Academic Language

words presented with the aim of persuading thought or action (includes a claim, counterclaim, and reasons and evidence to support the claim)

• Theme

• Analyze

• Argument

• Main Idea

to separate into its constituent elements or parts; to break into smaller parts for the purpose of study or examination

• Analyze

• Cite

• Describe

• Inference

the author's reason for composing a text (persuade, inform, entertain)

• Main Idea

• Medium

• Paraphrase

• Author's Purpose

the exact location of a quotation or reference from a text brought forward as support (more useful when it includes a line number, paragraph number, page number, and/or author)

• Claim

• Citation

• Distinguish

• Evaluate

an assertion to the truth of something, typically one that is disputed or in doubt

• Text Structure (Instructional)

• Claim

• Topic

• Identify

to note similarities

• Identify

• Point of View (Informational)

• Compare

• Summarize

a sophisticated inference; a logical assumption based on multiple pieces of information from a text plus prior knowledge and/or experience

• Conclusion

• Opinion

• Point of View (Literary)

• Synthesize

to note differences

• Compare

• Determine

• Contrast

• Textual Evidence

to represent or give an account in words

• Analyze

• Format

• Inference

• Describe

to figure out

• Determine

• Format

• Phrase

• Text Structure (Instructional)