| A | B |
|---|
| Personal narrative | A piece of writing that describes a really important event that happened to the writer. |
| Memoir | A piece of writing about a special person, place, or thing, describing why they are special to the writer |
| Onomatopoeia | The word that is the same as the sound it expresses (ex: crash!), which may be used in an effective lead. |
| Riddle | A question or joke that can be included in an effective lead. |
| Quotation | A meaningful quote from a famous person, which may be used in an effective lead. |
| Transition | The detail or sentence that helps the content from one paragraph to flow smoothly to the next paragraph. |
| Topic Sentence | The sentence that tells the main idea of a paragraph. |
| Supporting sentences/Details | Sentences that tell more about the topic sentence. |
| Ending punctuation | Marks, such as periods, question marks, or commas, that indicate a pause or end to sentences. |
| Entertain | The type of purpose, usually used in fiction, that means to provide the reader with some type of enjoyment. |
| Inform | The type of purpose, usually used in a transactive piece, that tells the reader about something. |
| Persuade | The type of purpose, usually used in a letter or editorial, where a writer tries to get the reader to want to do something OR support the writer's belief on a topic |
| Poetry | A type of literary writing that typically uses rhyme, "colorful words," informal sentences, and/or rhythm to describe something. |
| Simile | A literary term that compares two things using the words "as" or "like." |
| Metaphor | A literary term that compares two things directly (WITHOUT using connecting words such as "like" or "as.") |
| Alliteration | A group of words that begin with the same letter or sound. |
| Descriptive Language | Words or phrases that tell more about a noun or situation, which, if not overused, tends to make the writing piece more interesting. |
| Short story | A type of literary writing that tells about characters who face a problem. |
| Dialogue | The word for a conversation between two characters. |
| Characters | The word for the people in a short story. |
| Setting | The place where a story takes place and/or the time period in which it is occurring. |
| Plot | The list of events that summarizes a story. |
| Beginning | The start of a story, where the characters are introduced. |
| Middle | The part of a story plot, where the problem reaches the point that it must be faced. |
| End | The closing of the story, where the characters solve the problem or find a way to deal with it. |
| Feature Article | A writing piece, typically in a "magazine format" that describes a person, place, thing, or event in detail. |
| How-To Piece | A writing piece describing how to do something, which includes the supplies needed, steps to follow, and useful hints. |
| Greeting | The second part of a letter, typically found just after the date, which identifies the audience. |
| Body | The part of a letter that tells its purpose. |
| Closing | The part of a letter that comes just before the writer's signature. |
