TEAS Reading

expository writing

exposes information by explaining/defining details/presenting an argument (non-fiction)

technical writing

translating complex information into easy-to-understand language/presenting procedural info/instructions with a formal tone/specialized topics

descriptive writing

creating a vivid picture for the reader

first person POV

in perspective of “I”

second person POV

use of pronouns directed at audience > “you”

third person POV

uses he/she/they/names

denotative meaning

literal meaning / DICTIONARY meaning

connotative meaning

goes beyond denotative, includes emotional reaction that a word may evoke

primary source

firsthand accounts (books, autobiographies, transcripts, speeches, personal journals)

secondary source

references information originally provided by another source (articles, essays, newspapers, databases, websites, biographies)

tertiary source

doesn’t present new information (encyclopedias, dictionaries)

spatial organization

lets users “see” the information, to fix it in space

chronological organization

places information in the sequence with which it occurs

logical organization

cause and effect; problem and solution

bandwagon rhetorical device

opinion is correct because it is held by the majority

explicit evidence

describes something clear (without ambiguity or vagueness)

implicit evidence

not directly describing, uses assumptions/implications

topic sentence

1st sentence in paragraph

main idea

last sentence in 1st paragraph

simile

uses “like” or “as” to directly compare 2 ideas

metaphor

uses “is” or “was” to imply a hidden connection btwn 2 idea

ethos

credibility and reliability

pathos

emotional connection

logos

logic + well-reasoned arguments

indifferent

no interest/concern

incredulous

struggling to believe

narrate

telling a story/experiential

describe

forming a visual/using sensory details

explain

explaining concept/process

almanac

annual publication

editorial

argues a position/opinion (publisher)

ambivalent

mixed/contradictory feelings

morality

system of values

tradition

historical patterns of behavior

vindicative

revengeful

matter-of-fact

direct, unemotional

meter

rhythmic pattern

abstract

requires citation

style guide

writing standards

literary anthology

collection of writing (poems, short stories, essays) - focus on a specific theme, genre, or historical period and group together works by different authors