Prompt Elements
The person or group you are writing for (your reader).
AUDIENCE
True or False: You should take a stance in an argumentative essay.
TRUE - NEVER BE NEUTRAL. JUST PICK A SIDE.
Writing introductions is as easy as...
ABC
Define Theme
The central message or life lesson in a story.
A comparison between two things using "like" or "as."
SIMILE
The subject or main idea you are supposed to write about.
TOPIC
The location where your main claim should appear in your introduction.
LAST SENTENCE
What does the acronym ABC stand for?
ATTENTION GETTER
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CLAIM
The reason an author writes a text (name three common purposes).
To persuade, inform, or entertain.
A comparison between two things WITHOUT using "like" or "as."
METAPHOR
The type of writing you need to create: argumentative (convince), informative/expository (explain), or narrative (tell a story).
FORMAT
Transition words you can use instead to introduce the opposition in an argumentative claim.
DESPITE / WHILE / ALTHOUGH
QUESTION / ANECDOTE / INTERESTING FACT / QUOTE / ANALOGY
What clues in a text might reveal the author's purpose?
Word choice, tone, the type of information included, the audience, and the genre.
Giving human qualities or characteristics to non-human things or animals.
PERSONIFICATION
Prompts require specific sources to ensure your writing is supported by evidence and not just personal opinion.
SOURCES
The pronouns you should NOT use in a main claim.
I, ME, MY
List an option for providing background information in your introduction.
Stating why the topic is important
Relating a brief, interesting story or anecdote
Explain how an author's point of view differs from their purpose.
Point of view is the author's perspective or opinion on a topic, while purpose is the reason they are writing (to inform, persuade, or entertain).
The repetition of the same beginning sound in words that are close together.
ALLITERATION
Your position or relationship to the reader—for example, are you a student, a concerned citizen, an expert, or a community member?
AUDIENCE
The key difference between an argumentative and explanatory main claim.
ARGUMENTATIVE: ADDRESSES THE COUNTERARGUMENT, INTRODUCES CLAIM AND REASON(S).
EXPLANATORY: INTRODUCES THESIS AND THREE REASONS.
DESPITE/WHILE/ALTHOUGH + OPPOSING VIEWPOINT + CLAIM WITH REASONING
Explain the difference between the topic of a story and the theme.
The topic is what the story is about (the subject), while the theme is the deeper message or lesson the author wants readers to understand.
Explain how understanding figurative language helps you recognize an author's purpose and theme.
Figurative language creates mood and tone, which reveal what the author wants to emphasize; it also helps convey the deeper meaning (theme) of the text.