BGCSE English 1234 cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim the whole passage supports; a detail supports it but cannot replace it.

Question stems decide the task: 'mainly about' asks for main idea; 'suggests' or 'implies' asks for inference, not restatement.

Inference must be anchored: the correct answer is provable from stated evidence plus one logical step.

Tone words are judged by diction and punctuation: 'sadly', 'fortunately', and exclamation marks signal attitude.

Sequence questions: locate time markers (then, after, meanwhile, finally) and order events by those markers, not by paragraph order.

Pronoun-reference questions: replace the pronoun with each candidate and test whether the sentence still makes sense.

Vocabulary-in-context: substitute each option into the sentence; the correct meaning fits the surrounding logic, not the dictionary's first sense.

Two-part answers must satisfy both halves of the question; an option true of only one half is wrong.

Subject-verb agreement: find the head noun, ignoring prepositional phrases; 'each', 'every', 'either', and 'neither' take singular verbs.

Collective nouns (team, committee, family) take a singular verb when acting as one unit, plural when members act separately.

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

Comma rule: use commas for non-essential clauses and items in a list; do not separate subject from verb or verb from object.

Semicolon joins two independent clauses or separates complex list items; a colon must follow a complete clause.

Apostrophes: possessive singular adds 's; plural possessive adds s'; 'its' is possessive, 'it's' means 'it is'.

Dangling modifiers: the opening phrase must describe the subject of the main clause, not another noun.

Reported speech shifts tense back one step and changes time and place words (now becomes then, tomorrow becomes the next day).

Context clues: definition (or, that is), contrast (but, unlike), example (such as), and cause-effect (therefore) reveal unknown words.

Connotation: words share denotation but differ in feeling; 'thrifty' is positive, 'stingy' negative, 'economical' neutral.

Homophones to distinguish: their/there/they're, affect/effect, principal/principle, stationary/stationery, complement/compliment.

Prefix meanings: un-, in-, dis- (not); re- (again); pre- (before); sub- (under); trans- (across); anti- (against).

Suffix meanings: -tion/-ment (noun), -able/-ive (adjective), -ly (adverb), -ify/-ise (verb).

Figures of speech: simile uses like/as; metaphor states one thing is another; personification gives human traits to non-human things.

Synonyms must match register and collocation, not just meaning; 'big' fits 'big problem' but not 'big rain'.

Word families: identify the base word, then apply spelling rules for adding endings (drop e before vowel suffixes).

i before e except after c, when the sound is long e: receive, ceiling; exceptions include seize, weird, and either.

Doubling rule: double the final consonant before a vowel suffix when the word is one syllable with one vowel and ends in one consonant (run becomes running).

Silent e rule: drop the final e before a vowel suffix (hope becomes hoping) but keep it before a consonant suffix (hope becomes hopeful).

Words ending in consonant plus y change y to i before a suffix (happy becomes happiness), except after a vowel (play becomes played).

Commonly misspelled pairs: separate, definitely, necessary, occurred, accommodation, embarrass, privilege, recommend.

American versus British spelling: -ize/-ise, -or/-our, -er/-re; keep one convention consistently throughout a piece.

Confusable usage: fewer with countable nouns, less with uncountable; amount for mass nouns, number for countable.

Plurals: -f/-fe words vary (roofs, but knives, leaves); -o words vary (photos, but potatoes, tomatoes).

A summary states the main idea and key supporting points in the writer's own words, omitting examples, repetition, and dialogue.

Length control: count the points required, allocate roughly equal words to each, and cut adjectives and illustrative detail first.

No copying: lift only proper nouns and technical terms; rephrase everything else to demonstrate comprehension.

Information transfer requires matching the source's order or the table's headings; each cell must answer the heading exactly.

Select by relevance test: if a sentence can be deleted without losing the main argument, it belongs outside the summary.

Numeric and date data must be copied precisely; do not round figures or convert units unless the task asks.

Reported summary uses third person and present or past tense consistently, never first person 'I'.

Check the summary against the source for changed meaning: omission of a qualifier such as 'some' or 'often' alters the claim.

Format conventions: formal letter places sender address, date, recipient address, salutation, body, and sign-off in that order.

Register rule: formal writing avoids contractions, slang, and first-person emotion; informal writing permits them.

Purpose and audience determine tone: a complaint uses firm polite language; an invitation uses warm, direct language.

Paragraphing: one idea per paragraph, topic sentence first, supporting detail after, and a linking sentence to close.

Persuasive devices: rule of three, rhetorical question, direct address, anecdote, and statistics each serve a named purpose.

Every directed task lists content points; each point must appear explicitly, since marks are awarded per point covered.

Email and letter openings avoid 'Dear Sir/Madam' when a named recipient is given; use the name and title.

Sign-off matches salutation: 'Yours faithfully' pairs with 'Dear Sir/Madam'; 'Yours sincerely' pairs with a named recipient.

Narrative arc: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution; each stage must be identifiable in the draft.

Show, don't tell: replace stated emotion with action, dialogue, or sensory detail that implies it.

Sentence variety: alternate short sentences for tension with complex sentences for reflection; avoid identical openings.

Dialogue punctuation: new speaker, new line; speech marks enclose words; comma before the closing speech mark when a reporting clause follows.

Descriptive writing uses the five senses and specific nouns; abstract nouns weaken imagery.

Narrative viewpoint must stay consistent; a shift from first to third person breaks the reader's trust.

Time management: plan for about one-tenth of writing time, draft the body, reserve the final portion for proofreading.

Cohesion devices include pronouns, synonyms, and adverbial links (however, consequently); repetition of the same connector signals weak cohesion.

Theme is the central idea about life the text explores; subject is what the text is about; do not confuse them.

Characterisation is direct (stated by narrator) or indirect (revealed through speech, action, and others' reactions).

Setting functions as more than backdrop: it can establish mood, symbolise theme, or drive conflict.

Point of view: first person is limited and subjective; third-person omniscient knows all minds; third-person limited stays with one.

Irony types: verbal (says opposite), situational (outcome reverses expectation), dramatic (audience knows more than character).

Poetry devices: imagery, metaphor, simile, personification, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, and enjambment.

Evidence-based response: make a claim, quote briefly, then explain how the quotation supports the claim.

Structure matters: note shifts in stanza, chapter, or scene, and explain what each shift changes in tension or focus.