ACCUPLACER flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central point that the entire passage supports; it is broader than any single supporting detail and is often stated in the first or last sentence.

Inference

A conclusion the reader draws from evidence in the text rather than from an explicit statement; a valid inference must be supported and required by the passage.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice, such as ironic, critical, neutral, or enthusiastic.

Author's purpose

The reason a text was written, usually expressed as a verb phrase such as to inform, to persuade, to explain, to entertain, or to criticize.

Contrast signal words

Words such as but, however, although, and yet that mark a shift in direction; the idea after the signal usually carries the author's emphasis.

Independent clause

A group of words with a subject and a verb that can stand alone as a complete sentence; two such clauses joined only by a comma create a comma splice.

Dangling modifier

An introductory phrase that does not logically describe the subject of the main clause, as in 'Walking home, the rain began.'

Parallel structure

Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or after correlative conjunctions, as in 'hiking, swimming, and biking.'

Semicolon

A punctuation mark that joins two independent clauses without a conjunction, or separates items in a list that already contain commas.

Its versus it's

'Its' is the possessive form of it, while 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'; the two forms are never interchangeable.

Slope formula

m = (y2 - y1)/(x2 - x1), the change in y divided by the change in x between two points on a line.

Quadratic formula

x = (-b +/- sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)) / (2a), which gives the solutions of the equation ax^2 + bx + c = 0.

Pythagorean theorem

In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the two legs: a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

Percent change

The difference between a new value and an old value divided by the old value, then multiplied by 100: (new - old)/old * 100.

Median

The middle value of a data set arranged in order; with an even number of values, it is the mean of the two middle values.

Difference of squares

The factoring pattern a^2 - b^2 = (a - b)(a + b), a shortcut that avoids multiplying out the two binomials.

Topic sentence

The sentence, usually first or last in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main idea and controls the details that follow it.

Sequence signal words

Words such as first, next, then, before, after, and finally that show the order in which events happen.

Context clue

Information in nearby words or sentences, such as a definition, an example, or a contrast, that helps a reader guess an unfamiliar word's meaning.

Pronoun reference

The noun that a pronoun such as he, it, or they points back to; matching number and gender helps identify the correct noun.

Present perfect

Have or has plus a past participle, used for actions that began in the past and continue, or that happened at an unspecified time.

Count and noncount nouns

Count nouns take many and a plural -s; noncount nouns such as information, water, and advice take much and have no plural form.

Article rules

Use a or an for one unspecified item, and the for a specific item already known or mentioned; use no article for general plurals.

Comparative form

For most one-syllable adjectives add -er and use than; for longer adjectives use more plus the adjective, as in 'more careful.'

Contraction

A shortened spoken form such as I'll, they're, or should've, in which a pronoun or auxiliary verb is reduced in pronunciation.

Content word stress

Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are stressed in speech while articles, prepositions, and auxiliaries are reduced, so stressed words carry the meaning.

Rising intonation

A rise in pitch at the end of a yes/no question, contrasted with the falling pitch of most wh-questions and statements.

Polite request phrases

Spoken formulas such as 'Could you speak up?' or 'I'm not following' that ask for repetition or louder volume rather than a yes-or-no answer.

Thesis statement

A single sentence, usually at the end of the introduction, that states the essay's main claim and the direction of the body paragraphs.

Body paragraph structure

A topic sentence followed by explanation, evidence or an example, and a closing sentence that links the point back to the thesis.

Transition words

Connectors such as furthermore, however, therefore, and for instance that show the relationship between ideas and between paragraphs.

Sentence fragment

A group of words punctuated as a sentence that is missing a subject, a complete verb, or an independent clause.