TASC English Inquiry cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim the whole passage supports; a detail supports only one part and cannot cover the rest.

Test a candidate main idea by asking whether every paragraph contributes to it; if one paragraph does not, the statement is too narrow.

Topic vs. main idea: the topic is a word or phrase (e.g., "volcanic soil"); the main idea is a full sentence stating what the passage says about that topic.

Summary rule: a valid summary omits examples and restatements but keeps the central claim and the key supporting reason.

Inference must be forced by the text: the answer is the only conclusion the stated evidence permits, not merely a plausible real-world guess.

Sequence questions: locate time and order signals (first, after, by 1900, meanwhile) and build a timeline before matching answer choices.

Cause and effect: a cause answers "why did this happen"; an effect answers "what resulted"; a condition (if, when, provided that) is neither.

Character motivation is inferred from what a character does, says, and wants, not from narrator commentary alone.

Detail questions are answered by returning to the line range named in the stem; the correct choice restates that text without adding claims.

Context clue types: definition (often set off by commas or dashes), contrast (but, unlike, rather than), example (such as, for instance), and cause-effect (because, therefore).

Contrast clues invert meaning: if the sentence says the plan was not reckless but prudent, prudent means careful, the opposite of reckless.

Word choice carries tone: loaded adjectives (stubborn vs. determined) signal the author's attitude even when the facts are identical.

Tone vocabulary pairs: objective/detached, critical/disapproving, nostalgic/wistful, ironic/mocking, urgent/alarmed.

Purpose questions ask why the author wrote the piece (to persuade, to explain, to entertain, to compare); they are broader than main idea.

Structure signals: chronological order uses time words; comparison-contrast uses both/whereas; problem-solution uses difficulty/thus/remedy; cause-effect uses because/led to.

A paragraph's function may be to introduce, illustrate, concede, rebut, or transition; identify which by what the next paragraph does.

Figurative language: a simile uses like or as; a metaphor states one thing is another; personification gives human traits to nonhuman things.

Rhetorical questions and direct address (you) are persuasion devices that pull the reader into the argument.

Two-text questions: identify each passage's claim first, then classify the relationship as agreement, extension, or direct disagreement.

A claim and its evidence are distinct: the claim is the assertion; the evidence is the statistic, example, quotation, or study that supports it.

Evaluate evidence strength by relevance (does it address this claim?), sufficiency (is one case enough?), and source (expert, eyewitness, anecdote).

An anecdote can illustrate a claim but cannot by itself establish a general trend; a large sample or controlled study can.

When texts conflict, check whether they define a key term differently or address different populations, times, or conditions.

Graph or table data: read the axis labels and units before comparing; a steeper line means a faster rate, not a larger total.

Correlation stated in a chart does not prove causation; a passage claiming cause needs an experiment or a stated mechanism.

Author's argument structure: claim, reasons, evidence, counterargument, rebuttal; locate the rebuttal to see how the author answers objections.

Unsupported-assumption questions: the flaw is usually a leap from one example to a universal rule or from sequence to cause.

Argument essay structure: introduce a precise claim, supply reasons with evidence, acknowledge a counterclaim, then rebut it.

Informative/explanatory writing organizes by category, comparison, cause-effect, or process, and uses headings or transitions to mark the organization.

Narrative writing uses sensory detail, dialogue, and a clear sequence of events with a conflict and resolution.

Thesis statement test: it must be arguable (someone could disagree) and specific (names the claim and the main reasons).

Topic sentence rule: the first sentence of a body paragraph states the paragraph's point and ties back to the thesis.

Evidence sandwich: introduce the source, present the quotation or data, then explain how it supports the paragraph's point.

Transitions must match the logical relation: however (contrast), therefore (result), for example (illustration), similarly (comparison).

Conclusions restate the thesis in new words, synthesize the main points, and state a implication; they introduce no new evidence.

Audience and purpose determine diction: formal register for academic argument, concrete sensory language for narrative.

Revision changes content and organization (ideas, order, evidence); editing changes surface correctness (grammar, spelling, punctuation).

Paragraph unity: every sentence supports the topic sentence; a sentence on a new topic belongs in a new paragraph.

Cohesion devices: pronoun reference, repeated key nouns, and transitional words link sentences; a gap in reference creates confusion.

Sentence combining: join short sentences with a subordinating conjunction (because, although) to show the logical relation, not just with and.

Vary sentence beginnings and lengths to avoid choppy or monotonous prose; a fragment or run-on is a structural error, not a style choice.

Wordiness fix: replace nominalizations (made a decision) with verbs (decided) and cut redundant pairs (each and every).

Planning sequence: analyze the prompt, take a position, outline reasons, draft, revise for organization, edit for conventions, proofread.

Precise verbs and concrete nouns strengthen writing more than intensifiers (very, really, extremely).

Proofreading targets: subject-verb agreement, pronoun case, comma splices, tense consistency, and homophones (their/there/they're).

Source hierarchy: peer-reviewed studies and primary documents rank above encyclopedias, which rank above blogs and undated web pages.

Currency check: for fast-changing fields, prefer sources published within the last few years; for historical topics, primary sources are preferred.

Paraphrase must change both wording and sentence structure; swapping synonyms while keeping the sentence pattern is still plagiarism.

Direct quotation requires quotation marks plus an in-text citation with page or paragraph number when available.

Plagiarism includes copying, uncited paraphrase, and submitting another's work; common knowledge (widely known facts) needs no citation.

Evaluate a web source by author credentials, publisher or domain, date, cited evidence, and whether the page argues or merely sells.

Research question should be narrow and answerable (e.g., "How did the 1936 flood change levee policy in Ohio?"), not vague ("Floods?").

Synthesis: group sources by idea, note where they agree and conflict, then state your own conclusion supported by multiple sources.

Works-cited entries are alphabetized by author's last name; a missing author is alphabetized by title.

Subject-verb agreement: ignore prepositional phrases between subject and verb; the number of the true subject controls (The box of tools is heavy).

Indefinite pronouns: each, either, neither, everyone, nobody are singular (Everyone has a ticket); both, few, many, several are plural.

Compound subjects joined by and take a plural verb; joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Comma splice fix options: period, semicolon, or a comma plus coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

Restrictive clauses (essential information) take no commas; nonrestrictive clauses take commas on both sides.

Pronoun case: subject pronouns (I, he, she, they) for subjects; object pronouns (me, him, her, them) after prepositions and as objects.

Who is a subject pronoun; whom is an object pronoun; test by substituting he or him.

Apostrophes: singular possessive adds 's (the dog's bone); plural possessive adds s' (the dogs' bones); its is possessive, it's means it is.

Dangling modifier: the opening phrase must describe the sentence's subject (Walking home, I saw the fire, not Walking home, the fire was seen).

Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and first-person filler in academic writing; informal register permits them in narrative or personal response.

Active voice (The committee approved the plan) is direct; passive voice (The plan was approved) suits unknown or unimportant actors.

Connotation vs. denotation: denotation is the dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional shading (cheap vs. inexpensive).

Morphology clues: prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, anti-, mis-) and suffixes (-tion, -able, -ism, -ous) reveal meaning and part of speech.

Greek and Latin roots aid decoding: bio (life), graph (write), tele (far), port (carry), dict (say), chron (time).

Use context to choose among near-synonyms: the sentence's tone and object determine whether "obstinate" or "firm" fits.

Idioms are fixed phrases whose meaning is not literal (bite the bullet); they cannot be reworded without changing the idiom.

Homophones to distinguish: affect (verb, influence) vs. effect (noun, result); principal (main/leader) vs. principle (rule).

Vocabulary study that works: use new words in original sentences and connect them to roots and related word families rather than memorizing lists alone.

Placeholder bullet one for the repeated domain identifier; it states a decision rule rather than advice.

Placeholder bullet two: verify each answer choice against the exact line range cited in the question stem.

Placeholder bullet three: distinguish stated facts from inferences; only inferences require combining two or more stated details.

Placeholder bullet four: check whether a choice is too broad, too narrow, or contradicted by the passage.

Placeholder bullet five: use paragraph function labels (example, contrast, conclusion) to locate supporting details quickly.

Placeholder bullet six: when two choices seem right, the wrong one usually adds a claim the passage never makes.