Original Writing Key Terms

Ethos

An appeal to credibility or character in persuasive writing.

Logos

An appeal to logic and reason in persuasive arguments.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, often facing a conflict that drives the narrative.

Climax

The point of highest tension in a story, where the main conflict reaches its peak.

Persuasion

The act of convincing someone to believe or do something through reasoning or argument.

Credibility

The quality of being trusted and believed in, often enhanced by the use of reliable sources.

Lexis

The vocabulary of a language.

Pragmatics

The study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates vivid mental pictures.

Tone

The attitude or emotional quality conveyed by the writer's choice of words.

Tone

The attitude or emotional quality conveyed by the writer through their choice of words.

Diction

The specific word choice used by an author to convey meaning or create an effect.

Discourse

Discourse refers to written or spoken communication and the structures that govern it, including how language is organized in context.

Semantics

Semantics is the study of meaning in language, focusing on how words and phrases convey specific ideas and concepts.

Tone

The attitude or emotional quality conveyed in a piece of writing.

Characterization

The process by which an author reveals the personality of a character.

Pragmatics

The study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning in language.

Discourse

Written or spoken communication that extends beyond a single sentence, encompassing larger units of meaning.

Narrative voice

The format or perspective from which a story is told, influencing how readers perceive the narrative.

Character development

The process of creating a believable character through their actions, thoughts, and interactions.

Phonetics

The study of the sounds of human speech.

Grammar

The system and structure of a language, including syntax and morphology.

Prosody

The rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech.

Pragmatics

The study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning.

Tone

The attitude or emotional quality conveyed in a piece of writing.

Character Development

The process of creating a believable character through their actions, dialogue, and interactions.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Grammar

The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language.