ALPT C1 cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim that the majority of body paragraphs support; it is broader than any single detail sentence.

A detail question is answered by locating the exact sentence, not by recalling general knowledge about the topic.

Inference is valid only when the passage plus ordinary logic forces the conclusion; plausible outside facts do not count.

Tone words split into positive (laudatory, measured), neutral (descriptive, analytical), and negative (caustic, dismissive).

Scan for signal words: 'however' and 'although' mark contrast, 'therefore' marks conclusion, 'for example' marks supporting evidence.

Anaphora rule: a pronoun refers to the nearest preceding noun phrase that agrees in number and makes semantic sense.

Vocabulary-in-context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep only the one preserving the sentence's logic.

Scope trap: an answer choice that is true but discusses a topic the question did not ask about is still wrong.

Lecture structure typically runs: topic announcement, background, main claim, supporting examples, qualification, summary.

Signal phrases 'the key point is' and 'what this means is' introduce content that is almost always tested.

Numbers, dates, and proper names are high-value detail targets; note them the moment they are spoken.

A speaker's hedge ('it seems', 'arguably') lowers certainty; a bare assertion carries full commitment.

In conversation items, the second speaker's reply usually resolves the problem stated by the first speaker.

Distractor pattern: an option repeats a heard word but reverses the relationship (cause vs. effect, before vs. after).

Attitude is judged from intonation and evaluative adjectives, not from the literal proposition alone.

If two options are both true, the correct one answers the specific question stem; the other is a true-but-irrelevant trap.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the head noun, ignoring prepositional phrases ('The box of tools is').

Neither/nor and either/or take a verb agreeing with the nearer subject ('Neither the students nor the teacher was').

Present perfect (have + past participle) links past action to present relevance; simple past closes the event in the past.

Past perfect marks the earlier of two past events ('She had left before he arrived').

Conditional types: zero = general truth, first = real future, second = unreal present, third = unreal past (had + would have).

Restrictive clauses take 'that' with no commas; non-restrictive clauses take 'which' set off by commas.

Parallel structure: items joined by 'and', 'or', or 'but' must share the same grammatical form.

Dangling modifier test: the subject after the comma must be the entity performing the opening participle's action.

A thesis states one arguable claim plus the reasons; it belongs at the end of the introduction.

Each body paragraph = topic sentence, evidence, analysis linking evidence to thesis; one idea per paragraph.

Transitions encode logic: 'moreover' adds, 'consequently' shows result, 'conversely' contrasts, 'namely' specifies.

Comma splice = two independent clauses joined by only a comma; fix with a conjunction, semicolon, or period.

Sentence variety rule: alternate lengths and openings; avoid starting consecutive sentences with the same subject.

Cohesion check: the first clause of each sentence should connect backward to the prior sentence's key noun or idea.

Conclusion restates the thesis in new words, states the implication, and introduces no new evidence.

Active voice is default; passive is justified when the actor is unknown or the object deserves focus.

Fluency is measured by pauses per minute and repair rate, not by accent or speed.

Answer structure for opinion prompts: position, reason, example, restated position.

Filled pauses ('um', 'uh') count against fluency; silent planning pauses of one second or less are preferred.

Connected speech rules: consonant-to-vowel linking ('an apple' → 'a-napple'), elision of /t/ and /d/ between consonants.

Stress placement carries meaning: noun 'REcord' vs. verb 'reCORD'; stress the content word, reduce function words.

Intonation falls on statements and wh-questions, rises on yes/no questions and lists of alternatives.

Self-correction should be brief and forward-moving; restarting a full sentence signals lost coherence.

Turn-taking: signal intent with a discourse marker ('If I could add…') rather than interrupting mid-clause.