Galicia PAU English - First Foreign Language key terms

The central point a whole text communicates, usually expressible in one sentence that covers the writer's purpose rather than any single detail. Identifying it is the first step in global comprehension tasks.

The general sense of a passage, understood quickly without processing every word. Questions often ask you to choose the summary closest to the gist rather than a statement that is only partly true.

A sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. Locating topic sentences speeds up mapping the structure of a text.

The reason a writer produced the text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, warn or complain. Purpose shapes tone and vocabulary, so recognising it helps you reject answers that contradict the writer's intent.

The attitude a writer conveys through word choice, for example ironic, enthusiastic, critical or neutral. Tone questions require evidence from adjectives, adverbs and punctuation rather than from the topic alone.

Reading rapidly for overall meaning by looking at titles, first sentences and keywords. It is the standard first pass before answering global comprehension questions about a longer article.

Moving the eyes quickly over a text to find a specific item such as a date, name or figure. It supports questions that ask for precise details rather than overall meaning.

A conclusion drawn from evidence in the text plus general knowledge, when the point is not stated directly. Inference questions use wording like 'suggests' or 'implies' and require textual support.

A fact stated openly in the passage, recoverable by locating the relevant sentence. Questions on explicit information reward careful reading, not guessing or personal opinion.

The words in the text that justify an answer. In inference and detail questions you should be able to point to the sentence or phrase that supports the option you select.

Restating the same meaning in different words. Correct answer options are almost always paraphrases of the original, so matching identical wording is a warning sign rather than a guarantee.

An incorrect option designed to look attractive, often by repeating vocabulary from the text while changing the meaning. Recognising distractors is as important as finding the right answer.

A pronoun or determiner such as it, they, this or the former that points back or forward to another element. Resolving reference is essential for understanding who did what in a passage.

A linking word or phrase such as however, therefore, although or in addition that signals the logical relation between ideas. Connectors often decide whether a statement contrasts, adds or concludes.

A word that resembles one in your own language but has a different meaning, such as 'actual' (real, not current) or 'library' (not bookshop). False friends cause errors in both comprehension and production.

A habitual word partnership such as 'make a decision', 'heavy rain' or 'strong argument'. Examiners test collocations because they reveal natural control of English beyond single-word knowledge.

A verb combined with a particle or preposition that creates a new meaning, for example 'give up', 'look after' or 'turn down'. The particle cannot usually be guessed from the verb alone.

The grammatical form that places an action in time and shows aspect, such as present perfect for past events with present relevance. Tense choice is frequently tested in gap-fill items with time markers.

A sentence pattern expressing real or hypothetical conditions, as in first, second and third conditionals. The combination of tenses in each type must be controlled, especially in transformation exercises.

A construction in which the object of an action becomes the subject, formed with the verb 'be' plus a past participle. It is used when the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious.

The grammar of conveying what someone said without direct quotation, requiring backshift of tenses and changes to pronouns and time expressions. Transformation tasks often ask you to convert direct to reported speech.

A clause introduced by who, which, that, whose or where that modifies a noun. Defining and non-defining relative clauses differ in comma use and in whether 'that' is allowed.

A structure expressing opposition, such as 'although', 'despite' plus noun, or 'whereas'. Choosing the correct form depends on whether the following element is a clause or a noun phrase.

The -ing form of a verb used as a noun, as in 'Swimming is healthy' or 'I enjoy reading'. Some verbs and prepositions require a gerund rather than an infinitive.

The base form of a verb, with or without 'to', used after certain verbs, adjectives and to express purpose. Verb patterns with gerund or infinitive are a common gap-fill focus.

A short word such as in, on, at, by or of that links a noun to the rest of the sentence. Prepositions are tested both in fixed expressions and in time and place phrases.

An expression such as 'last year', 'since 2010' or 'by the time' that signals which tense is required. Noticing time markers is the fastest route to the right answer in tense exercises.

Producing the correct derivative of a root word, for example turning 'succeed' into 'successful' or 'decision'. Tasks supply a base word and expect the form that fits the grammatical slot.

A word with a similar meaning to another, such as 'big' and 'large'. Synonyms are useful for paraphrasing in compositions and for recognising restated ideas in comprehension options.

A word with the opposite meaning to another, such as 'increase' and 'decrease'. Antonyms help you identify contrast relationships and eliminate options that reverse the text's meaning.

The emotional or evaluative association a word carries beyond its literal meaning, as with 'stubborn' versus 'determined'. Connotation affects tone and should guide word choice in writing.

The level of formality appropriate to a situation, ranging from informal to academic. Compositions usually require a neutral or semi-formal register, avoiding slang and contractions in formal letters.

A sentence stating the central position of an essay, usually placed at the end of the introduction. It guides the paragraphs that follow and gives the composition a clear argumentative focus.

The organisation of a paragraph into a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a closing or linking sentence. Clear structure is a major criterion in composition marking.

A cohesive device such as 'firstly', 'on the other hand' or 'in conclusion' that shows how sentences and paragraphs relate. Overuse is penalised, so linkers should mark genuine logical shifts.

The way sentences and paragraphs are tied together through reference, substitution, connectors and repetition. A cohesive text reads smoothly because each sentence connects to the previous one.

The logical consistency of ideas in a text, so that the argument progresses and nothing contradicts itself. Coherence concerns meaning and order, while cohesion concerns the linguistic links.

The use of commas, full stops, semicolons, colons and apostrophes to mark meaning and structure. Errors such as comma splices or missing apostrophes reduce the composition mark.

Writing words with an initial capital letter according to convention, for example at the start of a sentence, for proper nouns and for days and months in English. It is part of the orthography criterion.

The correct written form of words, including common traps such as doubled consonants, silent letters and -ise/-ize variants. Spelling errors are counted separately in the marking of written production.