Common State Testing Vocabulary

To make clear; to make more understandable

Not literal; based on figures of speech; expand meaning

To break down into its parts and examine to determine meaning

To measure; to determine the amount of

Give reasons or cite evidence in support or against something under consideration

To make clear or understandable to others

Examine in order to note likenesses between two things or what they have in common

To show or prove something to be true and valid

To discover by going over the evidence step-by-step

The particular order in which events or things follow each other

The plot or ordered events in a novel, poem, drama, etc...

Make changes in a piece of writing to improve its clarity

To consider what's been read in order to state an opinion

To decide or conclude through reasoning or observation

To describe, explain, display, or illustrate through examples

A writer's attitude toward their subject

Something that provides information

Parts of writing or of a speech that precede or follow a specific word or passage

Author's most important idea or the inspiration/reason for creating the written work

Noting individual features or characteristics

The position or angle from which a story is told

To deduce, conclude, or figure out from evidence

Sequence of events, experiences, etc. that can be fiction or nonfiction

An important, unifying idea often answering the questions, "What did I learn?"

To express something clearly in writing or speech

To quote specifically; recall

Tell or show with written or spoken words; point out facts or details

Bring to an end; to arrive at a judgment or opinion by reasoning

The main body of the reading

A word or phrase that connects two ideas together smoothly

To say something will happen or will be a consequence of something

To state or express the most important elements in shortened form, usually chronologically

The specific reason that a person has for writing something

Something that proves or disproves; facts that make it plain and clear

To make a judgement

Examine in order to identify and understand differences between two or more things

Smaller pieces that support ideas; smaller elements of structure

To back up, using evidence to justify your answer, opinion, or claim

To say that something is the case without providing evidence

The organization of something; the organization of parts and how they are related

To show the truth or existence of smoething by using evidence

Expand on an idea; add details to give strength to an idea or position

A topic that people have different opinioins about