A

Alliteration The repetition of the same sounds (usually consonants) at the beginning of words that are close together. Example: Molly makes magnificent mousse, though Pablo prefers pecan pie.

See also Repetition

Allusion A key form of literary language, in which one text makes the reader think about another text that was written before it. Allusion can also mean a reference to a person, place, thing, or event that is not specifically named. Example: When Hannah wrote in her short story that vanity was the talented main character’s “Achilles heel,” her teacher understood that Hannah was referring to a character in a Greek myth. So, she suspected that the vanity of the main character in Hannah’s short story would prove to be the character’s greatest weakness.

See also Connotation; Literature; Poetry

Article A short piece of nonfiction writing on a specific topic. Articles appear in newspapers and magazines.

See also Expository nonfiction; Nonfiction

Autobiography The story of a person’s life, written by that person. Example: Mahatma Gandhi wrote an autobiography titled Gandhi: An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth.

See also Diary; Journal; Personal narrative

B

Biographical fiction A fictional story that is based on real events in the life of a real person. Example: Although the book Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder is about her husband’s childhood, the conversations between characters are from the author’s imagination. They are based on what she thought the characters might have said at the time.

See also Biography; Fiction

Biography The story of a person’s life, written by another person.

See also Autobiography; Biographical fiction

C

Character A person, an animal, or an imaginary creature in a work of fiction.

See also Characterization; Character traits

Characterization The way a writer creates and develops a character. Writers use a variety of ways to bring a character to life: through descriptions of the character’s appearance, thoughts, feelings, and actions; through the character’s words; and through the words or thoughts of other characters.

See also Character; Character traits; Motive

Character traits The special qualities of personality that writers give their characters.

See also Character; Characterization

Climax The turning point or most important event in a plot.

See also Falling action; Plot; Rising action

Complication See Rising action

Conflict The main problem faced by a character in a story or play. The character may be involved in a struggle against nature, another character, or society. The struggle may also be between two elements in the character’s mind.

See also Plot

Connotation The feelings suggested by a word or phrase, apart from its dictionary meaning. Example: The terms “used car” and “previously owned vehicle” have different connotations. To most people, the phrase “previously owned vehicle” sounds better than “used car.”

See also Denotation; Poetry

D

Denotation The dictionary meaning of a word or phrase. Denotation is especially important in functional texts and other types of nonfiction used to communicate information precisely.

See also Connotation; Functional text; Nonfiction

Descriptive language Language that creates a “picture” of a person, place, or thing—often using words that appeal to the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Example: The bright, hot sun beat down on Earth’s surface. Where once a vibrant lake cooled the skin of hippos and zebras, only thin, dry cracks remained, reaching across the land like an old man’s fingers, as far as the eye could see. The smell of herds was gone, and only silence filled the space.

See also Imagery

Dialogue What characters say to each other. Writers use dialogue to develop characters, move the plot forward, and add interest. In most writing, dialogue is set off by quotation marks; in play scripts, however, dialogue appears without quotation marks.

Diary A book written by a person about his or her own life as it is happening. Unlike an autobiography, a diary is not usually meant to be published. It is made up of entries that are written shortly after events occur. The person writing a diary often expresses feelings and opinions about what has happened.

See also Autobiography; Journal

Drama A kind of writing in which a plot unfolds in the words and actions of characters performed by actors.

See also Genre; Play; Plot