PEI ELA English cheat sheet

Skimming locates gist and structure; scanning locates a specific detail or keyword; close reading tracks how meaning is built sentence by sentence.

Main idea is the claim the whole passage supports; a supporting detail only makes sense inside that claim and cannot substitute for it.

Inference must be licensed by textual evidence: if two readings are possible, the one requiring fewer unstated assumptions is the defensible answer.

Text features carry meaning independently of body text: headings signal hierarchy, captions anchor images, bold marks emphasis, footnotes qualify claims.

Visual texts use the same rhetorical moves as prose: framing, angle, colour, and juxtaposition position the viewer toward a stance.

Author's purpose is expressed as an infinitive verb plus object (to persuade voters, to entertain children); tone is the attitude conveyed (wry, urgent, elegiac).

Sequence questions are answered by locating transition markers (however, therefore, meanwhile) that signal contrast, cause, or time.

A summary omits examples and restates only the central claim plus its essential support, in the summarizer's own words.

A thesis states a contestable claim plus the reason for it; a topic statement merely names the subject and cannot organise an argument.

Paragraph unity requires one controlling idea per paragraph; the topic sentence announces it and every subsequent sentence advances or evidences it.

Claim-evidence-commentary is the default body-paragraph structure: commentary must explain how the evidence supports the claim, not restate it.

Transitions encode logical relations: addition (moreover), contrast (nevertheless), causation (consequently), concession (admittedly), exemplification (for instance).

Cohesion is achieved by consistent pronoun reference, parallel structure in lists, and repetition of key terms rather than synonym-chasing.

Register shifts with audience and purpose: formal academic prose avoids contractions, second person, and unsupported evaluative adjectives.

A conclusion synthesises rather than repeats: it states the implication of the argument and answers the implicit question 'so what?'.

Representing in multimodal form requires that image, layout, and text carry complementary rather than duplicated information.

Effective discussion moves are identifiable: building on another's point, requesting clarification, offering counter-evidence, and summarising the state of the group's thinking.

Paraphrasing before responding demonstrates listening and exposes misreading; it precedes disagreement rather than replacing it.

Nonverbal channels (eye contact, pace, gesture, volume) modulate meaning; the same sentence can read as assertive or apologetic depending on delivery.

Audience analysis determines vocabulary, assumed background knowledge, and the amount of context a speaker must supply.

Formal presentation structure: an opening that establishes stakes, a signposted body, and a close that restates the through-line.

Question types differ in function: closed questions confirm, open questions elicit elaboration, and probing questions test the reasoning behind a claim.

Turn-taking norms include yielding the floor, avoiding interruption, and repairing overlap explicitly rather than talking over.

Evaluating a speech separates content (accuracy, relevance of evidence) from delivery (clarity, pacing, audibility); a strong argument can be poorly delivered.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; repair with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

A sentence fragment lacks a subject, a finite verb, or a complete thought; dependent clauses introduced by because, although, or when cannot stand alone.

Semicolons separate independent clauses and items in a list that already contains commas; colons introduce a list, explanation, or quotation after an independent clause.

Pronoun case follows function: subject pronouns for subjects, object pronouns for objects of verbs and prepositions, who for subjects and whom for objects.

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the head noun, not intervening prepositional phrases; indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, neither) take singular verbs.

Dangling modifiers occur when the introductory participial phrase's implied subject differs from the main clause's subject.

Apostrophes mark possession (singular -'s, plural -s') and contraction; plural nouns never take an apostrophe to form the plural.

Context clues for unknown vocabulary operate through definition, contrast, example, and cause-effect relationships signalled in surrounding sentences.

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning; connotation is its associated attitude, which governs whether a synonym is appropriate in a given register.

Theme is an arguable statement about human experience implied by the whole text; subject matter (love, war) is not a theme until a claim is made about it.

Characterisation is direct when a narrator states traits and indirect when traits are inferred from action, speech, thought, or others' reactions.

Narrative point of view governs access to information: first person limits knowledge, omniscient permits interiority, limited third person restricts it to one character.

Setting functions as more than backdrop when it shapes conflict, mirrors psychological state, or establishes social conditions characters resist.

Figurative language analysis names the device and then states its effect on meaning; identifying a metaphor without explaining its work is incomplete.

Irony arises from a gap between what is said and meant (verbal), what is expected and occurs (situational), or what a character knows and the audience knows (dramatic).

A critical response integrates a defensible interpretation, textual evidence quoted precisely, and acknowledgement of a plausible counter-reading.

Structure and pacing (chapter breaks, shifts in tense, withheld information) are authorial choices that produce suspense, emphasis, or disruption.

Skimming locates gist and structure; scanning locates a specific detail or keyword; close reading tracks how meaning is built sentence by sentence.

Main idea is the claim the whole passage supports; a supporting detail only makes sense inside that claim and cannot substitute for it.

Inference must be licensed by textual evidence: if two readings are possible, the one requiring fewer unstated assumptions is the defensible answer.

Text features carry meaning independently of body text: headings signal hierarchy, captions anchor images, bold marks emphasis, footnotes qualify claims.

Visual texts use the same rhetorical moves as prose: framing, angle, colour, and juxtaposition position the viewer toward a stance.

Author's purpose is expressed as an infinitive verb plus object (to persuade voters, to entertain children); tone is the attitude conveyed (wry, urgent, elegiac).

Sequence questions are answered by locating transition markers (however, therefore, meanwhile) that signal contrast, cause, or time.

A summary omits examples and restates only the central claim plus its essential support, in the summarizer's own words.

A thesis states a contestable claim plus the reason for it; a topic statement merely names the subject and cannot organise an argument.

Paragraph unity requires one controlling idea per paragraph; the topic sentence announces it and every subsequent sentence advances or evidences it.

Claim-evidence-commentary is the default body-paragraph structure: commentary must explain how the evidence supports the claim, not restate it.

Transitions encode logical relations: addition (moreover), contrast (nevertheless), causation (consequently), concession (admittedly), exemplification (for instance).

Cohesion is achieved by consistent pronoun reference, parallel structure in lists, and repetition of key terms rather than synonym-chasing.

Register shifts with audience and purpose: formal academic prose avoids contractions, second person, and unsupported evaluative adjectives.

A conclusion synthesises rather than repeats: it states the implication of the argument and answers the implicit question 'so what?'.

Representing in multimodal form requires that image, layout, and text carry complementary rather than duplicated information.

Effective discussion moves are identifiable: building on another's point, requesting clarification, offering counter-evidence, and summarising the state of the group's thinking.

Paraphrasing before responding demonstrates listening and exposes misreading; it precedes disagreement rather than replacing it.

Nonverbal channels (eye contact, pace, gesture, volume) modulate meaning; the same sentence can read as assertive or apologetic depending on delivery.

Audience analysis determines vocabulary, assumed background knowledge, and the amount of context a speaker must supply.

Formal presentation structure: an opening that establishes stakes, a signposted body, and a close that restates the through-line.

Question types differ in function: closed questions confirm, open questions elicit elaboration, and probing questions test the reasoning behind a claim.

Turn-taking norms include yielding the floor, avoiding interruption, and repairing overlap explicitly rather than talking over.

Evaluating a speech separates content (accuracy, relevance of evidence) from delivery (clarity, pacing, audibility); a strong argument can be poorly delivered.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; repair with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

A sentence fragment lacks a subject, a finite verb, or a complete thought; dependent clauses introduced by because, although, or when cannot stand alone.

Semicolons separate independent clauses and items in a list that already contains commas; colons introduce a list, explanation, or quotation after an independent clause.

Pronoun case follows function: subject pronouns for subjects, object pronouns for objects of verbs and prepositions, who for subjects and whom for objects.

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the head noun, not intervening prepositional phrases; indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, neither) take singular verbs.

Dangling modifiers occur when the introductory participial phrase's implied subject differs from the main clause's subject.

Apostrophes mark possession (singular -'s, plural -s') and contraction; plural nouns never take an apostrophe to form the plural.

Context clues for unknown vocabulary operate through definition, contrast, example, and cause-effect relationships signalled in surrounding sentences.

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning; connotation is its associated attitude, which governs whether a synonym is appropriate in a given register.

Theme is an arguable statement about human experience implied by the whole text; subject matter (love, war) is not a theme until a claim is made about it.

Characterisation is direct when a narrator states traits and indirect when traits are inferred from action, speech, thought, or others' reactions.

Narrative point of view governs access to information: first person limits knowledge, omniscient permits interiority, limited third person restricts it to one character.

Setting functions as more than backdrop when it shapes conflict, mirrors psychological state, or establishes social conditions characters resist.

Figurative language analysis names the device and then states its effect on meaning; identifying a metaphor without explaining its work is incomplete.

Irony arises from a gap between what is said and meant (verbal), what is expected and occurs (situational), or what a character knows and the audience knows (dramatic).

A critical response integrates a defensible interpretation, textual evidence quoted precisely, and acknowledgement of a plausible counter-reading.

Structure and pacing (chapter breaks, shifts in tense, withheld information) are authorial choices that produce suspense, emphasis, or disruption.

Skimming locates gist and structure; scanning locates a specific detail or keyword; close reading tracks how meaning is built sentence by sentence.

Main idea is the claim the whole passage supports; a supporting detail only makes sense inside that claim and cannot substitute for it.

Inference must be licensed by textual evidence: if two readings are possible, the one requiring fewer unstated assumptions is the defensible answer.

Text features carry meaning independently of body text: headings signal hierarchy, captions anchor images, bold marks emphasis, footnotes qualify claims.

Visual texts use the same rhetorical moves as prose: framing, angle, colour, and juxtaposition position the viewer toward a stance.

Author's purpose is expressed as an infinitive verb plus object (to persuade voters, to entertain children); tone is the attitude conveyed (wry, urgent, elegiac).

Sequence questions are answered by locating transition markers (however, therefore, meanwhile) that signal contrast, cause, or time.

A summary omits examples and restates only the central claim plus its essential support, in the summarizer's own words.

A thesis states a contestable claim plus the reason for it; a topic statement merely names the subject and cannot organise an argument.

Paragraph unity requires one controlling idea per paragraph; the topic sentence announces it and every subsequent sentence advances or evidences it.

Claim-evidence-commentary is the default body-paragraph structure: commentary must explain how the evidence supports the claim, not restate it.

Transitions encode logical relations: addition (moreover), contrast (nevertheless), causation (consequently), concession (admittedly), exemplification (for instance).

Cohesion is achieved by consistent pronoun reference, parallel structure in lists, and repetition of key terms rather than synonym-chasing.

Register shifts with audience and purpose: formal academic prose avoids contractions, second person, and unsupported evaluative adjectives.

A conclusion synthesises rather than repeats: it states the implication of the argument and answers the implicit question 'so what?'.

Representing in multimodal form requires that image, layout, and text carry complementary rather than duplicated information.

Effective discussion moves are identifiable: building on another's point, requesting clarification, offering counter-evidence, and summarising the state of the group's thinking.

Paraphrasing before responding demonstrates listening and exposes misreading; it precedes disagreement rather than replacing it.

Nonverbal channels (eye contact, pace, gesture, volume) modulate meaning; the same sentence can read as assertive or apologetic depending on delivery.

Audience analysis determines vocabulary, assumed background knowledge, and the amount of context a speaker must supply.

Formal presentation structure: an opening that establishes stakes, a signposted body, and a close that restates the through-line.

Question types differ in function: closed questions confirm, open questions elicit elaboration, and probing questions test the reasoning behind a claim.

Turn-taking norms include yielding the floor, avoiding interruption, and repairing overlap explicitly rather than talking over.

Evaluating a speech separates content (accuracy, relevance of evidence) from delivery (clarity, pacing, audibility); a strong argument can be poorly delivered.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; repair with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

A sentence fragment lacks a subject, a finite verb, or a complete thought; dependent clauses introduced by because, although, or when cannot stand alone.

Semicolons separate independent clauses and items in a list that already contains commas; colons introduce a list, explanation, or quotation after an independent clause.

Pronoun case follows function: subject pronouns for subjects, object pronouns for objects of verbs and prepositions, who for subjects and whom for objects.

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the head noun, not intervening prepositional phrases; indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, neither) take singular verbs.

Dangling modifiers occur when the introductory participial phrase's implied subject differs from the main clause's subject.

Apostrophes mark possession (singular -'s, plural -s') and contraction; plural nouns never take an apostrophe to form the plural.

Context clues for unknown vocabulary operate through definition, contrast, example, and cause-effect relationships signalled in surrounding sentences.

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning; connotation is its associated attitude, which governs whether a synonym is appropriate in a given register.

Theme is an arguable statement about human experience implied by the whole text; subject matter (love, war) is not a theme until a claim is made about it.

Characterisation is direct when a narrator states traits and indirect when traits are inferred from action, speech, thought, or others' reactions.

Narrative point of view governs access to information: first person limits knowledge, omniscient permits interiority, limited third person restricts it to one character.

Setting functions as more than backdrop when it shapes conflict, mirrors psychological state, or establishes social conditions characters resist.

Figurative language analysis names the device and then states its effect on meaning; identifying a metaphor without explaining its work is incomplete.

Irony arises from a gap between what is said and meant (verbal), what is expected and occurs (situational), or what a character knows and the audience knows (dramatic).

A critical response integrates a defensible interpretation, textual evidence quoted precisely, and acknowledgement of a plausible counter-reading.

Structure and pacing (chapter breaks, shifts in tense, withheld information) are authorial choices that produce suspense, emphasis, or disruption.

Skimming locates gist and structure; scanning locates a specific detail or keyword; close reading tracks how meaning is built sentence by sentence.

Main idea is the claim the whole passage supports; a supporting detail only makes sense inside that claim and cannot substitute for it.

Inference must be licensed by textual evidence: if two readings are possible, the one requiring fewer unstated assumptions is the defensible answer.

Text features carry meaning independently of body text: headings signal hierarchy, captions anchor images, bold marks emphasis, footnotes qualify claims.

Visual texts use the same rhetorical moves as prose: framing, angle, colour, and juxtaposition position the viewer toward a stance.

Author's purpose is expressed as an infinitive verb plus object (to persuade voters, to entertain children); tone is the attitude conveyed (wry, urgent, elegiac).

Sequence questions are answered by locating transition markers (however, therefore, meanwhile) that signal contrast, cause, or time.

A summary omits examples and restates only the central claim plus its essential support, in the summarizer's own words.

A thesis states a contestable claim plus the reason for it; a topic statement merely names the subject and cannot organise an argument.

Paragraph unity requires one controlling idea per paragraph; the topic sentence announces it and every subsequent sentence advances or evidences it.

Claim-evidence-commentary is the default body-paragraph structure: commentary must explain how the evidence supports the claim, not restate it.

Transitions encode logical relations: addition (moreover), contrast (nevertheless), causation (consequently), concession (admittedly), exemplification (for instance).

Cohesion is achieved by consistent pronoun reference, parallel structure in lists, and repetition of key terms rather than synonym-chasing.

Register shifts with audience and purpose: formal academic prose avoids contractions, second person, and unsupported evaluative adjectives.

A conclusion synthesises rather than repeats: it states the implication of the argument and answers the implicit question 'so what?'.

Representing in multimodal form requires that image, layout, and text carry complementary rather than duplicated information.

Effective discussion moves are identifiable: building on another's point, requesting clarification, offering counter-evidence, and summarising the state of the group's thinking.

Paraphrasing before responding demonstrates listening and exposes misreading; it precedes disagreement rather than replacing it.

Nonverbal channels (eye contact, pace, gesture, volume) modulate meaning; the same sentence can read as assertive or apologetic depending on delivery.

Audience analysis determines vocabulary, assumed background knowledge, and the amount of context a speaker must supply.

Formal presentation structure: an opening that establishes stakes, a signposted body, and a close that restates the through-line.

Question types differ in function: closed questions confirm, open questions elicit elaboration, and probing questions test the reasoning behind a claim.

Turn-taking norms include yielding the floor, avoiding interruption, and repairing overlap explicitly rather than talking over.

Evaluating a speech separates content (accuracy, relevance of evidence) from delivery (clarity, pacing, audibility); a strong argument can be poorly delivered.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; repair with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

A sentence fragment lacks a subject, a finite verb, or a complete thought; dependent clauses introduced by because, although, or when cannot stand alone.

Semicolons separate independent clauses and items in a list that already contains commas; colons introduce a list, explanation, or quotation after an independent clause.

Pronoun case follows function: subject pronouns for subjects, object pronouns for objects of verbs and prepositions, who for subjects and whom for objects.

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the head noun, not intervening prepositional phrases; indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, neither) take singular verbs.

Dangling modifiers occur when the introductory participial phrase's implied subject differs from the main clause's subject.

Apostrophes mark possession (singular -'s, plural -s') and contraction; plural nouns never take an apostrophe to form the plural.

Context clues for unknown vocabulary operate through definition, contrast, example, and cause-effect relationships signalled in surrounding sentences.

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning; connotation is its associated attitude, which governs whether a synonym is appropriate in a given register.

Theme is an arguable statement about human experience implied by the whole text; subject matter (love, war) is not a theme until a claim is made about it.

Characterisation is direct when a narrator states traits and indirect when traits are inferred from action, speech, thought, or others' reactions.

Narrative point of view governs access to information: first person limits knowledge, omniscient permits interiority, limited third person restricts it to one character.

Setting functions as more than backdrop when it shapes conflict, mirrors psychological state, or establishes social conditions characters resist.

Figurative language analysis names the device and then states its effect on meaning; identifying a metaphor without explaining its work is incomplete.

Irony arises from a gap between what is said and meant (verbal), what is expected and occurs (situational), or what a character knows and the audience knows (dramatic).

A critical response integrates a defensible interpretation, textual evidence quoted precisely, and acknowledgement of a plausible counter-reading.

Structure and pacing (chapter breaks, shifts in tense, withheld information) are authorial choices that produce suspense, emphasis, or disruption.