BC GLA 12 flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central claim the entire passage develops and supports. It must be broad enough to cover every paragraph yet specific enough to exclude unrelated topics.

Inference

A conclusion drawn from stated evidence plus reliable background knowledge. It must be strongly supported by the text, not merely plausible or possible.

Text structure

The organizational pattern of a passage, such as cause-effect, comparison, sequence, or problem-solution. Signal words reveal which pattern the author chose.

Tone vs mood

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through diction and syntax. Mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader.

Antecedent

The noun or noun phrase to which a pronoun refers. The antecedent must agree with the pronoun in number and gender and must fit the sentence logic.

Supporting evidence

A detail, quotation, or data point that directly backs a specific claim. It must be relevant to that claim, not merely on the same general topic.

Comparative passages

Two texts on one topic. Analyze them by locating their shared ground first, then identifying precise differences in scope, method, or evaluation.

Defensible thesis

A claim a reasonable reader could challenge with evidence. A statement of fact or a summary of the text cannot function as a thesis.

Topic sentence

The sentence stating the paragraph's single controlling idea. Every other sentence in the paragraph must support or develop it.

Evidence sandwich

A three-part structure: introduce the source, present the quotation or paraphrase, then explain how it supports the paragraph's claim.

Concession and rebuttal

Concession acknowledges the strongest opposing view; rebuttal shows why it fails or is outweighed. Together they strengthen an argument's credibility.

Parallel structure

Items joined by and, or, or than must share grammatical form. Mixed forms, such as a noun paired with a clause, break parallelism.

Nominalization

Turning a verb or adjective into a noun, as in 'make a decision' for 'decide'. It inflates prose and weakens the verb; convert back to verbs.

Conclusion function

Restates the thesis as now proven, summarizes key evidence, and states an implication. It should not introduce a new argument or new evidence.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb matches its head noun in number. Prepositional phrases between them do not change agreement, so 'the box of tools is' is correct.

Indefinite pronoun number

Each, either, neither, everyone, and nobody are singular. Both, few, many, and several are plural. None takes singular or plural by sense.

Pronoun case

Nominative case for subjects (he and I), objective case for objects and after prepositions (between you and me), possessive case before gerunds.

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined by only a comma. Repair with a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a period.

Restrictive clause

A clause essential to identifying the noun it modifies; it takes no commas. Nonrestrictive clauses add extra information and are set off by commas.

Dangling modifier

An introductory phrase whose implied subject is missing from the main clause. The main clause subject must be the one performing the action.

Semicolon use

Joins two independent clauses without a conjunction, or separates items in a list that already contain commas. It never follows a sentence fragment.

Apostrophe rules

Add 's for singular possessives, an apostrophe alone for plurals ending in s. Its is possessive; it's is a contraction of it is.

Context clues

Surrounding words that reveal a word's meaning: definitions in appositives, contrasts after but or unlike, examples after such as, and causal signals.

Connotation

The attitude or feeling a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Cheap and inexpensive share denotation but differ sharply in connotation.

Affect versus effect

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence. Effect is usually a noun meaning result. Effect as a verb means to bring about.

Imply versus infer

A speaker or writer implies, meaning suggests indirectly. A reader or listener infers, meaning draws a conclusion from what was suggested.

Lie versus lay

Lie is intransitive and means to recline (lie, lay, lain). Lay is transitive and means to place something (lay, laid, laid).

Idiomatic prepositions

Fixed pairings that usage requires: comply with, differ from, superior to, preoccupied with, consist of. Substituting a synonym's preposition creates an error.

Warrant

The unstated assumption connecting an argument's evidence to its claim. Evaluating an argument often means testing whether this assumption is acceptable.

Validity versus soundness

An argument is valid when its conclusion follows necessarily from its premises. It is sound when it is valid and all its premises are actually true.

Ad hominem

A fallacy that attacks the person making the argument rather than the argument itself, dismissing the claim because of the speaker's traits.

Necessary versus sufficient

A necessary condition must hold for the outcome. A sufficient condition guarantees the outcome. 'If X then Y' makes X sufficient, not necessary.

Correlation and causation

An association between two variables does not establish that one causes the other. Causation additionally requires mechanism, temporal order, and controlled confounds.