brainstorm: To come up with many ideas
draft: A first version of a piece of writing
revise: To change and improve content and ideas
edit: To fix spelling, grammar and punctuation
proofread: To check for mistakes before finishing
publish: To share finished writing with others
prewriting: The planning stage before drafting
outline: A plan listing main points in order
graphic organizer: A chart for planning ideas
topic: What your writing is about
topic sentence: A sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph
thesis statement: A sentence that states the main argument of an essay
paragraph: A group of sentences about one idea
introduction: The opening of a piece of writing
hook: An attention-grabbing opening
body: The main part of a piece of writing
conclusion: The ending that wraps up the ideas
transition: A word or phrase that connects ideas: however, next
supporting detail: A fact or example that backs up a point
evidence: Information that proves a claim
claim: A statement you argue is true
counterargument: An opposing view
rebuttal: A response that answers a counterargument
cite: To name the source of information
quote: To copy exact words from a source
paraphrase: To restate in your own words
plagiarism: Using someone else's work as your own
narrative: Writing that tells a story
descriptive writing: Writing that paints a picture with words
expository writing: Writing that explains or informs
persuasive writing: Writing that tries to convince
argumentative writing: Writing that supports a claim with evidence
opinion piece: Writing that gives your view with reasons
informative writing: Writing that teaches about a topic
personal narrative: A true story about your own experience
fiction: Made-up stories
nonfiction: True writing
journal: Personal daily writing
letter: A message written to someone
friendly letter: An informal letter
business letter: A formal letter
summary: A short account of main points
lead: The opening of a story or article
voice: The unique personality of your writing
word choice: Picking the best, most exact words
sentence fluency: How smoothly sentences flow
conventions: Spelling, grammar and punctuation rules
organization: How ideas are arranged
audience: Who will read your writing
purpose: Why you are writing
tone: The attitude in writing
mood: The feeling in writing
show, don't tell: Use details and actions instead of just stating feelings
sensory details: Details of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch
dialogue: Written conversation
point of view: Whose eyes the story is told through
rubric: A scoring guide
peer review: When classmates give feedback
feedback: Comments to help improve work
heading: A title above a section
byline: A line naming the author
headline: The title of a news story
caption: Text beneath a picture
bibliography: A list of sources used

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/la-writing-vocabulary