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