CJBAT key terms

A conclusion you reach by combining what a passage says with your own background knowledge, even though the passage never states that conclusion outright.

The central point a paragraph or passage is making about its topic; the one statement that the rest of the text explains or supports.

A fact, example, or reason inside a passage that explains, proves, or backs up the main idea.

A word or phrase near an unfamiliar word that helps you work out its meaning, such as a definition, an example, or a contrast.

The feeling or association a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as "cheap" sounding negative while "inexpensive" sounds neutral.

The attitude a writer takes toward the subject or the reader, shown through word choice and often described as formal, urgent, or sarcastic.

Restating a passage's meaning in your own words while keeping the same ideas and level of detail, without adding opinions or dropping key facts.

The rule that a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb, even when other words sit between them.

The link between a pronoun such as he, it, or they and the specific noun it stands for, which must be clear to the reader.

A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a complete verb, or a complete thought.

Two or more complete clauses joined with no punctuation or with only a comma, so the ideas blur together instead of standing apart.

Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or comparison, such as all verbs or all noun phrases, so the sentence reads smoothly.

A word or phrase that describes another word; it should sit close to the word it describes so the reader is not confused.

A sentence pattern in which the subject performs the action, as in "The officer wrote the report," rather than receiving it.

Bringing stored information back to mind without seeing it again, as when you repeat a license plate number minutes after reading it.

Grouping separate pieces of information into larger units, like splitting a phone number into three parts, so more can be remembered.

A memory trick such as a rhyme, acronym, or vivid image that ties new information to something already easy to remember.

The small amount of information a person can hold in mind and use at one time, needed when following multi-step instructions.

The ability to notice that something is wrong, risky, or turning into a problem before the difficulty is fully visible.

The order in which tasks or risks should be handled, based on how urgent and how serious each one is.

A warning sign or detail suggesting a situation may be dangerous, dishonest, or getting worse and needs attention.

A statement accepted as true without proof that a conclusion depends on; if the assumption is false, the reasoning falls apart.

A stated reason or piece of evidence offered in support of a conclusion.

The claim an argument is trying to establish, built on the premises that are offered.

The quality of an argument whose conclusion must follow from its premises; a valid argument can still rest on false premises.

A single case that proves a general statement false, such as one honest witness disproving the claim that no witnesses are honest.

A broad statement drawn from a limited set of examples; it is stronger when those examples are numerous and representative.

A repeating arrangement or trend in events or data that lets you predict what will come next.

A possible explanation or prediction that must be tested against evidence before it is accepted as true.

A relationship in which one event or condition produces another; a mere correlation between two things does not prove this link.

The order in which steps or events occur, often signaled by words such as first, next, and finally.

Arranging events by the time they happened, either from earliest to latest or from latest back to earliest.

A fixed series of steps that must be carried out in the correct order to complete a task properly.

One of the four main compass points - north, south, east, and west - used to describe position and the direction of travel.

A recognizable fixed feature, such as a building or intersection, used to describe or remember a location and the route to it.

The relationship between distances on a map or drawing and the real distances they represent, such as one inch equals one mile.

Imagining how an object or shape would look after it is turned, without physically moving the object or yourself.

A view of a scene from directly above, as in a map or floor plan, showing layout rather than what a person standing there would see.