College Composition Glossary

Overview:
College compositions test your ability to identify errors in existing sentences and passages. You'll need to have a basic understanding of your sentence structure. You will not be asked to explain why.

The essay part: Questions are mostly in form of "write me an essay about" or "defend your viewpoint on." Just remember to stay on topic and give what they are looking for.

 

Evidence
What a writer uses to support his or her points or thesis statement.

Parenthetical Citation
An in-text citation stating the author and page number from which the direct quote was taken. It is noted with parenthesis. I.e. (Smith 19).

Thesis Statement
a statement or sentence that states the purpose of a paper or essay

anecdotal evidence
Personal stories about specific incidents and experiences.

Organization
The Way information is structured and delivered.

Primary Resource
first hand account

Secondary Resource
A document or a replication of an object to describe a past event which was not created during the time of the event.

its
possessive form of it

it's
contraction of it is

Subject Verb Agreement
subject stays the same; verb must be singular or plural to match the subject

Non Count Noun
Names things that cannot be counted; a noun that only has a single form

Run On Sentence
made up of two or more sentences that are incorrectly run together as a single sentence

Agreement in Case
The correct use of a noun or pronoun in a sentence

Verb Tense
verb that tells the time of the action or being (past, present and future)

Comma Splice
two sentences joined incorrectly with only a comma

Sentence Fragment Example
a sentence missing a subject or verb or complete thought
Swam into the ocean. (missing subject)
The white plastic chair. (missing verb)
As in the lives of many. (missing both subject and predicate)

Complex Sentence
A sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound Complex Sentence
at least one dependent clause and two or more independent clauses

compound sentence
a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions

writ.
writer

n.d.
no date given

n.p.
no publisher

no.
number (volume, etc)

p./p.p.
page/pages

qtd
quote

rpt.
reprint

trans.
translator

diss.
dissertation

et. al
to list additional authors

Ibid
a citation refers to the source just used

Predicate
the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating something about the subject

ed.
editor or edition

eds.
editors

chap.
chapter

vol.
volume

pa. t.
past tense

Reference
the use of a source of information in order to ascertain something.

Citation
the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find the location details of that source on the reference or Works Cited page. A citation must include a set of parentheses.

Parenthetical
relating to or inserted as a parenthesis

a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain

E.G. "I bought ice cream last night (and it was really good!)."

rhetorical devices
techniques writers use to enhance their arguments and communicate more effectively

literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression

Overview Part 2
The second essay focuses on the candidates to synthesize and cite two sources that are provided. You'll have 40 minutes to read the two sources and write your essay, so you'll need to keep an eye on the clock for this one. You need to know how to cite sources here. APA or MLA is fine, but make sure you have it down.

Topic Sentence
A sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph in which it occurs.

Main Points of an Essay
Title (Thesis)
Introduction
Body
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Conclusion

conventions of standard English
The proper use of spelling, grammar, and words in writing.

Revision Skills
The longest section of the test. Gauges your ability to revise passages and sentences.
Although most
are passages in a longer
text, some are just
sentences.

Ability to Use Source Materials
In this section you will be tested on your research skills. There are reference
questions also. Some of the questions are taken from a passage, while others are stand-alone. You will need to know about:

Rhetorical Analysis
an essay that breaks a work of non-fiction into parts and then explains how the parts work together to create a certain effect—whether to persuade, entertain or inform
an examination of how well the components of an argument work together to persuade or move an audience

Parallelism
Phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other functions in the same way in another part of the sentence. A parallel syntactic or word structure that's repeated.

Comma Splices
A comma instead of a period or semicolon that is used to join, or splice, two independent sentences

Questions to ask when writing the essays
-Where do I begin?
- Where should i look for information?
-Which sources are most useful to me?
- What type of sources are available?
- How many sources of information am I looking for?
-Do I need to view both sides of the issue?

Primary Research
Collecting information directly from the world around you by: interviews, observations, and surveys.

Agreement
Make sure that there's an agreement in a sentence.

Pronoun reference
Agreement in person. This refers to the relationship between a pronoun, subject and a verb.

Case Shift and Number
Agreement in case has to do with the correct use of a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

Subject and Verb
Subject verb agreement refers to using the correct subject with the correct verb ( I run, he runs, you run, and they run). Watch out for the third person singular form.

verb tense
This refers to inappropriate changes in time frames in a sentence without proper cues. Sometimes there are understood changes in a sentence and a tense shift is ok.

Diction
Refers to word choices. Such as:
Effect/Affect
Farther/Further
Than/Then
Who/ Which
Who/Whom
There/Their/They're
Lie/Lay
Accept/Except
Capital/Capitol
Principal/Principle
Stationary/Stationery

Modifiers
Words that describe a noun that can include adjectives, verbs and nouns themselves

Idiom
A set expression or phrase that has a figurative meaning and is not interpreted literally.
Examples: Wet behind the ears,
Call it a day.
See eye to eye.
(All expressions)

Active/Passive Voice
Active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the action stated by the verb. In passive voice sentences, the subject is acted upon by the verb.

Example:
(ACTIVE) She's taking the test.
(PASSIVE) The test is being taken by her.

Semi colons
Used to join related independent clauses

(There were five major hurricanes this year; Two of them hit our city), join independent clauses joined by a conjunction (Popular books are often made into movies; however, that was wasn't), separate items in a series if commas would be too confusing.

Colons
Used as an extension of what's already being said; or it can be used to list things.

EXAMPLE:
She was the doctor: she knew what to do in the situation.

My dog has three different moods: happy, sad and angry.

Sentence
must have a subject, predicate, and a complete thought. Needs to make sense on its own.

compound subject
A sentence containing more than one subject, person, place or thing.

evidence
What writers use to support their points in the thesis statement.

Findings
(Statistics, data, theories, and observations)

Observation
(informal, formal, and anecdotal)

Tone
Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character. Is the writer angry, happy, logical, or sad?

Purpose
Why the text was written?

plagarism
Something we all want to avoid. We want to give credit where credit is due. If we take someone else's idea, we should recognize their work as not being OURS but THEIRS.

APA
American Psychological Association style is most frequently used within the social sciences, in order to cite various sources

MLA
Modern Language Association; Guidelines for documenting and citing sources during a research project.

CMS
Chicago Manual of Style; Is used for all types of writings. Two main styles of CMS are Bibliography style and Author Date.

DOI
digital object identifier (DOI) is a unique string of letters, numbers, and symbols assigned to a published work to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the Internet. The DOI is typically located on the first page of an electronic document near the copyright notice and on the database landing page for the document. When DOIs are available, include them in the reference information. Place the DOI at the end of the reference, and don't add a period at the end of it.

URL
A location or address identifying where documents can be found on the Internet; a Web address

reference materials
Where people can go to find facts and information. Here are some examples of reference materials:
Almanac
Atlas
Bibliography
Citation Index
Dictionary
Directories
Encyclopedia
Handbook
Index
Thesaurus

almanac
A reference book with facts, events, places, statistics, and comparative info on people.

atlas
book of maps and types of maps. Not just geographical.

bibliography
A document showing all the sources used to research information. List of resources and materials

citation index
lists of where and when a specific source has been cited

Dictionary
a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them

Directories
electronic or print sources that provide contact and other information about many different companies or individuals

Encyclopedia
A work containing information on subjects, or exhaustive of one subject. Listing of wide range of subjects with brief info.

Handbook
a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location. A lot of info on one subject

Index
An alphabetical listing of key words, phrases, or topics that includes the page numbers on which those items are found within a publication

Thesaurus
A listing of words with synonyms and antonyms

Connotation
The figurative meaning of a word

Denotation
the literal meaning of a word; the dictionary definition

Pathos (emotional appeal)
When a writer appeals to the emotions of the intended audience to excite and involve them in the argument

Ethos
a way of persuading an audience through ethics.

Logos (logical appeal)
a way of persuading an audience through reasoning by offering them facts, statistics, and examples.

indirect object
Comes before the direct object. Tells to whom, for whom the action of the verb is done. (Claire threw JOSEPH the ball)

fragments
an incomplete sentence

Infinitive
A verb form, usually preceded by "to," that is used as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Gerund
A verb form ending in -ing that is used as a noun

misplaced modifiers
a phrase or clause placed awkwardly in a sentence so that it appears to modify or refer to an unintended word. For example: The pretty girl FAST ran

Simple modifiers
Only, Almost, Just, Nearly, and Barely.

hyphen
a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text

slang
a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.

Cliches
an expression so overused it fails to have any important meaning

prefix
a word, letter, or number placed before another.

suffix
A word or letter placed after the root.

count nouns
Names for things which can be counted. Have a plural form. e.g. 'teabag', 'girl', 'child'

noncount nouns
refer to things that cannot be counted because they are regarded as wholes which cannot be divided into parts.

modal auxiliary
auxiliary or helping verb used to express mood or attitude, such as ability (can), permission (may), intention (will), possibility (might), and obligation (must)

Cause and Effect Order
Relationships between events and/or things , when one is the outcome of the other, as in action and reaction: I twisted my ankle- I can't run for at least 3 weeks.

Chronological Order
When info is given in sequence, like telling a story or explaining a historical event.

Comparison Order
When two or more things are compared and/or contrasted.

Emphatic Order
When things are presented in order of importance, perhaps like in a news article, where the first lines are the most prevalent.

General to Specific Order
Starts with a general theme but moves to a specific topic

Problem Solving Order
When a problem is presented and solutions are given.

Framing
When a writer makes readers explicitly aware of what is to come in the piece of writing. It can pertain to the entire text (for example, in the thesis statement), to one passage (for example, in the topic sentence), or to one sentence (for own example, detail of an idea).

Transition Words
They also provide a framing for what is to come next. Words such as: for example, however, also, in contrast, in conclusion, and etc. These words will tell readers how the next words will relate to the previous ones.

Alliteration
The repetition of similar sounds

Metaphor
Speaking of one thing like it were another by making a figurative comparison

Simile
Making comparisons using "like" or "as"

Hyperbole
An exaggeration

Antithesis
Parallel structure of ideas that contrast one another. A figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other, such as "hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins".

Rhetorical Question
Asking a question to raise an issue but not necessarily seeking an answer to it

Analogy
Comparing something well known with something that is less well known

Enumerato
A list of details about something

Exemplum
Providing the reader with examples

Juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it represents. An onomatopoeia is a word that actually looks like the sound it makes, and we can almost hear those sounds as we read. Here are some words that are used as examples of onomatopoeia: slam, splash, bam, babble, warble, gurgle, mumble, and belch

paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Irony
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. A contrast between expectation and reality

Verbal irony occurs when a speaker's intention is the opposite of what he or she is saying. For example, a character stepping out into a hurricane and saying, "What nice weather we're having!" Situational irony occurs when the actual result of a situation is totally different from what you'd expect the result to be

Syntax
the rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language; the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Compound Complex
a sentence having two or more coordinate independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

Pronoun Reference
the connection between a pronoun and its antecedent. reference should be clear and unambiguous: The lawyer picked up his hat and left.

Idioms
words and phrases that mean something different from the literal meanings of the words; words whose meanings cannot be understood according to ordinary usage

Logical Comparison
recognizing and correcting cases in which unlike terms are compared

ad hominems
attacking the person instead of the argument

Appeal to Ignorance
ignorance as evidence (we have no evidence that God doesn't exists, therefore he does).

Fallacies
errors in reasoning; a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument

We must appeal to the author's reasoning

Argument from (false) authority
someone that doesn't qualify to say something.

Bandwagon fallacy
Because everyone does it or believes it, it's true

Circular Argument
(Begging the question): repeating the claim but not providing support

dogmatism
unwilling to consider the opponent's argument

faulty analogy
saying two things are more alike than they really are

non sequitar
something that does not follow the premise

red herring
diverting the attention by changing the subject

Slippery Slope
a change in policy or law will lead to a dire consequence . The slippery slope in this example is the chain of events that you think will follow if you give your friend James a piece of gum. A breakdown of the sequence of events: If you give James a piece, then everyone else will see [The First Step down the Slippery Slope]

Straw Man
creating a false scenario and attacking it

Imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Counterpoints
Contrasting ideas such as black/white, darkness/light, good/bad.

Satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices

Unclear Antecedent
Sometimes an antecedent is unclear not because there are multiple nouns that a pronoun may refer to, but because the noun that the pronoun refers to has not been stated. This error is especially common when writers use first-person plural pronouns-we, us, our, and ours-to imply unity between the writer and the readers.

split infinitive
Created by inserting an adverb between the word "to" and the verb ("to quickly leave")

Count Nouns
Names for things which can be counted. Have a plural form. e.g. 'teabag', 'girl', 'child'
nouns that can be counted

Dangling Modifiers
a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence

If you start a sentence with an action, place the actor immediately after or you will have created the infamous ___., A phrase or a clause, which says something different from what is meant, because words are left out. Place modifiers near the words they modify!

Floating Signifier
When a sign has multiple meanings
In semiotic terms a floating signifier is a signifier whose sense is not fixed and that can vary from context to context
Example: Democracy is a good example of a floating signifier that can become empty because it is open to contestation and articulation in radically different political projects – that is, it has one meaning for a certain group and the opposite meaning for another.

Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

You're acting like such a Scrooge! Alluding to Dickens's A Christmas Carol, this line means that the person is being miserly and selfish, just like the character Scrooge from the story.

Anecdote
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

et al.
others

i.e.
in other words

e.g.
for example