NB Grade 10 FI Reading cheat sheet

Structure the text in three passes: title and headings predict the topic; first sentence of each paragraph gives the main idea; the final paragraph usually states the conclusion or purpose.

Main idea = topic + the author's claim about the topic. A detail answers who, what, when, where, or how much; a main idea answers what the whole text says about the topic.

Text structures and their cue words: cause-effect (because, therefore, as a result), comparison (similarly, unlike, whereas), sequence (first, then, finally), problem-solution (issue, remedy, however), description (for example, such as).

An explicit statement is written directly in the text; an implicit idea must be built from two or more details, so it can be true even when no single sentence says it.

Author's purpose is usually one of: to inform, to explain, to persuade, to entertain, or to instruct. A text that gives steps in order is instructional, not persuasive.

Evaluate evidence by asking whether the support is relevant to the claim, sufficient in amount, and current; a single anecdote is weak support for a broad generalization.

Graphic and numerical details (dates, percentages, labels) are read as evidence: check the unit, the time period, and whether the figure is a total or a part.

A summary keeps the main idea and the key supporting points, drops examples and repetition, and adds no opinion of the reader.

Plot diagram: exposition (setting and characters), inciting incident, rising action, climax (turning point), falling action, resolution. The climax is the moment of highest tension, not the last event.

Conflict types: person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. society, person vs. self. Internal conflict occurs inside a character; external conflict involves an outside force.

Characterization: direct = the narrator states a trait; indirect = the reader infers a trait from speech, actions, thoughts, appearance, or others' reactions.

Point of view: first person (I, we), second person (you), third-person limited (one character's thoughts), third-person omniscient (many characters' thoughts).

Setting includes time, place, and social conditions; it can create mood, foreshadow events, or mirror a character's inner state.

Theme is a complete statement about life or human nature that the whole story supports; a one-word topic such as 'friendship' is a subject, not a theme.

Figurative language: simile (like/as), metaphor (direct comparison), personification (human traits for non-human things), hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration), symbol (object standing for an idea).

Tone is the author's attitude, revealed by word choice; mood is the feeling the reader experiences. Irony is a gap between what is said or expected and what is true.

Use context clues in this order: definition or restatement (that is, in other words), example (such as, including), contrast (but, unlike, however), cause-effect (therefore, because), and general sense of the sentence.

Prefixes: un-, in-, dis-, non- (not); re- (again); pre- (before); post- (after); sub- (under); super- (above); anti- (against); mis- (wrongly); co-/con- (together).

Suffixes mark part of speech: -tion, -ment, -ness, -ity form nouns; -ous, -ful, -able, -ive form adjectives; -ize, -ify form verbs; -ly usually forms adverbs.

Connotation is the emotional shading a word carries; denotation is its dictionary meaning. 'Thrifty' and 'stingy' share a denotation but differ in connotation.

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender; collective nouns (team, class) take a singular verb when acting as one unit.

Subject-verb agreement: ignore interrupting phrases between subject and verb; compound subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb; 'or'/'nor' follows the nearer subject.

Comma rules: separate items in a series, set off introductory elements, join two independent clauses with a conjunction, and mark non-essential information. A comma splice joins two clauses with only a comma.

A modifier must sit next to the word it describes; a dangling modifier has no logical subject in the sentence, as in 'Walking home, the rain started.'

An inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence plus background knowledge; it must be supported by at least one explicit detail, not by personal preference.

Test an inference by locating the supporting details and asking whether another explanation fits the same evidence equally well; if so, the inference is not yet justified.

Predictions use the same logic as inferences but point forward: they rely on established patterns, foreshadowing, and character motivation.

To infer tone or attitude, examine connotation, punctuation, sentence length, and the ratio of positive to negative words.

To infer an unstated cause, look for the sequence of events and for contrast cues; the effect is stated, and the missing cause is what changed.

A valid generalization must be supported by several details across the text, not by one example; words such as 'all', 'never', and 'always' usually overstate the evidence.

Distinguish what the text says (explicit), what the text implies (inference), and what the reader believes (prior knowledge); only the first two are evidence-based.

When a question asks what can be inferred, eliminate choices that are true in general but unsupported by the passage, and choices that merely repeat a detail without a conclusion.

A defensible claim is specific, arguable, and supported by textual evidence; a statement of fact is not a claim because it cannot be debated.

The evidence-commentary pattern: quote or paraphrase a short passage, cite where it appears, then explain how it supports the claim. A quotation without explanation is not analysis.

Assess an argument by separating claim, evidence, and reasoning; a flaw appears when the evidence does not logically lead to the claim.

Common reasoning errors: hasty generalization (too few examples), false cause (assuming sequence proves causation), either/or thinking (only two options), appeal to emotion, and attacking the person rather than the argument.

Bias appears in what an author includes, omits, emphasizes, or how sources are chosen; loaded words (connotation) are a reliable signal of bias.

Compare texts by purpose, audience, tone, and evidence: two texts on one topic can reach different conclusions because their purposes or audiences differ.

Evaluate the strength of a source by its relevance to the question, its recency, the author's expertise, and whether it cites verifiable evidence.

A strong critical response acknowledges a counterargument, states why it is weaker or limited, and concedes valid points rather than ignoring them.

Use context clues in this order: definition or restatement (that is, in other words), example (such as, including), contrast (but, unlike, however), cause-effect (therefore, because), and general sense of the sentence.

Prefixes: un-, in-, dis-, non- (not); re- (again); pre- (before); post- (after); sub- (under); super- (above); anti- (against); mis- (wrongly); co-/con- (together).

Suffixes mark part of speech: -tion, -ment, -ness, -ity form nouns; -ous, -ful, -able, -ive form adjectives; -ize, -ify form verbs; -ly usually forms adverbs.

Connotation is the emotional shading a word carries; denotation is its dictionary meaning. 'Thrifty' and 'stingy' share a denotation but differ in connotation.

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender; collective nouns (team, class) take a singular verb when acting as one unit.

Subject-verb agreement: ignore interrupting phrases between subject and verb; compound subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb; 'or'/'nor' follows the nearer subject.

Comma rules: separate items in a series, set off introductory elements, join two independent clauses with a conjunction, and mark non-essential information. A comma splice joins two clauses with only a comma.

A modifier must sit next to the word it describes; a dangling modifier has no logical subject in the sentence, as in 'Walking home, the rain started.'