Found 21 literary terms starting with C:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Cause/Effect An organizational structure in which the writer analyzes both the reasons leading to and the results of an action, event, or trend.
Character A person, animal or inanimate object portrayed in a literary work.
Characterization The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits and personalities (e.g., direct, indirect).
Claim The opinion statement in a piece of persuasive writing. (See Argument/Position.)
Clarity A quality of writing indicative of appropriate word choice and sentence structure that yields written text that is clear and concise.
Clause A group of words that contains a subject and predicate. An independent clause can stand as a sentence. e.g., The meeting was cancelled. A dependent, or subordinate, clause must be attached to an independent clause in order to form a sentence. e.g., The meeting was cancelled because snow was accumulating at an inch per hour.
Climax The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of stories, novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to the climax.
Cohesiveness A quality of writing indicative of a logical flow of an argument and its correlating ideas and details throughout a piece of writing.
Commonly Confused Words Words that are used mistakenly because of similarity in spelling, pronunciation, or context of usage (e.g., accept/except, imply/infer).
Compare/Contrast Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections.
Conclusion The final paragraph of a piece of writing that provides a sense of completeness for the reader as well as a re‐emphasis of main points/ideas. The conclusion should not serve as a simple summary but should leave the reader with a clear impression of what has been discussed.
Conflict/Problem A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.
Conjunction A connecting word. Coordinating conjunctions (i.e., and, but, so, for, nor, or, yet) connect two equal grammatical structures. e.g., I swept the floor, and Emma loaded the dishwasher. Subordinating conjunctions (e.g., after, because, although) emphasize the importance of one grammatical structure over the other. e.g., I swept the floor after Emma loaded the dishwasher.
Connotation The range of associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning.
Content/Meaning The essence and substance—information, ideas, insights, and beliefs—that constitute the body of a written text.
Context Clues Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Controlling Idea/Main Idea The writer’s central thought and chief topic of a piece of writing.
Conventions of Language Grammar, mechanics (i.e., punctuation, capitalization, and spelling), and language usage.
Counterargument An argument that is in opposition to the claim/position provided in a piece of persuasive writing. It is a means to provide a balance between the claim/position and its opposing views and adds credibility to the writing by allowing a broader range of viewpoints.
Couplet Two lines with rhyming ends. Shakespeare often used a couplet to end a sonnet.
Cultural Significance The generally accepted importance of a work representing a given culture.

Cause/Effect

An organizational structure in which the writer analyzes both the reasons leading to and the results of an action, event, or trend.

Character

A person, animal or inanimate object portrayed in a literary work.

Characterization

The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits and personalities (e.g., direct, indirect).

Claim

The opinion statement in a piece of persuasive writing. (See Argument/Position.)

Clarity

A quality of writing indicative of appropriate word choice and sentence structure that yields written text that is clear and concise.

Clause

A group of words that contains a subject and predicate. An independent clause can stand as a sentence. e.g., The meeting was cancelled.
A dependent, or subordinate, clause must be attached to an independent clause in order to form a sentence. e.g., The meeting was cancelled because snow was accumulating at an inch per hour.

Climax

The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of stories, novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to the climax.

Cohesiveness

A quality of writing indicative of a logical flow of an argument and its correlating ideas and details throughout a piece of writing.

Commonly Confused Words

Words that are used mistakenly because of similarity in spelling, pronunciation, or context of usage (e.g., accept/except, imply/infer).

Compare/Contrast

Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections.

Conclusion

The final paragraph of a piece of writing that provides a sense of completeness for the reader as well as a re‐emphasis of main points/ideas. The conclusion should not serve as a simple summary but should leave the reader with a clear impression of what has been discussed.

Conflict/Problem

A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.

Conjunction

A connecting word.
Coordinating conjunctions (i.e., and, but, so, for, nor, or, yet) connect two equal grammatical structures. e.g., I swept the floor, and Emma loaded the dishwasher.
Subordinating conjunctions (e.g., after, because, although) emphasize the importance of one grammatical structure over the other. e.g., I swept the floor after Emma loaded the dishwasher.

Connotation

The range of associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning.

Content/Meaning

The essence and substance—information, ideas, insights, and beliefs—that constitute the body of a written text.

Context Clues

Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Controlling Idea/Main Idea

The writer’s central thought and chief topic of a piece of writing.

Conventions of Language

Grammar, mechanics (i.e., punctuation, capitalization, and spelling), and language usage.

Counterargument

An argument that is in opposition to the claim/position provided in a piece of persuasive writing. It is a means to provide a balance between the claim/position and its opposing views and adds credibility to the writing by allowing a broader range of viewpoints.

Couplet

Two lines with rhyming ends. Shakespeare often used a couplet to end a sonnet.

Cultural Significance

The generally accepted importance of a work representing a given culture.

Cause/Effect An organizational structure in which the writer analyzes both the reasons leading to and the results of an action, event, or trend.
Character A person, animal or inanimate object portrayed in a literary work.
Characterization The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits and personalities (e.g., direct, indirect).
Claim The opinion statement in a piece of persuasive writing. (See Argument/Position.)
Clarity A quality of writing indicative of appropriate word choice and sentence structure that yields written text that is clear and concise.
Clause A group of words that contains a subject and predicate. An independent clause can stand as a sentence. e.g., The meeting was cancelled. A dependent, or subordinate, clause must be attached to an independent clause in order to form a sentence. e.g., The meeting was cancelled because snow was accumulating at an inch per hour.
Climax The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of stories, novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to the climax.
Cohesiveness A quality of writing indicative of a logical flow of an argument and its correlating ideas and details throughout a piece of writing.
Commonly Confused Words Words that are used mistakenly because of similarity in spelling, pronunciation, or context of usage (e.g., accept/except, imply/infer).
Compare/Contrast Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections.
Conclusion The final paragraph of a piece of writing that provides a sense of completeness for the reader as well as a re‐emphasis of main points/ideas. The conclusion should not serve as a simple summary but should leave the reader with a clear impression of what has been discussed.
Conflict/Problem A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.
Conjunction A connecting word. Coordinating conjunctions (i.e., and, but, so, for, nor, or, yet) connect two equal grammatical structures. e.g., I swept the floor, and Emma loaded the dishwasher. Subordinating conjunctions (e.g., after, because, although) emphasize the importance of one grammatical structure over the other. e.g., I swept the floor after Emma loaded the dishwasher.
Connotation The range of associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning.
Content/Meaning The essence and substance—information, ideas, insights, and beliefs—that constitute the body of a written text.
Context Clues Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Controlling Idea/Main Idea The writer’s central thought and chief topic of a piece of writing.
Conventions of Language Grammar, mechanics (i.e., punctuation, capitalization, and spelling), and language usage.
Counterargument An argument that is in opposition to the claim/position provided in a piece of persuasive writing. It is a means to provide a balance between the claim/position and its opposing views and adds credibility to the writing by allowing a broader range of viewpoints.
Couplet Two lines with rhyming ends. Shakespeare often used a couplet to end a sonnet.
Cultural Significance The generally accepted importance of a work representing a given culture.

Cause/Effect

An organizational structure in which the writer analyzes both the reasons leading to and the results of an action, event, or trend.

Character

A person, animal or inanimate object portrayed in a literary work.

Characterization

The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits and personalities (e.g., direct, indirect).

Claim

The opinion statement in a piece of persuasive writing. (See Argument/Position.)

Clarity

A quality of writing indicative of appropriate word choice and sentence structure that yields written text that is clear and concise.

Clause

Climax

Cohesiveness

A quality of writing indicative of a logical flow of an argument and its correlating ideas and details throughout a piece of writing.

Commonly Confused Words

Words that are used mistakenly because of similarity in spelling, pronunciation, or context of usage (e.g., accept/except, imply/infer).

Compare/Contrast

Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections.

Conclusion

Conflict/Problem

A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.

Conjunction

Connotation

The range of associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning.

Content/Meaning

The essence and substance—information, ideas, insights, and beliefs—that constitute the body of a written text.

Context Clues

Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Controlling Idea/Main Idea

The writer’s central thought and chief topic of a piece of writing.

Conventions of Language

Grammar, mechanics (i.e., punctuation, capitalization, and spelling), and language usage.

Counterargument

Couplet

Two lines with rhyming ends. Shakespeare often used a couplet to end a sonnet.

Cultural Significance

The generally accepted importance of a work representing a given culture.

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