Argumentative Writing Essentials

The testing effect is the enhanced ability to remember information after retrieving it from memory through testing.

Active recall is a learning technique that involves actively stimulating memory during the learning process, typically through testing oneself.

Spaced repetition is a study technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals to improve long-term retention.

Retrieval practice involves frequently testing oneself on the material to improve long-term retention and understanding.

Memory consolidation is the process by which recent experiences are transformed into long-term memories over time.

Informative writing aims to educate the reader about a specific topic.

Details that bolster the main idea in the body of the writing.

Summarizes the main argument or point in the conclusion of informative writing.

A guide that outlines the structure of the writing and main ideas.

Data and facts used to substantiate claims made in the writing.

Includes explanatory writing as one of its forms.

Writing that presents a viewpoint and supports it with evidence and emotional appeal.

A technique that encourages readers to do something because everyone else is doing it.

A literary criticism that analyzes the structure and form of a text.

The evaluation, analysis, description, or interpretation of literary works.

Formalist criticism studies the work as a whole and its individual parts.

The most exciting part of a story, where the main conflict reaches its peak.

The series of related events that make up a story.

The central or main character in a story, often the hero or focus.

The opposition of forces essential to the plot, creating tension.

The perspective from which the story is told, defining the lens for the narrative.

A literary device that uses descriptive language to create vivid mental pictures.

The initial presentation of characters in a story, establishing context.

A counterargument acknowledges weaknesses in the writer's own arguments.

The writer opposes corporal punishment due to its negative effects on children.

Argumentative text aims to establish the truthfulness of the writer's claims and ends with a call to action.

A critique is an opinionated analysis evaluating a work in depth.

Key elements of a critique include characterization, conflict, and plot analysis.

Supporting a critique includes using quotes from the story and opinions of others.

Character analysis includes evaluating how characters are developed and their relatability.

Critiques often have consistent content focusing on both merits and flaws.

Steps include summarizing the story, analyzing key elements, evaluating the work, and giving recommendations.

It's important for a critique to express the writer's personal opinion on the work being analyzed.