Writing 10: Writing Skills

rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

rhetorical devices/strategies/techniques

techniques writers use to enhance their arguments and communicate more effectively

stanza

a group of lines in a poem

line break

where a line of poetry ends

enjambment

in poetry, the continuation of a sentence across multiple lines (no pause while reading aloud)

prose

the ordinary form of written language

verse

line (of poetry); technically means writing with a meter, such as iambic pentameter

anthropomorphism

treating something nonhuman like a literal human entity with human traits, motives, emotions, or behaviors e.g. Kobe Bryant writing a letter TO basketball

personification

a type of figurative language where something nonhuman is given human qualities but doesn't fully turn into a human e.g. "The wind howled through the trees, knocking over several branches in its fury and sorrow"

anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines e.g. "My heart can take the pounding/My mind can handle the grind"

circling back/recall

when a writer or speaker refers back to an earlier part of the narrative or essay

epistrophe

the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or lines e.g. ". . . a government of the people, by the people, for the people"

purposeful repetition

the repeated use of a word, phrase, or line to emphasize an important idea or cause the reader to take notice e.g. "love" being repeated six times in "Dear Basketball"

structure mirrors content (SMC)

when HOW something is written e.g. a long sentence mirrors WHAT is being said or the tone e.g. it creates a feeling of anxiety

parallelism/parallel structure

the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures e.g. "My self-care routine consists of taking a shower, making tea, and watching Dexter"

idiom

a type of figurative language consisting of a common, often used expression that isn't meant to be taken literally e.g. "Let's wait until we cool off before making any further decisions"

metaphor

a type of figurative language where two dissimilar things are compared using a form of the verb "to be" in order to point out something they have in common e.g. "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun"

simile

a type of figurative language where two dissimilar things are compared using "like" or "as" in order to point out something they have in common e.g. "The ballerina was as graceful as a swan"

onomatopoeia

a word that imitates the sound it represents

imagery

visually descriptive language, whether figurative or not

apostrophe

a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love e.g. Kobe Bryant addressing basketball in his "Dear Basketball" poem

alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

juxtaposition

placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

sensory details

words and details that appeal to a reader's senses (sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell)

irony

a humorous or otherwise noticeable contrast between expectation and reality e.g. a poor town in Mississippi named Money

diction

a writer's or speaker's choice of words

tone

attitude/feeling the writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

antithesis

two opposing or contrasting ideas presented in a balanced and parallel grammatical structure to highlight their differences e.g. "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here"

rhetorical situation

the context of a piece of writing/media in general, including the subject, audience, and purpose

the rhetorical situation informs the ________ and ________ of a piece

content and tone

some examples of "purpose" in writing

to inform; to persuade; to entertain; to analyze

Aristotle's appeals

ethos, pathos, logos

ethos

an appeal to ethics; a means of persuading an audience that the speaker/writer is a credible source

logos

an appeal to logic; a means of persuading an audience by reason

pathos

an appeal to emotion; a means of persuading an audience by creating an emotional response

kairos

the art of choosing the right time and circumstances for your message

The Bones

the sentences that create the skeleton of your argument in an essay: thesis statement, topic sentences, restatement of thesis

Traditional Essay Format (TEF)

introduction, two-three body paragraphs, conclusion

parts of an introduction

hook, context/tie-in, thesis

shape associated with the introduction

inverted triangle; goes from general to specific

parts of a conclusion

restatement of thesis, extension/"So what?" factor, clincher

shape associated with the conclusion

triangle; goes from specific to general

a strong thesis should _____________

address the prompt; make a clear argument; provide a holistic view of the argument; be written clearly and concisely

location of thesis

last line of introduction

extension

the part of the conclusion that goes beyond mere summary of the essay's argument and offers a more universal perspective, such as why the topic is still relevant today

C.R.A.A.P. test

used to determine a source's credibility; stands for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose

structure of a body paragraph

topic sentence; evidence + analysis x2 or 3; wrap-up

how to cite a source with a known author

one author = (author's last name); two authors = (author last name and author last name); three+ authors = (first author's last name et al.)

how to cite a source with NO known author

article title in quotation marks e.g. ("AI Has Changed Everything") or the first three words followed by an ellipsis e.g. ("AI Has Changed . . . ")

what generally goes in a Works Cited entry

author name, source name, publisher (source origin), publication date, URL