Reference
Writing glossary.
31 writing terms explained in plain language, with examples. Use the search box to find a term.
- Active voice
- The subject performs the action: "The writer finished the report." Usually clearer and more direct than the passive voice.
- Anecdote
- A short, interesting story about a real person or event, used to open or illustrate a piece.
- Abstract
- A brief summary of a research paper that states the question, method, results and conclusion. Sometimes the only part many people read.
- Adjective
- A word that describes a noun: "a clear, concise report."
- Adverb
- A word that modifies a verb, adjective or other adverb, often ending in -ly: "she wrote carefully."
- Argument
- The central claim or point you are making and supporting with evidence.
- Audience
- The person or people you are writing for. Knowing your audience shapes tone, vocabulary and detail.
- Body
- The main part of a piece, between the introduction and the conclusion, where the point is developed.
- Citation
- The reference that tells a reader where a fact, idea or quote came from.
- Clause
- A group of words containing a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone; a dependent clause cannot.
- Conclusion
- The closing section that ties the piece together and states what it means. It should not introduce new arguments.
- Conflict
- The obstacle pushing against a character's goal. It is the engine of a story.
- Conciseness
- Using the fewest words necessary to say something clearly. Cut filler and repetition.
- Dialogue
- The spoken words of characters in a story, shown in quotation marks and used to reveal character and advance the plot.
- Draft
- A version of a piece. The first draft is the rough initial version; later drafts are improved versions.
- Editing
- Improving the writing at the sentence and paragraph level: word choice, flow, repetition and clarity.
- Hook
- The opening line or lines that catch a reader's attention and make them want to continue.
- Introduction
- The opening section that states what the piece is about and gives the reader a reason to read on.
- Metaphor
- Describing one thing as another to make a comparison without using "like" or "as": "time is a thief."
- Narration
- The voice telling a story, and the perspective from which it is told (first, second or third person).
- Paraphrase
- Restating an idea from a source in your own words, still giving credit to the source.
- Pitch
- A short proposal sent to a publication or editor to sell an idea before you write it.
- Plagiarism
- Presenting someone else's words, ideas or work as your own without credit.
- Plot
- The sequence of events in a story and how they connect to create change.
- Proofreading
- The final pass that catches typos, punctuation errors and inconsistencies. It comes after editing.
- Revision
- The stage of improving the big picture of a piece — structure, argument and clarity — before sentence-level editing.
- Tone
- The attitude the writing conveys: formal, warm, urgent, playful. Tone changes per piece.
- Topic sentence
- The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph.
- Transition
- A word or phrase that connects ideas and shows how they relate: "however", "as a result", "in practice".
- Thesis
- The central claim of an essay or paper that the rest of the work defends.
- Voice
- The writer's consistent, recognisable way of writing, independent of the tone of any one piece.