CA POST PELLETB cheat sheet

The main idea must cover the whole passage; an answer that restates one paragraph's detail is a supporting detail, not the main idea.

On EXCEPT questions, three choices are supported by the passage and the correct answer is the one the passage never states or directly contradicts.

Inference answers must be forced by the text; if an option needs outside knowledge or a guess, it is wrong.

Absolute words (always, never, all, none, only) usually mark a wrong choice unless the passage itself uses that absolute language.

Correct answers paraphrase the passage in different words; a word-for-word copy with one substituted word is a trap.

Tone is determined by specific word choice ("scoffed," "slog" signal negative attitude), not by the topic alone.

Sequence questions are solved by tracking time markers: before, after, meanwhile, then, finally.

Author's purpose is labeled with a verb: to inform, to explain, to persuade, to describe a process, or to entertain.

When two answers seem valid, the more moderate, text-supported one is correct; the more extreme or broader one is usually wrong.

A pronoun must have exactly one possible antecedent; if two nouns could be "it" or "they," the sentence is unclear.

A modifier belongs directly beside the word it describes; an introductory phrase must attach to the subject of the main clause.

Items in a list or series must be parallel: all nouns, all gerunds, or all infinitives, never mixed forms.

The verb agrees with the subject's number; ignore prepositional phrases between them ("the box of files is").

Choose the shortest revision that is grammatically correct, unambiguous, and preserves the original meaning.

Wordiness is a defect: "due to the fact that" becomes "because"; "at this point in time" becomes "now."

Two independent clauses need a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus conjunction; otherwise the result is a run-on.

Double negatives ("didn't do nothing") reverse or obscure meaning and must be eliminated.

Keep tense consistent within a sentence unless the actual time sequence requires a shift.

Contrast clues (but, unlike, however, rather than) indicate the unknown word means the opposite of a nearby term.

Definition and restatement clues follow commas, dashes, or "that is," which rename the unfamiliar word.

Example clues introduced by "such as" or "including" show the word's category rather than its exact meaning.

Word charge matters: match positive, negative, or neutral connotation to the sentence's tone.

Common roots and prefixes: bene- (good), mal- (bad), -cred- (believe), -dict- (say), -spect- (look), ante- (before), post- (after).

If the blank requires a noun, eliminate verb and adjective options first; grammar alone narrows the field.

Near-synonyms differ in intensity and formality; pick the one that fits the sentence without changing its meaning.

Formal or legal register demands precise terms (alleged, custody, pursuant to) rather than casual equivalents.

I before e except after c, or when the sound is "ay" (receive, believe, weigh, neighbor); exceptions include either, weird, seize.

Double the final consonant before a suffix when a one-syllable word ends in one vowel plus one consonant (stopped, running).

Do not double when the stress is not on the final syllable (visited, offered, targeted).

Drop a silent final e before a vowel suffix (make → making) but keep it before a consonant suffix (hope → hopeful).

Change final y to i before a suffix when a consonant precedes it (carry → carried); keep y after a vowel (played) or before -ing (carrying).

Homophone pairs to distinguish: their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, to/too/two, principal/principle, capital/capitol.

Only exceed, proceed, and succeed end in -ceed; precede and recede use -cede; supersede is the sole -sede.

High-frequency report words: occurred, separate, definitely, maintenance, accommodate, possession, harassment, judgment, license.

Read the entire passage before filling any blank so word choices match the overall meaning and tone.

Contrast signals (however, although, but, nevertheless) mark a blank where the next idea reverses the previous one.

Result signals (therefore, thus, consequently, as a result) mark a blank where the second clause follows from the first.

Addition and example signals: moreover, furthermore, in addition; for example, for instance, such as.

Grammar cues decide the answer: singular or plural subject, verb tense, and a/an before vowel or consonant sounds.

Fixed preposition pairs are memorized, not guessed: comply with, responsible for, prohibited from, charged with, consistent with.

Reject any option that creates a fragment, a run-on, or a double negative in the completed sentence.

After selecting a word, reread the full sentence with it inserted to confirm both meaning and syntax hold.