Academic Vocabulary

a written or spoken report of an event or topic

a main section or part of a play

repetition or initial consonant sounds in a piece of writing to create a special effect

to mention something in an indirect way

to closely and carefully examine a piece of text

information that you already know

the start of something; the first part of a text, which introduces the characters and problem in the story or the topic and main idea

heavy, dark type; important words

a phrase or sentence set below a picture that explains something about it

a list of all the characters in a play

something that brings about an effect or result

a relationship between things or events in which one thing (the cause) brings about or causes something else (the effect)

a text organization that tells about events and explains why they happen

a lesson about life the author of a story wants to share

a problem or difficulty that needs to be solved

sections, or parts, of stories or books

person, animal, or made up creature in a story or play

special qualities of characters, such as shyness or honesty, that makes one character different from another

text organization in which events are told in the order in which they happen

pieces of information that help you figure out something; hints

to describe how two or more things are similar and/or different

a text organization that describes how two or more things are alike and different

the process of showing how two or more things are alike and different

joined or linked together; when two or more things are connected, they are related in some way

two or more things that are linked together in some way

words, phrases, and sentences around an unknown words or phrase that help to determine the word's meaning

to describe how two or more things are different

to add to something; to help bring about a result

to show or make clear

to tell what something is like or to explain something

facts, examples, and other pieces of information directly stated in a text

a simple drawing that is used to explain something

the words the characters say in a story or play

a text on a specific subject area of topic that is located on a website or electronic format

to break apart or separate something into smaller sections or parts

vocabulary specific to a field of study or subject area

a story that is performed on stage

something that happens as a result of something else

the point at which something is completed; the last part of the text

things that happen in stories and in the natural world

facts, details, quotes, or other pieces of information used to support a claim, point, or idea

things that an author uses to represent an idea or group of things

something that a character in a story or poem does or that happens to them

to describe or give details about something so that it can be understood

clearly stated in a text

an idea or explanation that an author clearly states in a text

writing that makes comparison to describe familiar things and events in new and sometimes unusual ways

before all others in time, order, or importance

something written about an event by a person who witnessed the event or who took part in it

describes the narrator of a story who is in the story and experiences what happens; uses pronouns I, me, and we

a type of writing characterized by a particular style, form, or subject area; mysteries, realistic fiction, etc

a list at the back of a book of important words from the text and their meanings.

a chart that is used to show the relationship between two sets of numbers

words or phrases at the beginning of a section of a text that tell what it will be about

describes something based on history

important things that happened in the past

an informational piece of writing that tells about people, events, and ideas from the past

features in digital texts that allow you to quickly access additional information

a thought, opinion, or a belief that exists in the mind about what something is like or should be like

pictures that accompany a text that often provide additional details about the text

pictures or illustrations and photographs in a text

not directly stated

the most important details, facts, examples, and other pieces of information in a text

a list at the back of a book of all the topics in the book, in alphabetical order, and the page numbers for them

to reach a reasonable conclusion about an idea or event not directly stated in a text based on text clues and background knowledge

the process of reaching a conclusion based on details in the text and your own background knowledge

to have an effect on something or someone

facts and details about someone or something

to put together or combine information on a topic from more than one source

the way people or things affect each other

to explain the meaning or significance of certain information

an important fact, example, or other piece of information in a text that helps explain a main idea

important ideas in a text that can be proven true

an important idea about a topic

words in bold print that call attention to something important in a text

in a manner that shows a clear understanding of something or, to speak or write about a topic like an expert

something to be learned - for example, from a story or an experience - that imparts new knowledge

describes the usual or most basic meaning of a word

a type of poem that uses language in unusual ways to express thought and feelings about something

something important that an author wants readers to understand about a topic

what an author of a text wants to tell, describe, or explain to the reader

what a selection is mostly about

drawings that show the cities, roads, rivers, and other details of an area

the thoughts or ideas meant to be conveyed, especially by language

a kind of figurative language that compares two things that are not alike without using the words like or as

the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a verse, or line, of poetry

the central part of something; after the beginning and before the end, in which the plot of a story or main idea is developed

a feeling a story creates in the reader; setting, word choice, and tone all contribute to it

the reasons why characters act, think, and feel as they do

a collection of ancient stories belonging to a particular people that tell about their origin, history, gods, or heroes

the person who tells a story

describes an unusual or unexpected meaning of a word

strong disagreement, conflict, or struggle

the arrangement or sequence of things or events in time

a group of sentences about a particular idea or topic

a kind of figurative language that gives human qualities to animals or objects

to cause someone to do something or think a certain way about something by giving them good reasons for it

a short group of words that has meaning

a story that is performed on stage by actors

the sequence of events in a story

ideas that authors present to convince readers that something is true

in fiction, the perspective from which a piece of text is written. In informational, the way the author thinks or feels about a topic

a description of an event from someone who experienced it (diaries, letters, etc)

a text on a specific subject are or topic that is in print form such as a book or magazine article

information that you already know

a challenge that the main character faces

a text organization that describes problems and their solutions

steps to follow to do something

a writing assignment

any form of writing that is not poetry

measured by the quality of something not the amount

describes information in the form of numbers or data or amounts

a short passage, sentence, or phrase of exact wording from a text

an explanation for why an idea might be right or true

to retell events and details of a story in the order in which they happened using your own words

to use or mention specific details in a story or other text to understand or explain something about it

thinks deeply or speaks seriously about something

the main rhythm in a piece of music; an equal amount of time between each beat

the way in which two or more people, events, or things are connected

the use of repeated words or ideas in a piece of writing for emphasis or to show importance

to make a reply; to answer; to say or do something in reaction to something else

the repetition of the same or similar stressed sounds in words

the regular pattern of sounds in a poem or beats in music

a part of a play in which all the action takes place in the same setting

a piece of text that explains how or why something happens

the written text of a drama used by all people putting the drama on stage

internet utilities that allow users to quickly find information on the web

a description of an event based on research that includes key facts such as textbooks, biographies, etc

something written about an event by a person who did not experience it but rather heard or read about it

smaller parts into which something is divided

when and where the story takes place

the order in which events in a story or steps in a procedure occur

everything that happens in a story in the order in which it happens

short, often boxed, articles included in longer texts that provide additional, related information

large enough to be noticed or to have an effect

a kind of figurative language that uses the words like or as to compare two dissimilar things

the answer to a problem; the way the main characters resolve the conflict

figured out; worked out a correct solution or answer to a problem

a text on a specific subject area or topic

the character whose "voice" you hear in a poem

instructions in a script that tell where a scene takes place, what the actors should do, and what should happen on stage

several verses or lines of a poem that are grouped together to describe an image, event, or idea

a set of actions to do or directions to make something

special features of texts; they vary from one form to another

the particular way a writer organizes text, such as acts in a play or stanzas for a poem, that help the reader understand the meaning

the title of a section or part of text; it tells what the section is about

a topic; something that is talked or written about

a specific topic or field of study; science, math, the environment, etc.

to briefly retell in your own words, the most important ideas, events, and details in a text

a short but complete version of the text

to help people explain or provide evidence for a main idea in a text

a list at the front of a book of sections or chapters in the order in which they appear

a piece of writing that tells how to make or do something

a detail, fact, or other piece of writing that the author uses to support a point or idea

special parts of a text that help you locate information such as captions, subheadings, etc

the way an author organizes the ideas and details in a piece of writing including comparison, cause-effect, etc

an important message or lesson that an author wants to share either implicitly or explicitly about people or life

describes the narrator of the story who is not a character in the story but looks in at events from the outside

a chart that shows the dates of important events during a certain time period

the general feeling or attitude conveyed by a text

the general subject of a text

stories such as fables, fairy tales, and folktales that were originally passed along word of mouth

special qualities such as honesty, courage, or pride that people and characters in stories have

descriptions or accounts of the same thing, which contain some different details

pictures that appear with a text such a photographs, diagrams, and timelines

pictures that appear with a text