ACCUPLACER ESL Reading cheat sheet

Main idea = the single claim the whole passage supports; it is broader than any one detail and usually restated in the first or last sentence.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, how much, or why; a detail that cannot be tied to the main idea is usually a distractor.

Valid inference must be forced by the text: if a reader could deny the conclusion without contradicting the passage, it is not a supported inference.

Inference stems signal the move: 'suggests,' 'implies,' 'most likely,' 'probably' ask for a conclusion, not a restatement.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the original sentence and keep only the choice that preserves the sentence's logic and tone.

Contrast words (but, however, although, yet, rather) mark the author's real emphasis; the clause after the contrast usually carries the point.

Cause-effect words (because, therefore, as a result, since) identify relationships; a cause is not automatically a result and vice versa.

Tone and attitude are judged from word choice: neutral, critical, approving, or humorous; extreme options like 'hostile' rarely fit informational text.

Literal comprehension: identify the sentence's subject, verb, and object first; the core meaning survives even when modifiers are removed.

Sequencing markers: first, then, next, after, before, finally, meanwhile, subsequently; 'before/after' clauses reverse the order in which events are mentioned.

Pronoun reference: a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender; the nearest matching noun is the default, not an automatic rule.

Connector logic: 'however/although' = contrast; 'therefore/thus' = result; 'moreover/furthermore' = addition; 'for example' = illustration.

A sentence with two clauses joined by 'but' emphasizes the second clause; joined by 'although' the main clause carries the emphasis.

Negation and double negatives flip meaning: 'not uncommon' means common; 'hardly ever' means rarely, not never.

Comparative sentences state a relationship, not an absolute: 'taller than' gives no height, only an ordering between two things.

Modifier placement: a descriptive phrase next to a noun describes that noun, so misplaced modifiers change who performs the action.

Context clues: definition (or, that is, in other words), example (such as, for instance), contrast (unlike, in contrast), and cause-effect clues.

A word's part of speech in the sentence limits meaning: 'record' as noun is a document; as verb it means to capture or store.

Connotation matters: 'thrifty' is approving, 'stingy' is critical, though both describe saving money.

Prefixes: un-/in-/non- = not; re- = again; pre- = before; post- = after; sub- = under; inter- = between; mis- = wrongly.

Suffixes set the part of speech: -tion/-ment/-ness = noun; -ous/-ful/-ive = adjective; -ize/-ify = verb; -ly = adverb.

Academic words recur across subjects: analyze, evaluate, contrast, interpret, summarize, cite; learn them as functions, not just synonyms.

Choose the option that fits both the sentence's grammar and its logic; a synonym that breaks the sentence structure is wrong.

If a word is unknown, use surrounding examples and the sentence's contrast structure to narrow meaning before choosing.

Skimming reads headings, first sentences, and bolded terms to get the topic; scanning searches for a specific word, number, or name without reading every line.

Preview the question stem before the passage to know which information to hunt for; questions appear in passage order in most tests.

Practical texts (forms, schedules, notices, labels) are read for exact data: dates, prices, deadlines, and conditions stated as requirements.

Watch conditional language in practical text: 'must,' 'required,' 'only if,' 'no later than' set hard rules; 'may,' 'suggested' do not.

Charts and tables: read the title, units, and axis labels first; a number without its unit or category is meaningless.

For academic passages, map the structure: introduction with thesis, body paragraphs with one point each, conclusion restating the thesis.

Time strategy: answer easy questions first, mark hard items, and return; never leave blanks since wrong answers usually cost nothing.

Eliminate answer choices that are too broad, too narrow, or off-topic relative to the passage's scope before choosing.

Main idea = the single claim the whole passage supports; it is broader than any one detail and usually restated in the first or last sentence.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, how much, or why; a detail that cannot be tied to the main idea is usually a distractor.

Valid inference must be forced by the text: if a reader could deny the conclusion without contradicting the passage, it is not a supported inference.

Inference stems signal the move: 'suggests,' 'implies,' 'most likely,' 'probably' ask for a conclusion, not a restatement.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the original sentence and keep only the choice that preserves the sentence's logic and tone.

Contrast words (but, however, although, yet, rather) mark the author's real emphasis; the clause after the contrast usually carries the point.

Cause-effect words (because, therefore, as a result, since) identify relationships; a cause is not automatically a result and vice versa.

Tone and attitude are judged from word choice: neutral, critical, approving, or humorous; extreme options like 'hostile' rarely fit informational text.

Literal comprehension: identify the sentence's subject, verb, and object first; the core meaning survives even when modifiers are removed.

Sequencing markers: first, then, next, after, before, finally, meanwhile, subsequently; 'before/after' clauses reverse the order in which events are mentioned.

Pronoun reference: a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender; the nearest matching noun is the default, not an automatic rule.

Connector logic: 'however/although' = contrast; 'therefore/thus' = result; 'moreover/furthermore' = addition; 'for example' = illustration.

A sentence with two clauses joined by 'but' emphasizes the second clause; joined by 'although' the main clause carries the emphasis.

Negation and double negatives flip meaning: 'not uncommon' means common; 'hardly ever' means rarely, not never.

Comparative sentences state a relationship, not an absolute: 'taller than' gives no height, only an ordering between two things.

Modifier placement: a descriptive phrase next to a noun describes that noun, so misplaced modifiers change who performs the action.

Context clues: definition (or, that is, in other words), example (such as, for instance), contrast (unlike, in contrast), and cause-effect clues.

A word's part of speech in the sentence limits meaning: 'record' as noun is a document; as verb it means to capture or store.

Connotation matters: 'thrifty' is approving, 'stingy' is critical, though both describe saving money.

Prefixes: un-/in-/non- = not; re- = again; pre- = before; post- = after; sub- = under; inter- = between; mis- = wrongly.

Suffixes set the part of speech: -tion/-ment/-ness = noun; -ous/-ful/-ive = adjective; -ize/-ify = verb; -ly = adverb.

Academic words recur across subjects: analyze, evaluate, contrast, interpret, summarize, cite; learn them as functions, not just synonyms.

Choose the option that fits both the sentence's grammar and its logic; a synonym that breaks the sentence structure is wrong.

If a word is unknown, use surrounding examples and the sentence's contrast structure to narrow meaning before choosing.

Skimming reads headings, first sentences, and bolded terms to get the topic; scanning searches for a specific word, number, or name without reading every line.

Preview the question stem before the passage to know which information to hunt for; questions appear in passage order in most tests.

Practical texts (forms, schedules, notices, labels) are read for exact data: dates, prices, deadlines, and conditions stated as requirements.

Watch conditional language in practical text: 'must,' 'required,' 'only if,' 'no later than' set hard rules; 'may,' 'suggested' do not.

Charts and tables: read the title, units, and axis labels first; a number without its unit or category is meaningless.

For academic passages, map the structure: introduction with thesis, body paragraphs with one point each, conclusion restating the thesis.

Time strategy: answer easy questions first, mark hard items, and return; never leave blanks since wrong answers usually cost nothing.

Eliminate answer choices that are too broad, too narrow, or off-topic relative to the passage's scope before choosing.

Main idea = the single claim the whole passage supports; it is broader than any one detail and usually restated in the first or last sentence.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, how much, or why; a detail that cannot be tied to the main idea is usually a distractor.

Valid inference must be forced by the text: if a reader could deny the conclusion without contradicting the passage, it is not a supported inference.

Inference stems signal the move: 'suggests,' 'implies,' 'most likely,' 'probably' ask for a conclusion, not a restatement.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the original sentence and keep only the choice that preserves the sentence's logic and tone.

Contrast words (but, however, although, yet, rather) mark the author's real emphasis; the clause after the contrast usually carries the point.

Cause-effect words (because, therefore, as a result, since) identify relationships; a cause is not automatically a result and vice versa.

Tone and attitude are judged from word choice: neutral, critical, approving, or humorous; extreme options like 'hostile' rarely fit informational text.

Literal comprehension: identify the sentence's subject, verb, and object first; the core meaning survives even when modifiers are removed.

Sequencing markers: first, then, next, after, before, finally, meanwhile, subsequently; 'before/after' clauses reverse the order in which events are mentioned.

Pronoun reference: a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender; the nearest matching noun is the default, not an automatic rule.

Connector logic: 'however/although' = contrast; 'therefore/thus' = result; 'moreover/furthermore' = addition; 'for example' = illustration.

A sentence with two clauses joined by 'but' emphasizes the second clause; joined by 'although' the main clause carries the emphasis.

Negation and double negatives flip meaning: 'not uncommon' means common; 'hardly ever' means rarely, not never.

Comparative sentences state a relationship, not an absolute: 'taller than' gives no height, only an ordering between two things.

Modifier placement: a descriptive phrase next to a noun describes that noun, so misplaced modifiers change who performs the action.

Context clues: definition (or, that is, in other words), example (such as, for instance), contrast (unlike, in contrast), and cause-effect clues.

A word's part of speech in the sentence limits meaning: 'record' as noun is a document; as verb it means to capture or store.

Connotation matters: 'thrifty' is approving, 'stingy' is critical, though both describe saving money.

Prefixes: un-/in-/non- = not; re- = again; pre- = before; post- = after; sub- = under; inter- = between; mis- = wrongly.

Suffixes set the part of speech: -tion/-ment/-ness = noun; -ous/-ful/-ive = adjective; -ize/-ify = verb; -ly = adverb.

Academic words recur across subjects: analyze, evaluate, contrast, interpret, summarize, cite; learn them as functions, not just synonyms.

Choose the option that fits both the sentence's grammar and its logic; a synonym that breaks the sentence structure is wrong.

If a word is unknown, use surrounding examples and the sentence's contrast structure to narrow meaning before choosing.

Skimming reads headings, first sentences, and bolded terms to get the topic; scanning searches for a specific word, number, or name without reading every line.

Preview the question stem before the passage to know which information to hunt for; questions appear in passage order in most tests.

Practical texts (forms, schedules, notices, labels) are read for exact data: dates, prices, deadlines, and conditions stated as requirements.

Watch conditional language in practical text: 'must,' 'required,' 'only if,' 'no later than' set hard rules; 'may,' 'suggested' do not.

Charts and tables: read the title, units, and axis labels first; a number without its unit or category is meaningless.

For academic passages, map the structure: introduction with thesis, body paragraphs with one point each, conclusion restating the thesis.

Time strategy: answer easy questions first, mark hard items, and return; never leave blanks since wrong answers usually cost nothing.

Eliminate answer choices that are too broad, too narrow, or off-topic relative to the passage's scope before choosing.