CBEST key terms

The central point a passage makes about its topic, stated directly or implied. The other sentences in the text should support, explain, or illustrate it.

A fact, example, statistic, or reason that explains or proves a main idea. Details answer questions such as who, what, why, or how.

A logical conclusion a reader draws from clues in a text combined with prior knowledge, even though the author does not state it directly. It must be supported by the passage.

The reason an author writes a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. Purpose influences the text's structure, tone, and use of evidence.

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, revealed through word choice and details. A tone may be critical, humorous, sympathetic, neutral, or urgent.

Words or sentences near an unfamiliar word that help a reader infer its meaning. Common types include definitions, examples, contrasts, and restatements.

A fact can be checked and verified with evidence, while an opinion expresses a belief, judgment, or feeling. Telling them apart helps readers evaluate whether claims are supported.

A short restatement of a text's main points in the reader's own words, leaving out minor details. A good summary keeps the author's meaning without adding personal opinion.

Restating a passage's ideas in different words while preserving the original meaning and roughly the same level of detail. It demonstrates understanding without copying the author's phrasing.

The way a text arranges its ideas, such as chronological order, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, or problem and solution. Recognizing the pattern helps readers follow the argument.

A one-sided slant in how information is presented, often shown by loaded language, omitted viewpoints, or unbalanced evidence. Bias may be intentional or unintentional.

Specific information such as facts, examples, quotations, or statistics used to support a claim. Strong evidence is relevant, accurate, and sufficient for the point being made.

A number that names part of a whole or part of a group, written as one number over another. The bottom number tells how many equal parts the whole is divided into.

A number written with place value based on powers of ten, using a decimal point to separate whole units from parts of a unit. For example, 0.25 means twenty-five hundredths.

A ratio that compares a number with 100, meaning 'per hundred.' Fifty percent is 50 out of 100, which equals 0.5 as a decimal.

A comparison of two quantities by division, often written as a to b, a:b, or a/b. It describes how much of one quantity exists relative to another.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, such as 2/3 = 4/6. Proportions can be solved by cross-multiplying or by finding a common multiplier.

The arithmetic average of a data set, found by adding all the values and dividing by the number of values. Extreme values can pull the mean up or down.

The middle value in a data set arranged from least to greatest. With an even number of values, it is the average of the two middle numbers.

The value that appears most often in a data set. A set may have one mode, several modes, or no mode when all values appear equally often.

The agreed sequence for evaluating an expression: parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right. It prevents different answers to the same problem.

A number that divides another number evenly with no remainder. For example, 3 and 4 are factors of 12 because 12 divided by 3 equals 4 exactly.

The amount of surface a two-dimensional shape covers, measured in square units. For a rectangle, area equals length multiplied by width.

A letter or symbol that stands for an unknown or changing number in an expression or equation. In x + 5 = 12, the variable x represents 7.

A number from 0 to 1 that describes how likely an event is, where 0 means impossible and 1 means certain. It can be calculated by dividing favorable outcomes by total possible outcomes.

A sentence, usually near the end of an introduction, that states the essay's main claim and often previews the reasons. It guides the essay's structure and focus.

The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph, usually placed first. It tells readers what the paragraph will explain and connects to the essay's thesis.

The quality of writing that flows logically, with ideas connected clearly from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph. Coherence comes from organization, repetition of key ideas, and transitions.

A word or phrase such as however, therefore, or in addition that shows how ideas relate. Transitions guide readers through the logic of an essay.

Reworking a draft's content and organization, such as strengthening the thesis, adding evidence, or reordering paragraphs. Revision happens before editing for grammar and spelling.

Correcting a draft for grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. Editing follows revision, once the ideas and organization are settled.

Two or more independent clauses joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction. It can be fixed with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. It should be combined with a nearby sentence or completed.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Phrases between subject and verb do not change the subject.

Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or comparison, such as hiking, swimming, and biking. Parallel structure makes writing clearer and easier to read.

The readers a piece of writing is intended for. Audience affects word choice, tone, amount of explanation, and which evidence will be persuasive.