PAU Foreign Language II: English (Castilla-La Mancha) flashcards

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

Main idea question

A comprehension item asking for the central point covering the whole passage. The correct option must be supported by every paragraph, not just one detail.

Inference in reading

A conclusion the text logically entails without stating it directly. An answer is valid only if the passage forces it; real-world plausibility alone is insufficient.

Not Given

A True/False/Not Given label used when the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement. Silence in the text counts as Not Given, not False.

Contrast signal words

Markers such as however, although, nevertheless and on the other hand. They signal that the writer's key point often follows the contrast rather than preceding it.

Pronoun reference resolution

Identifying what it, this or they points to by looking backwards for the nearest noun phrase that matches in number and grammatical gender.

Scanning for detail

Reading strategy that hunts for unmovable markers - names, dates, numbers, capitalised words - to locate the exact sentence answering a specific-detail question.

Topic sentence

The opening sentence of a paragraph naming its single controlling idea. It gives the examiner an immediate signal of paragraph coherence and focus.

Thesis statement

A single sentence in the introduction that states the writer's position on the issue. Every body paragraph must support it and the conclusion restates it.

Cohesive devices

Linking words that show relationships between ideas: firstly and moreover for addition, however for contrast, consequently for result, in conclusion for closure.

Concession and rebuttal

A two-move argumentative strategy: admit the opposing view with Admittedly, then answer it with Even so. It signals balanced reasoning instead of one-sided assertion.

Comma splice

An error joining two independent clauses with only a comma. Correct it with a full stop, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction.

Formal register markers

Features of formal written English: no contractions, no slang, and precise vocabulary such as many or considerable instead of vague a lot of or things.

Composition word count

The PAU composition target of roughly 120 to 150 words. Falling far short loses content marks; exceeding it adds errors without extra credit.

Opinion markers

Phrases that label a statement as personal judgement, such as In my view or It seems to me that. Unmarked assertions read as unsupported fact.

Noun suffixes

Endings that form nouns from other words: -tion, -ment, -ness, -ity, -ance, as in decision, development, happiness, ability, importance.

Adjective suffixes

Endings forming adjectives: -ous, -ive, -able, -ful, -less, -al, as in dangerous, attractive, readable, careful, hopeless, national.

Negative prefix im-

The assimilated form of in- used before p, b and m: impossible, imbalance, immature. Other forms are il- before l and ir- before r.

Word family of succeed

The set succeed (verb), success (noun), successful (adjective), successfully (adverb). Examiners test the class change, not just the meaning.

Collocation with make

Fixed noun partners of make: make a decision, make a mistake, make an effort, make progress, make a difference. These are not interchangeable with do.

Collocation with do

Fixed noun partners of do: do homework, do the housework, do harm, do a favour, do business. Using make in these phrases is an error.

Dependent preposition

A preposition fixed to a particular word and memorised with it: depend on, interested in, afraid of, good at, responsible for, consist of.

Phrasal verb give up

To quit or stop doing something. The particle changes the meaning, so give in means surrender and give away means reveal or donate.

False friend actual

A word resembling a Spanish form but meaning real or genuine, not current. Similarly assist means help, and library means biblioteca.

Reported speech backshift

Shifting tenses one step back when reporting: present to past, past simple to past perfect, will to would, can to could, with time markers adjusted.

Passive transformation

Moving the object to subject position and using be in the original tense plus past participle. Add by plus agent only when the agent matters.

Second conditional

If plus past simple in the condition, would plus infinitive in the result. It expresses a hypothetical or unlikely present situation, as in If I were rich.

Third conditional

If plus past perfect in the condition, would have plus past participle in the result. It describes an unreal past situation and its imagined outcome.

Non-defining relative clause

A clause giving extra information, set off by commas, using who or which but never that. Removing it leaves the sentence's core meaning intact.

Gerund after prepositions

The -ing form required after any preposition: interested in learning, good at cooking, look forward to hearing. The infinitive is wrong in this slot.

Must have plus participle

A modal perfect expressing strong deduction about the past, as in She must have left. The negative counterpart can't have expresses past impossibility.

Should have plus participle

A modal perfect expressing an unfulfilled obligation or regret about the past, as in You should have told me. It criticises what did not happen.

Negative adverbial inversion

After Never, Not only or Hardly at the start of a clause, the auxiliary precedes the subject: Never have I seen such a thing.

Causative have something done

A structure showing a service done by someone else: I had my car repaired. It contrasts with I repaired my car, where the subject did the work.