Literary Term Flashcards
Main idea
The writer’s most important point,opinion, or message
Supporting details
Specific information, examples, and facts that help a reader better understand the main idea of a piece of writing and make an argument believable
Author’s purpose
The purpose is the reason the writer wrote the piece. The piece was most likely written to entertain, inform, or persuade
Audience
The particular group of readers or viewers that the writer is addressing. A writer considers his or her audience when deciding on a subject, a purpose for writing, and the tone and style in which to write
Argument
A statement, reason, or fact for or against a point;this is what a writer tried to prove in an essay, especially a persuasive essay
Evidence
Details that support your claims and make you appear credible
Thesis statement
The central idea of an essay. The thesis is a complete sentence that establishes the topic of the essay in clear, unambiguous language
Logical appeal
Argument that speaks to a readers mind and/ or common sense and requires him or her to be reasonable
Emotional appeal
Argument that speaks to a reader’s emotions;it may be powerful, but writers must be careful not to make readers feel manipulated
Ethical appeal
Argument that appeals to a reader’s sense of ethics or moral values;it establishes that a source is trustworthy
Counter argument
When a writer acknowledges the arguments of those who might disagree with him or her and then shows why those arguments are wrong
Hook
A sentence at the beginning of an essay that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to keep reading
Bibliography
A list of materials used to research a topic and/ or write a text
Synthesize
To combine information from a variety of sources
Compare
To identify similarities between two things
