NB ELPA Reading key terms

The central point a passage is built to communicate. It is broad enough to cover the whole text, not just one paragraph, and is usually stated in a single sentence.

The overall sense of what a text says, grasped quickly without attention to every detail. Readers use it to decide what a passage is mostly about before analyzing parts.

The position an author advances and tries to persuade readers to accept. It is supported by reasons and evidence rather than simply announced, and it organizes the passage.

A sentence, often near the beginning, that announces the passage's main claim and previews how it will be supported. It guides the reader through the rest of the text.

A sentence that states the focus of a single paragraph. It usually appears first but may come later, and the remaining sentences develop or illustrate it.

A brief restatement of a text's key points in the reader's own words. A good summary keeps central ideas, drops minor examples, and avoids adding personal opinion.

A fact, example, statistic, or reason that develops or proves a main point. Details answer questions like who, what, when, how many, or for instance.

Information offered to make a claim credible, such as data, quotations, case examples, or expert testimony. Readers judge whether it is relevant, sufficient, and accurately used.

A specific example used to clarify or demonstrate a general statement. It makes an abstract point concrete but does not by itself prove that the point is universally true.

A particular case named to represent a larger category or to show how a rule works in practice. Examples typically follow signal words such as for instance or such as.

A statement the author asserts as true and expects readers to accept, often needing support. Claims differ from facts in that they can reasonably be disputed.

A conclusion a reader draws by combining stated information with general knowledge. It is not written directly in the text but must be justified by textual clues.

A meaning suggested but not stated outright, which follows logically from what the author writes. Readers identify implications by asking what must also be true.

An unstated belief the author treats as true and relies on for the argument to work. If the assumption fails, the reasoning loses its force.

A stated reason or starting point from which an argument proceeds toward its conclusion. Premises are what the author offers as grounds for accepting the claim.

The judgment an argument reaches on the basis of its reasons, or a deduction drawn from evidence. In inference questions, it is what the clues most strongly support.

Surrounding words or sentences that help a reader work out an unfamiliar word's meaning. Clues may be definitions, contrasts, examples, or cause-and-effect relationships.

The emotional or evaluative shade a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning. For example, thrifty sounds approving while stingy sounds critical, though both concern saving money.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from emotional associations. Questions about denotation ask what a term strictly names, not what it hints at.

A context clue in which the passage directly explains a term, often after a dash, comma, or phrase such as that is or which means. It gives the meaning outright.

A context clue that reveals a word's meaning by presenting an opposite idea, signalled by words such as however, unlike, or rather than. The contrast narrows the meaning.

Wording that departs from literal meaning to create a comparison or effect, including metaphor, simile, and personification. Readers must interpret it from context rather than dictionary sense.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from its individual words, such as bite the bullet. Context usually reveals the intended sense.

The relationship between a pronoun such as it, they, or this and the noun it stands for. Readers resolve it using number, gender, logic, and nearby wording.

The word or phrase that a pronoun or another referring expression points back to. Locating it correctly is essential for understanding who did what.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked so a text reads as one connected whole. It is created by pronouns, repeated key words, and transitional expressions.

A word or phrase that signals the relationship between ideas, such as however for contrast or therefore for result. Transitions guide the reader through the argument's direction.

Language that tells readers where a text is going, such as first, in contrast, or to conclude. Signposts mark shifts in topic, level of detail, or argumentative purpose.

The organizational pattern a passage follows, such as cause and effect, comparison, chronology, or problem and solution. Recognizing it helps readers predict where information will appear.

A group of sentences developing one related idea, usually marked by indentation or spacing. Paragraph breaks often signal a shift in subtopic or stage of an argument.

The reason an author writes a text, commonly to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain a process. Purpose shapes the choice of evidence, tone, and organization.

The readers an author expects and writes for. Assumed audience knowledge affects how much background is explained and which examples or appeals are used.

The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject or reader, conveyed through word choice and sentence style. Tone may be neutral, ironic, urgent, sympathetic, or critical.

The stance an author or a quoted person takes toward an issue, ranging from supportive to skeptical or hostile. It is inferred from evaluative language rather than stated directly.

A slant or partiality that shapes how information is selected and presented. Detecting bias means noticing what is emphasized, downplayed, or left out.

A restatement of a passage's meaning in different words while keeping the original sense. Unlike summary, a paraphrase usually follows the source closely in scope.