432 / Glossary
bibliography cards cards, usually 3" × 5", on which bibliographic information
is recorded prior to the preparation of a bibliography. [See Chapter 34, Research
Paper, for a full explanation of preparing the cards.]
biography the account of a person’s life. [See Chapter 18, Biography, for an expla-
nation and examples.]
body the main part of a paragraph or paper, in which ideas are developed and
supported.
book report an essay that gives a brief summary of a book and a reaction to it.
[See Chapter 19, Book Report, for the process of developing a book report, including
samples.]
brackets punctuation marks [ ] used to enclose words and figures, such as those
used for explanation.
capitalization the use of uppercase letters.
card catalog in a library, a file of cards that list books by title, author, and sub-
ject. The cards describe the book and give publication information. Now com-
monly replaced by a computer catalog.
case the inflected form taken by a noun, pronoun, or adjective to show its rela-
tionship to other words. Example: That is his watch. (His is a pronoun in the
possessive case.) [See Pronoun Usage in Chapter 43, Usage.]
catharsis a relieving of the emotions, especially through art, as by watching a
tragic play.
cause and effect a method of developing a paper showing 1. what produced
an effect or result; the reason for some action or feeling; or 2. anything brought
about by a cause; result; or 3. both the producer and the result. [For an explana-
tion and examples, see Chapter 6, Cause and Effect.]
characterization the act of describing or showing a person’s particular qualities
or traits. Example: Tennyson characterized King Arthur as wise and brave. [See
Chapter 20, Character Sketch.]
chronological order an arrangement in the order in which things occur. Chrono-
logical order may move from past to present or, in reverse chronological order,
from present to past.
classification a method of development in which objects are arranged according
to class. [For an explanation and examples, see Chapter 7, Classification.]
classified advertising advertising as in newspapers, under such listings as help
wanted and for sale. [See Chapter 21, Classified Ad, for an explanation and examples.]
clause, main a group of words containing a subject and verb that can stand
alone; also called an independent clause, or sentence. Example: After the celebra-
tion was over, we had a big cleanup job. (The main clause is we had a big cleanup
job.) [See Chapter 44, Phrases and Clauses.]