Writing and Narrative: English Vocabulary List

the page at the front of a book that the names of the book, its author, and publisher are printed on it

"The title page looks nice."

"The title page of the book displayed the author's name and the publisher's logo clearly."

an extra piece of information that is placed at the bottom of a printed page

"Read the footnote at the bottom."

"A historical footnote is a person or event of such minor importance that they are only a brief mention in the larger narrative of a grand history."

the way of telling or explaining a story, particularly in a movie, novel, etc.

"The narration was smooth."

"The documentary used narration by a famous actor to guide viewers through the complex historical events."

a way of telling or writing a story in which things happen to the narrator and the story revolves around them

"The first-person style felt personal."

"The first-person narrative showed only the speaker’s thoughts and feelings."

to write a book, article, bill, etc. with another author

"She is a co-author of books."

"He decided to co-author the research paper with a colleague from another university so they could combine their expertise and knowledge."

to make a note of something in a hurried and informal style

"She jots down important notes quickly."

"Let me jot down your phone number so I can call you later to confirm our meeting time."

to read and correct the mistakes of a written or printed text

"She proofreads the document for errors."

"You should always proofread your emails before sending them to catch any embarrassing spelling mistakes or typos."

to write the words used in a movie, play, etc.

"He scripts the dialogue for movies."

"The talented writer was hired to script the dialogue for the new animated film from a major studio."

the story of the life of a person, written by the same person

"Her autobiography was an instant bestseller."

"After years of hesitation, she finally decided to write her own autobiography to share her inspiring life journey."

a series of cartoons in boxes that narrate a story

"The comic strip was funny."

"She read a comic strip in the newspaper every morning."

a short story on morality with animal characters

"The fable of the tortoise and the hare is famous."

"A fable is a short story featuring animals as characters that conveys a clear moral lesson"

a small book with a paper cover giving information about a particular subject

"The pamphlet was brief."

"The clinic distributed a pamphlet about healthy eating habits to all patients waiting for appointments."

a book with a cover made from stiff material such as cardboard, leather, etc.

"The hardcover looked new."

"He bought a hardcover edition of the novel for his collection."

a book with a cover that is made of thick paper

"The paperback was cheap."

"She preferred the paperback because it was light and easy to carry."

spoken or written language in its usual form, in contrast to poetry

"She prefers prose."

"While the play contained some poetic passages, the majority of the dialogue was written in clear prose."

someone who writes plays for the TV, radio, or theater

"The dramatist wrote well."

"The dramatist created a powerful play for the theater season."

someone who writes plays for the TV, radio, or theater

"The playwright succeeded."

"The playwright spent two years writing the script before the theater agreed to produce it."

attractive and interesting in a way that draws one's attention

"He is an engaging speaker."

"The speaker was engaging and funny so the audience listened carefully to every word he said and laughed at all of his jokes."

exciting and intriguing in a way that attracts one's attention

"The movie was gripping."

"The gripping thriller novel kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page."

arousing interest and curiosity due to being strange or mysterious

"The idea is intriguing."

"The detective found an intriguing clue at the crime scene that did not seem to fit with any of the other evidence that he had collected."

using statements that mean the opposite of what is stated, often to convey criticism or humor through an implied second meaning

"Her comment was ironic."

"It was ironic that the fire station burned down while the firefighters were celebrating their safety award."

a set of three movies, books, etc. that are related or have the same characters

"It's a movie trilogy."

"The epic fantasy trilogy concluded with a climactic battle that resolved all the main storylines."

a book, movie, play, etc. that continues and extends the story of an earlier one

"The sequel to the hit video game will be released next year."

"A spiritual sequel is a new work that is not a direct narrative continuation"

a mode of storytelling where the narrator refers to characters using pronouns like "he" and "she" and is not a character in the story

"The third-person narrative was smooth."

"The third-person narrative allowed the writer to describe many characters at once."

a movie or book genre involving real crimes and real people

"True crime is popular."

"They watched a true crime documentary about a famous case."

a separate part at the end of a book that gives further information

"The appendix was useful."

"The appendix gave extra tables and notes at the end of the report."

the events that have happened to a character before their story in a book, movie, etc. begins

"The backstory mattered."

"The film's villain had a tragic backstory that explained why he became so evil and bitter."

the way in which characters in a movie, book, etc. are created and represented by a writer

"The characterization was strong."

"The writer used characterization to make the hero feel real."

an unexpected turn in the course of events

"The film has a shocking final plot twist that changes everything."

"The story takes an unexpected twist when the hero is revealed as the villain."

a mental spark that drives unusual creativity or activity

"The poem was a sudden flash of inspiration."

"The breathtaking sunset over the mountains gave her the inspiration she needed to start painting again."

to write a literary piece with a lot of consideration

"Compose the letter."

"The poet decided to compose a sonnet to express his deep emotions."

(of a literary work) very serious or hard to understand

"The book is heavy."

"The philosopher's latest work is a heavy treatise on existentialism."

(of a literary piece) related to or characteristic of tragedy

"The play was tragic."

"The Shakespearean drama was a tragic tale of love and loss."

the practice of using symbols to signify an idea, object, etc.

"The symbolism was clear."

"The novel uses heavy symbolism where the storm represents the protagonist's inner emotional turmoil."

a sentence from a speech, book, etc. that is repeated somewhere else because it is wise or interesting

"The article began with a famous quote."

"The article began with a famous quote from Albert Einstein about the importance of imagination and curiosity."

a novel or movie about love

"She likes romance."

"The novel was a sweeping romance set against the backdrop of wartime."