Paragraph
An organized group of sentences that convey a single idea
Main Idea
The single conclusion that a reader draws; what the author wants to express
Attention-getter
The hook; a catchy, interesting way to generate interest in an introduction; first few lines
Body Paragraphs
Paragraphs in the middle of an essay that explain the main points of a thesis
Topic Sentence
The sentence in a body paragraph that gives focus to that entire paragraph
Supportive Details
Facts, examples, and reasons that support, prove, and explain the main idea
Transitions
Words or phrases that lead from one thought (or paragraph) to another
Clincher
The final sentence in a paragraph that ties it together
Unity
Sentences in a paragraph that are all RELATED to a single topic
Cohesion
The logical ORDER/ arrangement of sentences in a paragraph
Introduction
The opening paragraph of an essay that provides focus for the rest of the story
Thesis
Statement that drives the entire essay; provides direction and purpose
Conclusion
Last paragraph in an essay; restates thesis; draws conclusions; tells "so what?"
Purpose
The author's reason for writing (to persuade, inform, entertain, etc.)
Style
The use of voice, vocabulary, and sentence structure to make writing unique
Informative
Writing that is meant to teach, explain, educate on a specific topic
Narrative
Writing that tells a story
Argumentative
Writing that explains a controversial issue and persuades the reader
Bias
Tendency or predisposition towards an issue, usually based on life experiences
Subjective
Observations or conclusions based on one's FEELINGS, opinions, or bias
Objective
Looking at an issue from an unbiased perspective; focused on FACTS and evidence
Opinion
One's personal belief or conclusion on a controversial topic