Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level English Language flashcards

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

Formal letter closing

When the recipient's name is unknown, open with 'Dear Sir/Madam' and close with 'Yours faithfully'; when the name is known, use 'Dear Mr X' and 'Yours sincerely'.

Subject-verb agreement

A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb; collective nouns like 'team' usually take a singular verb in formal written English.

Its versus it's

'Its' is a possessive determiner showing ownership, as in 'the dog wagged its tail'. 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'.

Their, there, they're

'Their' shows possession, 'there' indicates place or existence, and 'they're' means 'they are'. Confusing them is a common spelling error in compositions.

Principal versus principle

'Principal' means main or a school head; 'principle' means a rule or belief. These homophones are frequently tested in vocabulary sections.

Stationary versus stationery

'Stationary' means not moving; 'stationery' means writing materials such as paper and pens. Both are common homophone test items.

Semicolon use

A semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, e.g., 'She was tired; she kept working.' It signals a stronger pause than a comma.

Apostrophe for possession

Add 's to a singular noun (the girl's book) and an apostrophe after the s to a plural noun (the girls' books). Irregular plurals take 's (children's).

Rhetorical question

A question asked for effect rather than an answer, used in persuasive speeches and argumentative essays to engage the audience and emphasise a point.

Rule of three

A rhetorical device listing three parallel items or ideas, e.g., 'education, employment and empowerment'. It creates rhythm and makes arguments memorable in persuasive writing.

Direct address

Using 'you', 'we' or the audience's name to speak straight to readers or listeners; common in speeches and advertisements to build engagement and persuade.

Topic sentence

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the main idea; it guides the reader and helps summarisers identify key content points quickly.

Summary compression

Reducing a passage by removing examples, repetition and detail while keeping main ideas; use your own words and stay within the word limit.

Register

The level of formality in language suited to audience and purpose: formal for reports and official letters, informal for personal letters, persuasive for speeches.

Impersonal tone

Writing that avoids 'I' and 'you', often using passive voice and third person; standard for reports, news articles and official documents.

Active versus passive voice

Active voice has the subject doing the action ('The chef cooked the meal'); passive voice has the action done to the subject ('The meal was cooked by the chef').

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined only by a comma, e.g., 'I ran fast, I was late.' Correct it with a full stop, semicolon or conjunction.

Run-on sentence

Two or more independent clauses written without adequate punctuation or conjunction; it confuses meaning and lowers marks for mechanical accuracy.

Paragraph unity

Each paragraph develops one central idea, supported by examples or explanation, and links logically to the next through connectives.

Connectives

Words like 'however', 'therefore', 'moreover' and 'in addition' that link sentences and paragraphs, showing contrast, cause, result or addition.

Comprehension inference

A conclusion drawn from evidence in the passage rather than stated directly; answers must still be supported by the text, not personal opinion.

Context clue

Information in surrounding words or sentences that helps deduce an unfamiliar word's meaning, such as definitions, examples, contrasts or cause-effect relationships.

Synonym and antonym

A synonym has a similar meaning to another word (big/large); an antonym has the opposite meaning (big/small). Both are common vocabulary test items.

Idiom

An expression whose meaning is not literal, e.g., 'to let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal a secret; idioms are tested in context.

Phrasal verb

A verb combined with a preposition or adverb that creates a new meaning, e.g., 'give up' (surrender), 'put off' (postpone). Prepositions cannot be guessed literally.

Direct and indirect speech

Direct speech quotes exact words in quotation marks; indirect speech reports them, shifting tense and pronouns, e.g., 'I am tired' becomes 'He said he was tired'.

Conditional sentences

Type 1: 'If it rains, I will stay' (real). Type 2: 'If it rained, I would stay' (unreal present). Type 3: 'If it had rained, I would have stayed' (past).

Gerund versus infinitive

A gerund is a verb ending in -ing used as a noun ('Swimming is fun'); an infinitive is 'to' plus verb ('to swim'). Some verbs take only one form.

Relative pronoun choice

'Who' refers to people, 'which' to things, and 'that' to either in defining clauses; 'whose' shows possession in relative clauses.

Essay introduction

The opening paragraph that states the topic, sets tone and outlines the main argument; it should hook the reader without revealing every point.

Argumentative essay structure

Introduction stating position, body paragraphs each presenting one argument with evidence, a counter-argument addressed, and a conclusion restating the position.

Word limit discipline

Exceeding or falling far below a stated word count loses marks; plan points first, then write concisely, checking the count before finishing.