CLEP College Composition flashcards

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

Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match the simple subject in number, ignoring intervening phrases; with 'or/nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject; indefinite pronouns like 'each' and 'everyone' are singular.

Pronoun case

Use nominative pronouns (I, he, she, they, who) for subjects and predicate nominatives; use objective pronouns (me, him, her, them, whom) for objects of verbs and prepositions.

Pronoun-antecedent agreement

A pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent; singular antecedents (each, everyone, neither, anybody) take singular pronouns, though singular 'they' is acceptable for unknown gender.

Comma splice

An error in which two independent clauses are joined only by a comma; correct it with a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or by separating into two sentences.

Dangling modifier

A modifier whose intended subject is missing from the main clause, as in 'Walking home, the rain began'; revise so the main clause's subject performs the modifier's action.

Parallel structure

Items in a series, paired comparisons (either/or, not only/but also), and lists after a colon must share the same grammatical form, such as all infinitives or all nouns.

Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clause

A restrictive clause is essential to the sentence's meaning and takes no commas; a nonrestrictive clause is extra information and is set off by commas.

Semicolon use

A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, or separates items in a list when the items themselves contain commas.

Colon use

A colon follows an independent clause and introduces a list, an explanation, or a quotation; it should not separate a verb from its object or a preposition from its object.

Past perfect tense

The past perfect (had + past participle) expresses an action completed before another past action; use it to clarify the order of two past events.

Revision vs. editing

Revision reshapes content, organization, and clarity; editing corrects grammar, punctuation, and style; proofreading is the final check for typos and formatting.

Sentence combining

Joining short sentences by subordinating less important ideas (because, although) or using appositives and participial phrases, improving flow and showing relationships between ideas.

Conciseness

Eliminating redundant pairs (each and every), empty phrases (due to the fact that), and expletive constructions (there is) so that every word carries meaning.

Active vs. passive voice

Active voice makes the actor the subject and is usually clearer; passive voice makes the receiver the subject and suits cases where the actor is unknown or unimportant.

Coordination and subordination

Coordination joins equal ideas with and, but, or; subordination ranks ideas with although, since, while, showing which idea is primary in the sentence.

Topic sentence

A sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main idea and controls the development of the supporting sentences that follow.

Transitions

Words or phrases (however, therefore, for instance, moreover) that signal the logical relationship between sentences or paragraphs, such as contrast, cause, or example.

Nominalization

Turning a verb or adjective into a noun (make a decision, perform an analysis); revising to the verb form (decide, analyze) usually makes prose clearer and more direct.

Paragraph unity

The quality of a paragraph that develops a single main idea, with every sentence supporting the topic sentence and no irrelevant material included.

Signal phrase

An introductory phrase naming a source before borrowed material (According to Smith, Smith argues that), helping readers distinguish the writer's voice from the source's.

Paraphrase

Restating a source's idea in your own words and sentence structure, usually at similar length, with attribution to the original author.

Summary

A condensed restatement of a source's main point in your own words, much shorter than the original and focused on central ideas rather than details.

Plagiarism

Presenting another person's words or ideas as your own without attribution, including copying exact wording without quotation marks or paraphrasing without citation.

MLA in-text citation

A parenthetical citation giving the author's last name and page number (Smith 23) placed after the borrowed material, matching an entry in the works-cited list.

APA in-text citation

A parenthetical citation giving author and year (Smith, 2020), with a page number for direct quotations (Smith, 2020, p. 23), matching the reference list.

Primary vs. secondary source

A primary source is an original document, data set, or firsthand account; a secondary source interprets or analyzes primary sources, such as a review article.

Synthesis

Combining ideas from multiple sources around a common point, showing agreement and disagreement, and connecting them with the writer's own analysis rather than listing quotations.

Rhetorical situation

The context of a communication: the writer or speaker, the audience, the purpose, the medium, and the surrounding circumstances that shape how the message is received.

Ethos

The appeal to the speaker's credibility, character, and authority, established through expertise, fair-mindedness, and trustworthiness rather than emotional pressure.

Pathos

The appeal to the audience's emotions and values, such as sympathy, fear, or patriotism, used to make an argument persuasive by connecting with feelings.

Logos

The appeal to logic and reason through evidence, facts, statistics, and sound reasoning, including clear claims supported by relevant examples.

Warrant

The often unstated assumption that links a piece of evidence to a claim; identifying the warrant reveals whether the reasoning is sound and acceptable to the audience.