Essential Academic Vocabulary

To separate into the main parts and look carefully at each part

• infer
• explain
• analyze
• cause

To show how things are alike or similar

• contrast
• compare
• support
• describe

To show how things are different

• contrast
• persuade
• compare
• evidence

To explain something to create a mental image in the reader’s mind - especially focusing on the five senses.

• analyze

• infer

• summarize

• describe

To make something clear by giving reasons

• infer

• persuade

• cause

• explain

To convince someone of your idea(s) on something through logic or reasoning

• infer
• analyze
• persuade
• evidence

To use your background knowledge and clues in the text or picture to figure out what is happening

• summarize
• elaborate
• infer
• describe

To restate the important ideas or events from a text in a shorter way

• summarize
• evidence
• text
• strategy

To back up your answer with details from your own experience or details from the text (evidence)

• compare
• analyze
• persuade
• support

The reason for something; the trigger

• infer
• evidence
• cause
• effect