EETC English Exam flashcards

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

Main idea question

A listening or reading question asking for the overall point of a passage or talk. Answer it from the thesis or opening summary, not from a single supporting detail.

Signpost language

Words such as first, however, and in conclusion that reveal a speaker's structure. They mark transitions and often immediately precede the information a question targets.

Distractor by keyword

A wrong option that repeats a word heard in the audio but attaches it to the wrong person, time, or cause. Match the full proposition rather than a single repeated word.

Paraphrase in answers

The tendency of correct listening answers to restate the audio in different words. Verbatim repetition is a warning sign, so listen for meaning, not exact wording.

Attitude cues

Intonation, stress, and hedges such as frankly or I suppose that reveal a speaker's opinion. These vocal cues can outweigh the literal content of the words.

Shorthand note-taking

A system of abbreviations and symbols used during listening so full words need not be written. It preserves attention for incoming speech and captures numbers and names quickly.

Skimming versus scanning

Skimming reads titles, first sentences, and conclusions for overall meaning. Scanning moves the eyes quickly to locate a specific term, date, or name in the text.

Thesis statement

A single sentence, usually ending the introduction, that states the passage's central claim. Main idea questions are answered by locating and paraphrasing it.

Scope rule

A principle holding that an option true in general knowledge but unsupported by the passage is incorrect. Only claims the text actually states or implies can be right.

Extreme quantifier trap

Options containing always, never, all, or only are usually false in academic passages. Hedged options such as often, may, or tends to more frequently match the text.

Reference question

A question asking what a pronoun or phrase refers to. Find the nearest preceding noun phrase that agrees in number and fits the sentence's meaning.

Valid inference

A conclusion forced by stated evidence in one logical step. It differs from speculation, which adds information the passage never supplies or supports.

Vocabulary-in-context method

Substitute each answer option into the original sentence and check whether the surrounding clauses still make sense. Meaning in context overrides the dictionary's first listing.

Subject-verb agreement rule

The verb agrees with the head noun of the subject, ignoring prepositional phrases between them. In 'the list of items is long', the singular list controls the verb.

Proximity rule

With neither...nor, either...or, and not only...but also, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. 'Neither the students nor the teacher was ready' takes a singular verb.

Present perfect use

Links a past action to the present, often with since, for, already, or yet. 'She has lived here since 2010' means she still lives there now.

Third conditional form

If plus past perfect in the condition, would have plus past participle in the result. It describes an unreal past situation: 'If I had known, I would have called.'

Negative inversion

After an initial negative adverbial such as never, rarely, or not until, the auxiliary precedes the subject. 'Never have I seen such a result' is the standard order.

Parallelism rule

Items joined by and, or, or but must share grammatical form. 'Reading, writing, and speaking' is parallel; 'reading, writing, and to speak' is not.

Modal of deduction

Must marks near certainty, may or might marks possibility, and cannot marks logical impossibility. Adding have plus past participle shifts the deduction into the past.

Reduced relative clause

A relative clause shortened by deleting the pronoun and be, leaving a participle. 'The report written last week' keeps the passive participle to preserve meaning.

Collocation

The conventional pairing of words, such as make a decision or heavy rain. A synonym that fits the meaning but not the partner word produces an incorrect answer.

Register

The formality level of language, ranging from informal to academic. Answer choices must match the passage's register, so formal verbs fail in casual texts and vice versa.

Affix analysis

Using prefixes and suffixes to identify a word's meaning and part of speech. For example, -tion marks a noun, -ive an adjective, and un- a negative meaning.

Transitive versus intransitive

Whether a verb takes a direct object. Raise and lay are transitive and need an object; rise and lie are intransitive and never take one.

Phrasal verb particle

The adverb or preposition that changes a phrasal verb's meaning. Put off means postpone, put up with means tolerate, and put forward means propose.

Dependent preposition

A preposition fixed to a particular word and learned with it. Examples include dependent on, capable of, insist on, comply with, and different from.

Topic sentence

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's single controlling idea. Every following sentence should support or explain it.

Cohesion device

A pronoun, synonym, or transition that links sentences and signals their logical relation. Transitions are chosen by the relation, such as contrast or cause.

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Repair it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction such as but.

Dangling modifier

An introductory participle whose implied subject differs from the main clause's subject. 'Walking home, the rain started' wrongly suggests the rain was walking.

Formal academic register

Prose that avoids contractions, slang, and casual opinion markers, preferring precise verbs and impersonal constructions. It suits essays and reports rather than personal messages.