Nonfiction Terms
A type of nonfiction writing that attempts to influence the way a reader thinks.
What is persuasive nonfiction?
The part of an argumentative essay that acknowledges a point the opposing side might make.
What is a counterclaim?
The name of the main character in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado."
Who is Montresor?
The place and time in which a story takes place.
What is setting?
The act of portraying someone else's thoughts or ideas as your own in academic writing.
What is plagiarism?
The central concept that a work of nonfiction writing is focused on.
What is a main idea?
A single sentence found at the beginning of an argumentative essay that states the claim and reasons to support it,
What is a thesis statement?
The title of Robert Frost's most famous poem, which involves a speaker walking through the woods.
What is "The Road Not Taken?"
The moral or message conveyed by a work of literature that also applies to real life.
What is the theme?
A point of view in which the narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
What is third person omniscient?
The reason for which an author writes a work of nonfiction (or any type of writing).
What is the author's purpose?
A rhetorical appeal that attempts to play upon the audience's emotions.
What is pathos?
The short story "Charles" is written from this character's point of view.
Who is Laurie's Mother?
Descriptive language used to evoke the five senses.
What is imagery?
The act of revealing a character's traits through their actions and dialogue, rather than explicitly stating those traits.
What is indirect characterization?
Prejudice for or against a particular topic, which may influence how an author writes about and portrays said topic.
What is bias?
Information cited within an argumentative essay in order to support the claim and make the argument stronger.
What is evidence?
The speaker in "A Dream Within A Dream" compares his mind to this environment.
What is a shore?
A reference to a well-known person, place, or thing that holds great literary/historical significance.
What is an allusion?
The author's attitude towards the topic they're writing about. Can be positive, negative, or neutral, and is often revealed through the language they use.
What is tone?
A narrative form of nonfiction that attempts to describe a specific event from the author's life.
What is a memoir?
A page at the end of an essay that provides a list of all outside sources used in that essay.
What is a Works Cited page?
The street on which Miss Strangeworth resides in "The Possibility of Evil."
What is Pleasant Street?
A type of irony that occurs when the audience is aware of something that the characters are not.
What is dramatic irony?
A style of writing and documentation commonly used in English classes for academic writing.
What is MLA?