| A | B |
| aftermath | events following some occurrence; a consequence of |
| aggrandize | to increase in size; enlarge |
| ajar | partially open |
| alienate | to make hostile; to cause to feel unwelcome or estranged |
| alleviate | to make less severe; to relieve, to lessen |
| allure | to entice with something, to tempt, to attract |
| aloof | distant, reserved in manner; uninvolved |
| also-ran | one who is defeated in a race, election, or other competition |
| altercation | a heated quarrel or fight |
| alternative | the choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities, second choice |
| metaphor | comparison not using like or as |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| exposition | the beginning of a story, setting and introduction to characters |
| plot | the events in a story |
| climax | the turning point of a story, highest tension |
| prompt | to cause or bring about a response, to assist or encourage |
| thesis | main point; in a persuasive essay it is your opinion |
| expository writing | writing that explains something, or how to do something |
| persuasive writing | writing that attempts to convince or persuade |
| narrative writing | writing that tells a story; I, me and myself |