Catalonia PAU Foreign Language - English key terms

The central point that a whole text is built around, which the reader must state in their own words after reading. It is broader than any single detail and is usually tested by asking what the passage is mainly about.

A sentence, usually at the start of a paragraph, that announces what that paragraph will deal with. Locating topic sentences is a fast way to map the structure of a reading passage and predict what follows.

A fact, example, figure or reason that backs up a broader claim in a text. Exam questions often ask you to distinguish these concrete details from the general statement they illustrate.

A conclusion the reader draws from clues in the text rather than from a sentence stated outright. Inference questions ask what the writer suggests or implies, so the answer must be justified by evidence in the passage.

Meaning that is communicated indirectly, through word choice, tone or what is left unsaid, instead of being stated explicitly. Recognising it is essential for questions that ask what the writer really thinks about a topic.

The attitude a writer conveys towards the subject, for example ironic, enthusiastic, critical or neutral. Tone is revealed by adjectives, punctuation and rhetorical questions, and it is a common focus of multiple-choice reading items.

The reason a text was written, such as to inform, persuade, warn, entertain or instruct. Identifying purpose early helps you judge which details matter and which distractors in an exam question are irrelevant.

The group of readers a text is aimed at, which shapes how formal, technical or simple the language is. Questions about audience ask you to infer who would read the text from clues such as vocabulary and format.

Reading quickly through a text looking only for specific information, such as a date, a name or a number, without reading every word. It is the practical strategy for answering detail questions efficiently under exam time pressure.

Reading a text rapidly to grasp its general sense and organisation before answering questions. Skimming titles, first sentences and headings gives a mental map that makes later detailed reading faster and more accurate.

Information in the surrounding words or sentences that helps you work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Using context clues is the expected method for vocabulary items in reading passages instead of guessing from the word alone.

A word with a meaning close to another word, such as 'begin' and 'start'. Vocabulary questions often ask you to choose the option closest in meaning to a word from the text, so recognising synonyms is essential.

A word with the opposite meaning to another, such as 'generous' and 'mean'. Antonyms appear in vocabulary items and also help you eliminate wrong options when the question asks for a meaning or a contrast.

The natural combination of words that native speakers use together, such as 'make a decision' rather than 'do a decision'. Choosing the correct collocate is a frequent test point in gap-fill and cloze exercises.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition that creates a new meaning, such as 'give up' or 'look after'. Some are separable and some are not, and the particle often changes the meaning completely.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'break the ice'. Idioms are tested because literal translation from Catalan or Spanish usually produces the wrong answer.

A word that looks similar in English and in the learner's language but has a different meaning, such as 'actually' meaning 'in fact', not 'currently'. Avoiding false friends is a key accuracy point in both vocabulary and writing tasks.

Building a new word from a base by adding a prefix or suffix, for example 'happy' to 'unhappiness'. Exam items often give the base word and require the correct derived form in the gap.

A letter group added to the front of a word to change its meaning, such as 'un-', 'dis-', 're-' or 'over-'. Recognising prefixes helps you work out unfamiliar vocabulary and choose the right option in cloze tasks.

A letter group added to the end of a word, often changing its grammatical class, such as '-ness' making a noun or '-less' making an adjective. Suffixes are central to word-formation items and to spelling accuracy in writing.

The level of formality appropriate to a situation, ranging from informal chat to formal academic prose. A written task is marked down when informal phrases or contractions appear in a text that should be formal.

A word or phrase that connects ideas and shows their relationship, such as 'however', 'therefore', 'although' or 'in addition'. Using linkers correctly is one of the clearest signals of cohesion in a composition.

A word or phrase joining clauses or sentences, including conjunctions like 'because' and 'while' and adverbials like 'moreover'. Choosing the connector that matches the logical relation is essential for clear, well-organised writing.

The way sentences are tied together so a text reads as a single unit, achieved through linkers, pronouns, repetition and referencing. Examiners assess it separately from grammar when marking the written production task.

The logical order and consistency of ideas in a text, so that each part follows sensibly from the last. A coherent composition has clear paragraphs, a recognisable structure and no sudden jumps in topic.

A group of sentences developing one idea, usually opened by a topic sentence and separated from the next by a line break. Dividing a composition into clear paragraphs is a basic requirement of the written task.

Using pronouns or demonstratives such as 'this', 'they' or 'such' to point back to something already mentioned. Accurate referencing prevents ambiguity, while unclear reference is a common source of lost marks in writing.

A word that stands in for a noun or noun phrase, such as 'he', 'it', 'who' or 'themselves'. Correct pronoun agreement and clear pronoun reference are checked in both grammar items and written production.

A clause introduced by 'who', 'which', 'that' or 'whose' that gives more information about a noun, as in 'the book that I read'. Defining and non-defining relative clauses follow different punctuation rules.

A sentence structure expressing a condition and its result, in forms such as 'if I study, I will pass' or 'if I had studied, I would have passed'. Choosing the right tense pattern is a recurring grammar test point.

A helping verb such as 'can', 'must', 'should' or 'might' that expresses ability, obligation, permission or possibility. Modals are followed by the bare infinitive and are frequently tested in transformation exercises.

A structure where the object of the action becomes the subject, formed with 'be' plus past participle, as in 'the bridge was built in 1900'. Rewriting active sentences in the passive is a standard grammar task.

Conveying what someone said without quoting them directly, which requires backshifting tenses and adjusting pronouns and time expressions. It is commonly tested through sentence-transformation items.

The grammatical form that locates an action in time, such as present perfect, past simple or future continuous. Consistency of tense within a text is a criterion in both grammar items and the written composition.

A short word such as 'in', 'on', 'at', 'by' or 'despite' that links a noun or gerund to the rest of the sentence. Prepositions are tested because they are fixed by usage and differ from Catalan or Spanish patterns.

The '-ing' form of a verb used as a noun, as in 'swimming is healthy', or after certain verbs and prepositions, as in 'I enjoy reading'. Knowing which verbs take a gerund rather than an infinitive is essential.

The base form of a verb, with or without 'to', used after certain verbs, adjectives and to express purpose, as in 'I went to buy bread'. Some verbs take an infinitive where others take a gerund.

A writing task in which prompts, notes or a situation tell you what to include, the audience and the approximate length. Success depends on covering every point, organising it into paragraphs and respecting the required register.

The stated number of words a composition should contain, often given as a range. Writing far below it loses content marks and writing far above it can introduce errors and leave less time for checking.

Reading your own finished text to find and correct errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and word choice. Reserving a few minutes for proofreading reliably improves accuracy marks in the written production task.