TCE Everyday Adult Standard Reading & Writing cheat sheet

Main idea: the sentence that the other sentences explain, support, or illustrate is usually the topic sentence; a correct main-idea answer must cover the whole passage, not one detail.

Inference rule: an inference must be forced by the text plus common knowledge; if an answer needs outside facts the passage never implies, it is wrong.

Fact vs. opinion test: a fact can be checked against evidence; opinion words include should, best, beautiful, ought, seems, and most evaluative adjectives.

Tone words pair on a scale: positive (approving, optimistic, admiring), neutral (objective, informative), negative (critical, sarcastic, skeptical); pick the word matching the author's attitude, not the topic's.

Sequence questions: locate time and order signals (first, then, after, finally, in 1990) and map events before choosing an answer.

Pronoun reference: a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender and usually refers to the nearest preceding suitable noun phrase.

Author's purpose maps to three options: to inform (facts, neutral), to persuade (opinion, call to action), to entertain or narrate (story, characters, events).

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves the sentence's logic and the passage's tone.

Sentence completeness: every sentence needs a subject and a finite verb; a fragment lacks one, and a run-on joins two independent clauses with no conjunction or punctuation.

Comma rules: use commas for items in a series, after introductory phrases, around non-essential clauses, and before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses; never between subject and verb.

Semicolon joins two independent clauses or separates complex list items; a colon follows a complete clause and introduces a list, explanation, or quotation.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not words in a prepositional phrase; indefinite pronouns (everyone, each, nobody) take singular verbs, and either/neither...or agrees with the nearer subject.

Apostrophes: 's marks singular possession, s' marks plural possession, and its/it's differ (its = possessive, it's = it is); plurals take no apostrophe.

Parallel structure: items joined by and, or, but, or in a list must share the same grammatical form (all nouns, all gerunds, or all infinitives).

Modifier placement: a descriptive phrase must sit next to the noun it describes; a dangling modifier has no logical noun to attach to.

Register and audience: formal writing avoids contractions, slang, and first-person opinion unless the purpose is personal; emails state purpose in the first line and a clear request in the last.

Skimming locates the topic and structure fast (title, first sentence of each paragraph); scanning hunts a specific fact such as a date, name, or number.

Signal words show relationships: however/but/yet = contrast; therefore/thus = cause-effect; for example/such as = illustration; in addition/moreover = addition.

A summary states the central claim in your own words and omits examples, statistics, and repetition; it never adds new opinion.

Comparison questions: check each option against the text for the exact word used; a synonym may be correct, but a stronger or weaker claim than the text is wrong.

Chronological, cause-effect, problem-solution, and compare-contrast are the four common passage structures; identifying structure predicts where key information sits.

Direct quotation needs quotation marks and an attribution; paraphrase restates the idea in new wording and still needs a source note.

Charts and tables in a passage should be read by checking the title, units, and axis labels before matching data to an answer choice.

Negative questions (EXCEPT, NOT) require checking every option against the text and choosing the one the passage does not support.

Paragraph unity: one controlling idea per paragraph; a sentence that drifts to a new topic belongs in another paragraph or should be cut.

Transitions must match logic: addition (also, furthermore), contrast (however, on the other hand), cause (because, as a result), sequence (first, next, finally), concession (although, even so).

Active voice puts the doer first and is preferred for clear workplace writing; passive voice suits unknown or unimportant doers.

Concision: cut redundant pairs (each and every, past history, end result), empty phrases (in order to → to), and needless there is/it is openers.

Formal email structure: subject line naming the topic, greeting, one-sentence purpose, details, clear request with deadline, and a closing signature.

Tone control: avoid absolutes (always, never, everyone) in persuasive writing unless supported, and use hedges (often, likely, may) for cautious claims.

Numbers and agreement: spell out numbers under ten in general prose, use numerals for measurements and statistics, and keep units consistent.

Revising vs. editing: revision changes content, organization, and clarity; editing fixes grammar, punctuation, spelling, and format.

Context clues: definition clues (is, means, that is), example clues (such as, for instance), contrast clues (unlike, but), and cause clues (because, leads to) reveal unfamiliar word meaning.

Point of view: first person (I, we) gives personal experience; third person limited follows one character; third person omniscient knows all characters' thoughts.

Bias detection: loaded adjectives, one-sided evidence, omitted counterarguments, and emotionally charged imagery signal a slanted source.

Primary vs. secondary sources: a diary, law, or original study is primary; a textbook summary or news analysis is secondary.

Evidence strength: statistics and named studies outweigh anecdotes; a single example supports an illustration but not a general conclusion.

Reading multi-step instructions: perform steps in order, note conditions (if, unless, only when), and check any warning before acting.

Evaluating a website: check author credentials, publication date, cited sources, and domain purpose (.gov, .edu, .com, .org) before trusting content.

Cause vs. correlation: two events occurring together does not prove one caused the other; look for stated mechanisms or controlled evidence.

Fragments and run-ons are the two most tested sentence errors; fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or verb, and fix a run-on with a period, semicolon, or conjunction.

Pronoun agreement: a singular antecedent takes a singular pronoun; collective nouns (team, committee) take singular verbs and pronouns in standard formal usage.

Verb tense consistency: keep one tense within a narrative unless a time shift is signaled (had finished marks an earlier past action).

Comparative forms: use -er/more for two items and -est/most for three or more; never double them (more better is wrong).

Who vs. whom: who is the subject, whom is the object; test by substituting he (who) or him (whom).

Affect vs. effect: affect is usually the verb (to influence) and effect is usually the noun (a result); their, there, and they're differ by possession, place, and contraction.

Topic sentence placement: strongest first in workplace and exam writing; a concluding sentence restates the point without introducing new evidence.

Audience adaptation: define jargon for general readers, keep sentences short for instructions, and use headings and lists for scannable workplace documents.