Common Vocab for Writing

Tone The manner in which the author relates to the audience. Is he cheerful, serious, angry, warm, bitter, cynical, etc?

The feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader. Mood The feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader. Happy, sad, peaceful, etc.

Diction Word choice. Finding the best words for a particular purpose in addressing a certain audience. “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug.” Mark Twain

Unity A controlling idea, stated or implied, establishes unity. It is the central point around which the supporting material revolves. Unity is NOT coherence. Unity means everything connects back to your topic or thesis sentence.

What the author trying to accomplish with this piece. Purpose What the author trying to accomplish with this piece. What is your point?

Coherence A quality of good writing that results when all sentences, paragraphs, and longer divisions are naturally connected. Logical sequence of ideas. Purposeful repetition of key words and phrases. Suitable pace for your topic and your reader.

Style The individual manner in which a writer expresses his ideas. Style is created by word choice, sentence structure, and the arrangement of ideas.

Support Evidence and explanation needed to develop a writer’s thesis. Small elements that collectively contribute to the overall piece—details

Controlling Idea A writer’s thesis or topic sentence. An effective controlling statement has both a subject and a focus. Subject: what you intend to write about. Focus: what you intend to do with your subject.

1. One of the ministers was sick with typhoid.   2. Finally the officer told the soldiers it was no good trying to make him stand up. 3. They tried to hold him up against the wall but he sat down in a puddle of water. 4. When they fired at the first volley he was sitting down in the water with his head on his knees. 5. There were wet dead leaves on the paving of the courtyard. 6. They shot the six cabinet ministers at half-past six in the morning against the wall of a hospital. 7. Two soldiers carried him downstairs and out into the rain. 8. There were pools of water in the courtyard. 9. It rained hard. 10. The other five stood very quietly against the wall. 11. All the shutters of the hospital were nailed shut.

They shot the six cabinet ministers at half-past six in the morning against the wall of a hospital. There were pools of water in the courtyard. There were wet dead leaves on the paving of the courtyard. It rained hard. All the shutters of the hospital were nailed shut. One of the ministers was sick with typhoid. Two soldiers carried him downstairs and out into the rain. They tried to hold him up against the wall but he sat down in a puddle of water. The other five stood very quietly against the wall. Finally the officer told the soldiers it was no good trying to make him stand up. When they fired the first volley he was sitting down in the water with his head on his knees.   --Ernest Hemingway