Language Arts Non-Fiction Terms 2025

analyze

break into parts, tell about the parts

compare

tell all the ways they are the same

contrast

tell all the way they are different

describe

tell about paint a picture with words

evaluate

Judge it tell the good and the bad

explain

teach me or show me tell me the steps

formulate

create put together

infer

read between the lines what is the hidden meaning

predict

what will happen next

trace

outline list in steps or follow the path

Summarize

tell the main idea tell the beginning middle and end

Support

back it up or prove it with details

Position

the central idea the author supports in their argument school should start later

Opposing point of view

a position that is the opposite of another position

Claim

a statement that supports a position if school started later students could get more sleep

Evidence

facts statistics and examples that show why a claim should be believed evidence supports and holds up a claim a study by the sleep institute found the 47% of kids aren’t getting enough sleep

Counterclaim

an acknowledgement of a concern or disagreement from those with opposing view points some may argue that starting school later won’t help kids get more sleep they’ll just go to sleep later

Rebuttal

an authors direct response to an opposing viewpoint or claim

Argument

a position or viewpoint along with the claims and evidence used to support that position

Caption

a label or brief explanation that accompanies a photograph or illistration

Central Idea

A main point that the author is making (also called the main idea) In other words it what the article is about similar to n objective summary but even more basic you can think of it s a thesis statement one sentence that states what the rest of the article is about. A text mu have more than one it can always be supported with details which can be in the form of a direct quotation or paraphrazed

Direct quotation

A report of the exact words of an author or speaker if you are writing an essay about a book that you read for example and you copy into your essay a phrase or sentence from the book that is an example they often appear in nonfiction texts and are always surrounded by quotation mark.

Headline

The title of an article in a newspaper article in a newspaper or magazine or on a website

Main Idea

Also known as a central Idea

Objective summary

a short statement that gives the main points or ideas of something it does not include personal opinion

Paraphrase

to reword or rephrase something written or spoken by someone else you are putting it into your own words no quotation marks.

Supporting evidence

Information used to support an argument or claim (also called supporting details) If you are writing about something you have read, you need to use this ack up or prove whatever point you are making it is also called text evidence

Text evidence

supporting evidence that comes from a text you are writing about. It can be in the form of a direct quotation or paraphrase

reasoning

the process of showing how your evidence connects to and supports your claim (ex: not getting enough sleep can lead to negative health consequences that impact’s students ability to learn. Why not make it easier for students to get 8-10 hours of sleep they need each night?)

Relevant

having to do with the matter being considered important and connected When writers use claims or evidence that is irrelevant or not relevant they weaken their argument

Sufficient

Enough adequate if writers don’t provide enough evidence and reasoning to support a claim they weaken their arguement