PEI PLA English flashcards

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

Gist vs detail question

Gist asks for the overall topic or purpose of a text or recording; detail asks for one specific fact. Read or listen for structure first, then locate the exact detail.

Distractor by repetition

A wrong option that copies a word from the recording or passage to seem correct. The right answer usually restates the idea in different words, so match meaning, not sound.

NOT GIVEN item

A reading judgement where the statement is neither confirmed nor contradicted by the text. It may be true in real life but the passage does not say so.

Pronoun reference resolution

Finding what it, this, they, or which refers to. Choose the nearest earlier noun phrase that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

Cohesive devices

Linking words such as however, therefore, in addition, and whereas. They signal contrast, cause, addition, or concession and guide both reading and writing structure.

Skimming then scanning

Skimming is fast reading for overall structure and main ideas. Scanning is searching for specific words or numbers. Combine them to answer questions without reading every word twice.

Signpost language in lectures

Phrases that announce structure, such as first, on the other hand, in fact, and to sum up. They tell listeners what comes next and where key points sit.

Note completion word limit

Instructions such as 'no more than two words' cap the answer. Exceeding the limit usually scores zero even if the content is correct, so count words carefully.

Speaker attitude cues

Intonation, stress, hedges, and adverbs reveal whether a speaker is doubtful, enthusiastic, or critical, even when no explicit opinion adjective is used.

Number correction markers

Words like actually, sorry, or rather signal that a figure just stated is being revised. The corrected number is the one to record in listening tasks.

Present perfect vs past simple

Present perfect links a past action to now and rejects finished time markers. Past simple reports a completed event with a stated or implied finished time.

Third conditional form

If plus past perfect in the condition, then would have plus past participle in the result. It describes unreal situations in the past and their imagined outcomes.

Subject-verb agreement rule

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

Reported speech backshift

When reporting, move the tense one step back and adjust pronouns and time words. Present becomes past, and today becomes that day.

Definite and indefinite articles

Use a or an for first mention of a singular countable noun; use the for shared or previously mentioned referents; use no article for general plurals.

Collocation over translation

Words that conventionally combine in English, such as make a decision, do research, and take an exam. Learn them as fixed units rather than translating word by word.

Modal obligation scale

Must marks strong or internal obligation; have to marks external obligation; should marks advice; might marks possibility. Choice changes how forceful the sentence sounds.

Comparative and superlative forms

Short adjectives take -er and -est; longer ones take more and most. Never combine both, as in 'more better', which is always an error.

Task coverage in writing

Every bullet in the prompt must be addressed. A missing content point limits the content score regardless of grammar quality, so plan before writing.

Paragraph topic sentence

The first sentence states the paragraph's main point. Supporting sentences give reasons or examples, and a closing link moves to the next idea.

Formal register markers

Formal writing avoids contractions, slang, and vague quantifiers. It prefers full forms, precise nouns, and measured linking words such as therefore and nevertheless.

Email structure conventions

A greeting, a purpose statement in the opening line, the body with details, a clear action request, and a closing formula. Each element is expected in exam emails.

Proofreading checklist

A final pass checking subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, articles, and plural endings. These four error types account for most lost grammar marks in timed writing.

Paraphrasing the prompt

Restating the task in your own words instead of copying it. Copied phrases earn no credit for vocabulary range and waste the word limit.

Fluency versus speed

Fluency is judged on continuity and natural pace, not on how fast you speak. A brief planning pause is better than a rushed sentence that breaks down.

Strategic fillers

Phrases like well, let me think, or that's a good question hold the floor while you plan. They keep the turn going without switching to your first language.

Long-turn structure

For a two-minute turn, organise content as past context, present situation, and future expectation. This gives the answer a shape and fills the time naturally.

Range of structures

Higher speaking scores reward varied grammar used accurately: conditionals, relative clauses, and perfect tenses. Attempted but broken structures do not raise the score.

Word stress placement

In multi-syllable words one syllable is strongly stressed, as in important and photograph versus photography. Wrong stress reduces intelligibility more than wrong individual sounds.

Circumlocution strategy

Describing an unknown word by its function, category, or appearance to keep speaking. Saying 'a tool for cutting paper' avoids stopping for the exact noun.

Interaction in paired tasks

Answering plus asking back or responding to a partner's point. Monologue-only answers lose marks because interaction and turn-taking are explicitly rated.

Brief self-correction

Fixing a slip quickly with I mean or rather. One short repair is neutral, but repeated restarts damage the fluency impression.