English Composition Vocabulary List II

Linda R. (United States of America)
This is the second list of vocabulary words from the Refining Composition Skills textbook and other words discussed in the writing class.
65 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. active voice
    when the subject of a sentence performs the action
    For the most part, use active voice in essay writing.
  2. advent
    arrival that has been awaited
  3. allay
    lessen the intensity of or calm
  4. ascending
    moving or going or growing upward
  5. assessment
    the act of judging a person or situation or event
  6. bereaved person
    a person who has suffered the death of someone they loved
  7. chronological sequence
    a following of one thing after another in time
  8. citation
    a passage or expression that is quoted
  9. classification
    the basic cognitive process of arranging into categories
  10. concede
    acknowledge defeat
  11. configure
    set up for a particular purpose
  12. context
    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation
  13. conventional
    in accord with a tradition accepted from the past
  14. coordinating conjunction
    a conjunction (like `and' or `or') that connects two identically constructed grammatical constituents
    Remember FAN BOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
  15. counterargument
    an opinion offered in opposition to another position
  16. cram
    study intensively, as before an exam
  17. critical analysis
    an appraisal based on careful analytical evaluation
  18. descending
    coming down or downward
  19. design
    something intended as a guide for making something else
  20. direct quotation
    a report of the exact words used in a discourse
  21. edit
    prepare for publication or presentation by revising
  22. enact
    order by virtue of superior authority; decree
  23. formal
    adhering to traditional standards of correctness
  24. franchise
    a business authorized to sell a company's goods or services
  25. gerund
    a noun formed from a verb
    An example would be: Swimming is the one of the best exercises because it uses the entire body.
  26. globalization
    growth to a worldwide scale
  27. grade point average
    a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted
  28. hierarchy
    organization of different ranks in an administrative body
  29. implement
    apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design
  30. impulse-buy
    buy on impulse without proper reflection
  31. incapacitated
    lacking in or deprived of strength or power
  32. intangible
    incapable of being perceived by the senses, especially touch
  33. invoke
    summon into action or bring into existence
  34. laggard
    someone who takes more time than necessary
  35. marketing
    the commercial processes in promoting and selling something
  36. mediocre
    moderate to inferior in quality
    Another similar word is "average."
  37. metaphor
    a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity
  38. nitty-gritty
    the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
  39. paraphrase
    express the same message in different words
  40. persuasive
    intended or having the power to induce action or belief
  41. plagiarism
    a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else
  42. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  43. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
  44. procrastinate
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
  45. rational
    consistent with or based on or using reason
  46. refute
    prove to be false or incorrect
  47. research
    systematic investigation to establish facts
  48. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
  49. revamp
    patch up or renovate; repair or restore
  50. semicolon
    a punctuation mark used to connect independent clauses
  51. sexist
    discriminatory on the basis of gender roles
  52. simile
    a figure of speech expressing a resemblance between things
    A simile uses the words "as" or "like" to describe a comparison.
  53. simulate
    create a representation or model of
  54. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
  55. source
    a document from which information is obtained
  56. stance
    a rationalized mental attitude
  57. stimulate
    act to arouse action
  58. sustain
    supply with necessities and support
  59. syllabus
    an integrated course of academic studies
  60. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
  61. thesis
    an unproved statement advanced as a premise in an argument
  62. transition
    a passage or word that connects a topic to one that follows
  63. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
  64. virtual
    being actually such in almost every respect
  65. wary
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
Created on Sun Nov 17 17:57:44 EST 2013 (updated Mon Nov 18 16:25:52 EST 2013)

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