NSW Check-in Assessment key terms

A conclusion reached by combining clues in a text with what the reader already knows, rather than by reading the answer directly from the words on the page.

The most important point a text or section is making, usually stated in one sentence that covers the whole passage rather than a single detail.

A short statement that restates the key points of a text in the writer's own words, leaving out minor details and examples.

Restating the meaning of a sentence or passage using different words while keeping the original sense and level of detail.

Words copied exactly from a text, placed inside quotation marks, and used to support a point being made.

A detail, example, statistic, or quotation from a text that supports a claim or answer the reader gives.

The reason a writer produced a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or instruct, which shapes the language and structure chosen.

The group of readers a text is written for, whose knowledge and expectations influence the vocabulary, tone, and amount of explanation used.

The attitude a writer expresses through word choice and phrasing, for example humorous, serious, critical, or sympathetic.

The feeling a reader is meant to experience while reading a text, created by setting, word choice, and events rather than by the writer's stated attitude.

The feelings or associations a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning, such as the difference between 'cheap' and 'affordable'.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from any emotional associations it may carry for readers.

A comparison in which one thing is described as if it were another, without using 'like' or 'as', to create a vivid image.

A comparison between two unlike things that uses 'like' or 'as' to make the description clearer or more striking.

Giving human qualities or actions to an animal, object, or idea, as when a writer says the wind whispered through the trees.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses so readers can picture a scene, sound, smell, taste, or texture.

Language that goes beyond literal meaning to create effect, including metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole.

The way information is organised in a text, such as cause and effect, problem and solution, comparison, or chronological order.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked so a text reads as a connected whole, often through pronouns and connecting words.

A word or phrase such as 'however', 'therefore', or 'in addition' that shows how ideas in a text relate to one another.

A statement that can be checked and shown to be true or false through observation or reliable sources.

A statement expressing a person's belief, judgement, or feeling, which cannot be proved true or false in the same way as a fact.

An unfair leaning towards one side of an issue, shown by what a writer includes, leaves out, or emphasises.

Working out the meaning of an unfamiliar word by using the surrounding words and sentences rather than a dictionary.

The value a digit has because of its position in a number, so the 4 in 4 300 means four thousands, not four ones.

Writing a number as the sum of the values of each of its digits, for example 3 506 written as 3 000 + 500 + 6.

Replacing a number with a nearby value that has fewer non-zero digits, chosen by checking the digit to the right of the place being rounded.

Finding an answer that is close enough for a purpose by using rounded or friendly numbers instead of exact calculation.

Fractions that name the same amount even though the numerators and denominators differ, such as one half and two quarters.

Rewriting a fraction with the smallest possible whole numbers by dividing the numerator and denominator by a common factor.

A number that is a multiple of the denominators of two or more fractions, allowing them to be added or compared easily.

A whole number that divides exactly into two or more given numbers without leaving a remainder.

The largest whole number that divides exactly into each of two or more given numbers, useful when simplifying fractions.

The smallest number that is a multiple of each of two or more given numbers, often used to find a common denominator.

The result of multiplying a whole number by another whole number, so the multiples of 6 include 6, 12, 18, and 24.

A whole number that divides exactly into another number with no remainder, so 1, 2, 4, and 8 are factors of 8.

A way of describing a part out of one hundred, so 45 per cent means 45 out of every 100, written as 45%.

A comparison of two or more quantities by division, showing how much of one amount there is for each unit of another.

A comparison of two quantities measured in different units, such as kilometres per hour or dollars per kilogram.

The agreed sequence for calculating an expression: brackets first, then powers, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction, working left to right.

A mathematical phrase built from numbers, variables, and operation signs without an equals sign, such as 3n + 5.

A mathematical statement showing that two expressions are equal, often containing an unknown value that can be solved for.

A letter or symbol standing in for a number that may change or is not yet known, as in 4x where x is the variable.

The total distance around the outside edge of a two-dimensional shape, found by adding the lengths of all its sides.

The amount of flat surface a two-dimensional shape covers, measured in square units such as square centimetres.

A standard quantity used to express a measurement, such as metre, gram, litre, minute, or square centimetre.

Changing a measurement from one unit to another of the same kind, for example converting 2.5 metres into 250 centimetres.

The average found by adding all the values in a data set and dividing the total by how many values there are.

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

A collection of numbers or observations gathered together, often shown in a table, list, or graph for analysis.

A number between 0 and 1 describing how likely an event is, where 0 means impossible and 1 means certain.