English Midterm Vocab

main idea/topic

the author's message about a topic

thesis/claim

a claim or statement by an author

hook

grabs your audience’s attention to the topic at hand. it establishes a connection between the writer and a specific audience

concession

used to recognize counterclaims made by other side fairly and thoroughly

refutation

a writer argues at length against other side by proving their side has more validity

rebuttal

the writer acknowledges the other side has validity, but explains how their side is better

call to action

urging someone to do something to achieve a goal or deal with a problem

generalization

a general statement or concept obtained by an inference of specific cases

background knowledge

information that is essential to understanding a solution or problem

context

a set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event

summary

a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form

conclusion

a final settlement

diction

a choice of words regarding correctness, clearness, and effectiveness by a speaker or author

connotation

the implied meaning of a word

denotation

the literal meaning of a word

tone

the author’s attitude toward their subject

mood

the atmosphere the author creates for the reader

genre

a kind of literary or artistic work

plot

devise the sequence of events in

setting

the state of the environment in which a situation exists

conflict

a disagree or argument

rising action

a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest

resolution

the end of the story

protagonist

the main character of a story

antagonist

the villain of a story

theme

the central idea of a literary work

symbolism

the use of symbols to represent something

imagery

a description of words that appeals to readers’ senses

allusion

passing reference or indirect mention to another literary work

personification

giving inhuman objects human characteristics

metaphor

direct comparisons without using the words “like” or “as”

simile

direct comparisons that use the words “like” or “as”

point of view

the point from which a story is told

author's purpose

an author's reason for or intent in writing

audience

the part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainment

exemplification

uses examples to add weight to a concept. the use of examples evokes images that help the reader connect to the idea being defined

negation

negates, or excludes, something that is not part of a definition. it helps describe that definition by stating a limitation to its meaning

function

explains facets of a definition in terms of their purpose

classification

separates what is being defined into separate groups/classes. used to list smaller facets of a larger idea