AIL DALI C2 flashcards

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

Main idea vs. detail

Main-idea items ask for the overall point of a text or recording; detail items ask for a specific stated fact such as a name, number, or reason.

Listening inference

A conclusion drawn from evidence in the audio rather than stated directly; the correct option must be supported by what the speaker actually says.

Discourse markers in speech

Words and phrases such as 'however', 'so', 'actually', or 'in conclusion' that signal contrast, result, or summary and reveal how ideas connect.

Distractor numbers

A common listening trap in which two figures are mentioned but only one answers the question; the other belongs to a different item or time period.

Speaker stance cues

Intonation, hesitation, and evaluative words that reveal whether a speaker is positive, doubtful, or critical, even without explicit opinion statements.

Note-taking shorthand

Abbreviated keywords, symbols, and arrows used while listening so attention stays on the ongoing text instead of on writing complete sentences.

Global comprehension item

A reading question about the whole passage's topic, purpose, or tone, answered only after reading the entire text rather than one paragraph.

Lexical item in context

A reading question asking which word fits a gap; the answer must match meaning, register, and collocation within that specific sentence.

Reference chain

The sequence of pronouns and demonstratives pointing back to a noun; resolving it requires matching gender, number, and logic with the antecedent.

Entailment test

A check for inference items: the answer must be logically required by the text, not merely consistent with it or true in the real world.

Author's purpose

The rhetorical aim of a text, usually to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain; the correct option names the dominant aim, not a secondary one.

True-but-not-asked distractor

An option that states something accurate about the topic but does not answer the specific question posed, so it must be rejected.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match its subject in person and number; intervening phrases and collective nouns are the most frequent sources of error.

Reported speech backshift

After a past reporting verb, present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, and will becomes would, unless the fact remains generally true.

Third conditional form

If plus past perfect in the condition clause, and would have plus past participle in the result: an unreal situation in the past.

Subjunctive triggers

Constructions expressing doubt, emotion, necessity, or future-oriented conjunctions that require the subjunctive mood in Romance languages.

Non-defining relative clause

A clause set off by commas that adds extra information about a noun; it cannot use 'that' and does not restrict which noun is meant.

Collocation constraint

The rule that the correct word is the one conventionally paired with its partner, even when another option shares the same dictionary meaning.

Passive agent omission

In passive sentences the 'by' phrase is dropped when the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, shifting focus to the action or receiver.

Thesis statement

A single sentence in the introduction stating the text's central claim or purpose, which every body paragraph then supports or develops.

Cohesion vs. coherence

Cohesion is surface linking through connectors and reference; coherence is the logical unity of ideas. Strong writing needs both.

Register control

Matching vocabulary, contractions, and sentence complexity to the genre and audience, such as formal academic versus informal personal writing.

Paragraph unity

The principle that each paragraph develops one controlling idea, supported by evidence, with a closing or transitional sentence.

Lexical precision

Choosing specific verbs and nouns over vague general ones, which raises the vocabulary score in assessed written production.

Sentence variety

Alternating simple, compound, and complex structures so the text avoids repetitive rhythm and demonstrates grammatical range.

Editing checklist

A fixed final review targeting agreement, tense consistency, articles, prepositions, and spelling, applied after the draft is complete.

Fluency versus speed

Fluency is smooth, coherent delivery with pauses at clause boundaries; speaking fast with mid-phrase hesitation lowers the score.

Interactional competence

The ability to respond to the interlocutor, manage turn-taking, and develop the exchange rather than delivering a monologue.

Circumlocution strategy

Describing a missing word by its function, category, or features so the message continues without switching language or stopping.

Oral signposting

Spoken markers such as 'firstly', 'on the other hand', and 'to conclude' that make the structure of an extended answer audible.

Sentence stress

Emphasis placed on content words rather than function words, which carries meaning and marks new or contrasted information.

Extended turn structure

A sustained answer built as claim, reason, example, and qualification, allowing one to two minutes of coherent speech on an abstract topic.