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THE WRITING PROCESS
Glossary of Essay Terms
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Whether you are writing a short-answer essay of a few sentences or a take-home exam that may require hours of planning and writing, the vocabulary used in essay examinations is often repetitive regardless of the subject matter or discipline. It is therefore advantageous to have a comprehensive understanding of the terminology, rhetorical strategies, and expectations of essay writing.
| When a question asks you to: | Write an essay including: |
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| Analyze |
a detailed examination of the topic, divided into parts and discussed separately |
| Argue |
your opinion and evidence/support |
| Compare/Contrast |
a discussion of significant similarities and/or differences of two or more items |
| Critique |
your evaluation of a text, pointing out its goals, strengths, and weaknesses |
| Diagram |
a picture, chart, or plan |
| Define |
the exact meaning or precise description of a word or idea |
| Enumerate |
a numbered list |
| Evaluate |
a reasoned judgment with supporting arguments/evidence |
| Explain |
the reasons for or the meaning of something |
| Illustrate |
an example or examples |
| Interpret |
an explanation of what you think something means and/or why it’s significant |
| Outline |
the main points and essential details |
| Summarize |
the core ideas of a text or argument |
| Trace |
the development of an idea or a sequence of events |
| Discuss |
any combination of the above |
