ACT English flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Main idea
- The central point of a paragraph or passage, often stated in a topic sentence and supported by all other sentences.
- Topic sentence
- A sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph, usually placed at the beginning and controlling the paragraph's content.
- Supporting details
- Sentences that provide evidence, examples, or explanations to develop and reinforce the main idea of a paragraph.
- Transition word
- A word or phrase that signals the relationship between ideas, such as contrast (however), addition (moreover), or cause (therefore).
- Conciseness
- The quality of expressing an idea in the fewest words necessary without losing meaning or grammatical correctness.
- Redundancy
- The unnecessary repetition of an idea using different words, such as 'return back' or 'final outcome', which should be avoided.
- Cohesion
- The logical flow and connection between sentences and paragraphs in a passage, often achieved through transitions and consistent focus.
- Conclusion
- The final part of an essay that restates the main idea and may offer a broader implication without introducing new information.
- Denotation
- The literal, dictionary definition of a word, as opposed to its emotional or cultural associations.
- Connotation
- The emotional or cultural association a word carries, which can influence the tone and meaning of a sentence.
- Active voice
- A sentence construction in which the subject performs the action, often preferred for clarity and directness.
- Passive voice
- A sentence construction in which the subject receives the action, used when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
- Wordiness
- The use of more words than necessary to express an idea, often corrected by replacing phrases with concise equivalents.
- Tone
- The writer's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and style, which should remain consistent within a passage.
- Precise word choice
- Selecting words that exactly convey the intended meaning, considering both denotation and connotation, to avoid vagueness.
- Pronoun antecedent
- The noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to, which must be clear and agree in number and gender.
- Subject-verb agreement
- The rule that a verb must agree in number with its subject, ignoring intervening prepositional phrases.
- Comma splice
- An error in which two independent clauses are joined only by a comma without a coordinating conjunction.
- Run-on sentence
- Two or more independent clauses joined without appropriate punctuation or conjunctions, creating a confusing sentence.
- Coordinating conjunction
- One of the FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) used with a comma to join two independent clauses.
- Semicolon
- A punctuation mark used to join two independent clauses without a conjunction or to separate items in a complex list.
- Colon
- A punctuation mark used after an independent clause to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation.
- Apostrophe for possession
- A punctuation mark used to show ownership: add -'s for singular nouns and an apostrophe alone for plural nouns ending in -s.
- Pronoun agreement
- The requirement that a pronoun match its antecedent in number and gender to avoid ambiguity or grammatical error.
- Verb tense consistency
- Maintaining the same tense throughout a passage unless a shift is necessary to indicate a change in time.
- Misplaced modifier
- A word or phrase that is improperly separated from the word it modifies, causing confusion or unintended meaning.
- Dangling modifier
- A modifier that lacks a clear word to modify, often because the intended subject is missing from the main clause.
- Parallel structure
- Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or comparison to ensure clarity and balance.
- Independent clause
- A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a complete sentence.
- Dependent clause
- A group of words with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be attached to an independent clause.
- Comma after introductory phrase
- A comma used to separate an introductory phrase or clause from the main clause of a sentence.
- Essential vs. nonessential clause
- An essential clause provides necessary information and is not set off by commas; a nonessential clause is set off by commas.