a next goal.
register — A style of language suited to a context and task.
relevance — The relationship between evidence and the specific question being investigated.
relevant — Directly related to the point being made — evidence is relevant when it actually supports the specific reason it is attached to.
relevant evidence — Evidence that genuinely bears on the specific claim, not just on the general topic.
repetition — Deliberately repeating a word or phrase to hammer home an idea.
representation — A selected presentation of information whose labels, categories, and omissions affect interpretation.
research proposal — A short plan that names the question, argues its significance, and lays out a method, sub-questions, and timeline for a sustained inquiry.
research question — A specific question that evidence could help answer.
researchable question — A question that can actually be investigated with available evidence — not a one-search fact or a matter of opinion.
resolution — The final part of the story, where the problem is settled and loose ends are tied up.
response — An evidence-based reply to a question or comment.
restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clause — A restrictive clause is essential for identifying what is being discussed and takes no commas; a nonrestrictive clause adds extra, non-essential information and is set off with commas (or dashes).
reverse outline — A plan made from an existing draft showing what each paragraph actually does.
revising — Making big-picture changes — reorganizing, adding evidence, cutting unclear parts — to improve a draft's meaning and clarity.
revision — A reasoned change to an earlier response.
rhetoric — The art of using language effectively and persuasively.
rhetorical question — A question asked to make a point, not to get an answer.
rhetorical scheme — A deliberate arrangement of words or clauses for effect — repetition, balance, reversal, or omission. (A scheme rearranges structure; a trope, like metaphor, bends a word's meaning.)
rhetorical situation — The combination of purpose, audience, and occasion that a text is responding to and must be read against.
rhyme scheme — A description of recurring end-sound relationships, often represented with letters.
rising action — The series of events and complications that build tension after the problem is introduced, leading toward the climax.
Romanticism — A movement around 1800 that exalted feeling, imagination, nature, and the sublime over Enlightenment reason and industrial society (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake, Keats, Mary Shelley).
root — The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning, often borrowed from Greek or Latin (e.g., 'aud' means 'hear').
root word — The base part of a word that carries its core meaning (e.g., 'bene' means 'good').
run-on sentence — Two complete thoughts jammed together with no punctuation, or joined by only a comma (a comma splice).

S

scene — A narrated moment developed through action, detail, and often dialogue.
scholarly source — A work vetted by experts in a field, usually through peer review, which generally carries more evidentiary weight than a popular article.
scope — The defined boundaries of a question, claim, or assignment.
secondary source — A source that analyzes or comments on primary sources, such as a textbook or a news analysis.
semicolon — A punctuation mark (;) that links two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.
seminal text — A foundational work important enough to shape the writing, thinking, or identity that came after it — a text later writers argue with.
sensory detail — Specific language that appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) so the reader can picture the moment.
sentence fragment — An incomplete piece of a sentence punctuated as if it were whole, such as a lone dependent clause or phrase.
sequence — An arrangement showing order or steps.
sequence of events — The order in which story events happen, building logically toward a conflict and resolution.
setting — The time and place in which a story happens — not just a backdrop, but a force that can shape events and mood.
show, don't tell — A technique where a writer reveals a feeling through action and detail instead of simply naming the emotion.
signal phrase — A short phrase introducing a quotation or paraphrase, such as 'According to Chen...'
signal words — Words that hint at a text's structure, such as 'first/next/finally' (sequence) or 'because/as a result' (cause and effect).
significance — The 'so what' of a question — why answering it matters, and what it contributes to a larger conversation rather than merely settling a private curiosity.
signposting — Language that shows the order and relationship of ideas.
simile — A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' such as 'brave as a lion.'
slippery slope — Claiming one small step will inevitably lead to an extreme outcome, without proving the chain.
source — Any text, video, interview, or dataset used as evidence in research.
source ledger — A record linking notes with source details.
source material — An earlier text, myth, or event that a later work draws upon, reworks, or responds to.
source-by-source structure — A weak organization that summarizes one source, then the next, with no connection between them — the opposite of synthesis.
speaker — The constructed voice within a poem.
spin — Presenting accurate information in a way engineered to favor one interpretation, usually through word choice, sequencing, and emphasis.
sponsorship — Support or funding that may give a source an interest.
stage direction — A written instruction about visible action, setting or delivery.
Standard English — The prestige variety of English expected in formal writing, schooling, and public life; it is dominant by social agreement, not because it is linguistically 'more correct' than other varieties.
static character — A character who stays essentially the same from beginning to end.
straw man — Misrepresenting an opponent's argument as a weaker or distorted version, then knocking that down.
stream of consciousness — A technique that renders the continuous, unfiltered flow of a character's thoughts, often loosely ordered and associative.
structure — The overall organization of a text — chronological, non-linear, parallel plots, frame narrative, and so on.
sub-claim — A section-level claim that supports and advances the overall thesis; the local job a body section is doing.
subjunctive mood — Expresses a wish, suggestion, or a condition contrary to fact (e.g., 'If I were taller...').
subordination — Placing a less important idea in a dependent (subordinate) clause so that a more important idea can occupy the main clause, where the emphasis falls.
subtext — A supported possible meaning beneath spoken language.
sufficiency — Whether evidence is enough to support the scope of a particular claim.
sufficient evidence — Enough relevant, strong evidence to reasonably convince a reader that a claim is true.
suffix — A word part added to the end of a root that often changes its meaning or part of speech, like '-able' (able to be) or '-less' (without).
summary — A short retelling of a text's most important points, in your own words, that leaves out your personal opinions and judgments.
supporting detail — A fact, example, number, or explanation the author uses to build up and prove the central idea.
symbol — An object, person, or place in a story that represents an idea larger than its literal meaning.
symbolism — When a concrete object, image, or action stands for a larger idea, such as a caged bird standing for lost freedom.
syntax — The arrangement of words and phrases to form well-structured sentences.
synthesis — An explanation connecting evidence or ideas rather than listing separate summaries.
synthesis matrix — A grid with subtopics as rows and sources as columns, used to see what every source says about each idea before drafting.

T

tension — A genuine disagreement between sources that point toward opposing conclusions.
text evidence — A detail from a text that supports a stated interpretation or claim.
text structure — The pattern an author uses to organize the information in a nonfiction text.
textual evidence — Specific details, quotes, or events from the text that support a claim about theme, character, or meaning.
the American Dream — The recurring national ideal that anyone, through effort and self-invention, can rise into prosperity and a better life — a promise American writers both celebrate and question.
the sublime — An overwhelming grandeur — in a storm, a mountain, or the vastness of nature — that both terrifies and exalts, a central preoccupation of Romantic writers.
theme — An idea developed through a literary work’s details and patterns; it need not be one moral lesson. Support an interpretation with evidence.
thesaurus — A reference book or tool that lists synonyms (words with similar meanings), useful for finding a more precise word.
thesis — The central, arguable claim that an entire argumentative paper sets out to defend.
thesis (research) — The answer to your research question, refined and supported after you've gathered evidence.
thesis statement — A sentence, usually in the introduction, that clearly states the writer's claim.
third-person limited point of view — The narrator uses 'he,' 'she,' or 'they' and stays inside the thoughts of just one character at a time.
third-person omniscient point of view — An all-knowing narrator who can reveal the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters.
throughline — The single central claim threaded, visibly, through every section of a long essay so the reader never loses track of it.
Tier 2 vocabulary — General academic words that show up across many subjects, like 'analyze,' 'significant,' or 'context' — as opposed to everyday Tier 1 words or subject-specific Tier 3 words.
tone — The author's attitude toward the subject as you can hear it in their word choice — for example, excited, worried, admiring, or neutral.
topic — What a text is about on the surface, in a word or two (like 'a soccer game'), as opposed to the theme, which is the deeper lesson (like 'teamwork matters more than winning').
topic sentence — The sentence, usually at the start of a paragraph, that tells the reader what that paragraph will explain.
Transcendentalism — A mid-1800s American movement (Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman) holding that the individual soul, nature, and intuition are sources of truth beyond institutions.
transition — A word or phrase such as 'for example,' 'in addition,' or 'as a result' that connects one idea to the next.
turn — A significant change in thought or feeling.

U

universal theme — A message broad enough to apply to human experience across cultures and eras, like the cost of ambition or the pull between loyalty and independence.
unreliable narrator — A narrator whose account the reader has reason to distrust — because of bias, limited knowledge, self-deception, or an intent to mislead.

V

valid reasoning — Reasoning in which the conclusion truly follows from the evidence given.
verb tense — The form of a verb that shows when an action happens — past, present, or future.
visual aid — A selected visual that supports and is explained within a communication.
voice — The distinctive, recognizable personality of a writer's prose — the cumulative signature of their diction, tone, rhythm, and stance.

W

warrant — The often-unstated assumption that has to be true for a piece of evidence to support a claim.
word family — Related words sharing a base and connected meanings or forms.
working thesis — The answer to your research question, refined and supported after you have gathered and weighed evidence.
Works Cited — The list of full source citations at the end of an MLA paper, in alphabetical order by author's last name.

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