Unit 2 - Domain-specific Vocabulary

formal tone

uses objective, precise, and respectful language without contractions, slang, or 1st/2nd person pronouns (no I, me, my, we, us, you, etc). It builds credibility by keeping the focus on the ideas rather than the writer's personal life or feelings.

MLA format

a standardized set of guidelines created by the Modern Language Association for writing and documenting research in the humanities, especially literature and language studies. It adds credibility and prevents plagiarism.

synthesis

the process of combining multiple sources or ideas to create a new, cohesive understanding of a topic. It creates a fresh, deeper insight by showing how different pieces of evidence interact.

thesis

a single sentence that states your main argument or interpretation about a text like a book, poem, or play. A thesis can state one point (single-point thesis) or more than one point (multi-point thesis).

topic sentence

the main sentence of a paragraph that states its central idea and connects it back to the overall thesis. It keeps the writer on track and tells the reader what to expect in the paragraph.

compare and contrast

finding the similarities (comparing) and differences (contrasting) between two or more literary works, characters, or themes to gain a deeper understanding of them.

opposing viewpoints

an idea, claim, or perspective that directly challenges or contradicts the author's main thesis or position. Showing multiple sides of a claim shows the speaker as fair and honest while strengthening the argument.

social commentary

the use of fictional elements—such as characters, settings, and plots—to critique real-world social, political, cultural, or economic issues. It's purpose is to raise awareness, provoke thought, and inspire change.

Person vs Society conflict

an external conflict where a single character or a small group fights against laws, institutions, traditions, or social expectations. Can also include conflict with technology.

Person vs Person conflict

an external conflict where two or more characters go head-to-head because of opposing goals, ideas, or desires.

Person vs Self conflict

an internal conflict where a character battles their own mind, opposing desires, flaws, or moral dilemmas

Person vs Nature conflict

an external conflict where a character faces opposition from natural forces like weather, animals, or geography

author's craft

the collection of intentional choices, tools, and literary techniques a writer uses to construct a text, shape the reader's experience, and convey deeper meaning. Examples include: diction, syntax, figurative language, mood, tone, characterization, and setting.

narrative techniques

the specific tools and methods that writers use to structure a story, control how information is delivered, and guide the reader's experience. Examples include: formatting of dialogue, point of view, flashback, foreshadowing, stream of consciousness, unreliable narrator, and frame narrative.

characterization

the process writers use to create and develop the personality, appearance, and motivations of a fictional character. Characterization can bring characters to life, advance the plot, build emotional connection with the reader, and/or reveal themes of the text.

direct characterization

The author or narrator tells the reader explicit facts about a character's traits, personality, or background. For example: "John was a towering man with a kind heart."

indirect characterization

The author shows the character's traits through their actions, speech, thoughts, appearance, and how other people react to them.

cohesion

the "glue" that keeps your sentences and paragraphs together so your writing flows smoothly. It means you make sure that you're using the right words, your sentences and paragraphs flow easily from one to another, and your overall text makes sense.

central argument

the main claim or thesis a writer makes about a text, backed up by textual evidence. It's different from central message because a central message is the author's moral or theme within a text while this is a person's analysis or thesis about a text.

transitions

words, phrases, sentences, or structural breaks used to smoothly connect ideas, scenes, or chapters and guide readers through a text

integrated evidence

smoothly blending direct quotations, paraphrases, or external data into your own writing to back up a thesis or claim. With this, you make the evidence part of a sentence of your own ideas instead of making it its own sentence.

analytical verbs

precise action words used in literary essays to dissect a text, interpret author choices, and build a critical argument instead of merely retelling the plot. Examples include: emphasizes, highlights, suggests, implies, exposes, and challenges. They force the writer to stop describing what happened and start explaining how and why it matters.