Madrid PAU English key terms

The central point that a whole text communicates, which the other sentences support or explain. Identifying it means asking what the writer most wants the reader to understand after finishing.

A sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that states the paragraph's controlling idea. The remaining sentences develop, illustrate or qualify it, so finding it speeds up comprehension.

A conclusion the reader draws from clues in the text rather than from a sentence stated outright. It must be supported by evidence, otherwise it is guesswork and will not earn marks.

To read quickly for the general sense, letting the eyes pass over detail. Useful for matching headings or deciding what a text is about before answering specific questions.

To move the eyes rapidly over a text looking for one specific item, such as a date, name or number, without reading everything. The opposite strategy to skimming for overall meaning.

The attitude a writer conveys towards the subject, for example ironic, critical, sympathetic or neutral. It is shown through word choice and sentence rhythm rather than stated directly.

The associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as the difference between 'cheap' and 'affordable'. Writers use it to suggest attitudes without stating them openly.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from the feelings or associations it may evoke. Distinguishing it from connotation helps in questions about why a particular word was chosen.

A word with a meaning close to another in a given context, such as 'begin' and 'start'. Exact equivalence is rare, so context decides which substitute fits without changing the sense.

A word expressing the opposite of another, such as 'scarce' and 'abundant'. Some opposites are gradable, allowing intensifiers, while others are absolute and cannot be compared.

The habitual partnership between words, so that native users say 'make a decision' rather than 'do a decision'. Examiners reward these natural combinations in gap-fill tasks and in writing.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition to create a new meaning, as in 'give up' or 'look into'. Some are separable and some are not, which affects word order with pronouns.

A word that resembles one in another language but differs in meaning, such as Spanish 'actual' versus English 'actual'. Trusting the resemblance produces errors that examiners notice quickly.

Building a new word from a root by adding prefixes or suffixes, for example 'care' to 'careless' or 'carefully'. Gap-fill exercises often give the root and require the correct derived form.

A letter group attached to the front of a word that changes its meaning, as 'un-' in 'unfair' or 'over-' in 'overestimate'. It normally does not alter the word class.

A letter group added to the end of a word, usually changing its grammatical class, as '-ness' forms nouns and '-less' forms adjectives. Choosing the right one depends on the gap's grammatical role.

The grammatical category a word belongs to, such as noun, verb, adjective or adverb. Identifying the slot in a sentence tells you which form of a given root is required.

The -ing form of a verb used as a noun, as in 'Swimming is healthy'. Certain verbs and prepositions are followed only by this form, which makes it a frequent test point.

The base form of a verb, with or without 'to', used after certain verbs, adjectives and to express purpose. Some verbs take it while others take a gerund, and the choice changes meaning.

A sentence linking a condition and its result, such as 'If it rains, we will stay'. The verb forms shift with whether the situation is real, hypothetical or unreal in the past.

A construction where the object of the action becomes the subject, as in 'The report was written by Ana'. It is chosen when the doer is unknown, unimportant or deliberately hidden.

Conveying what someone said without direct quotation, which requires backshifting tenses and adjusting pronouns and time expressions. Accuracy here is a common grammar mark.

A helping verb such as 'can', 'must' or 'should' that expresses ability, obligation, permission or probability. It takes no -s, is followed by the bare infinitive and has no participle form.

A clause introduced by 'who', 'which', 'that' or 'whose' that describes a noun. Defining clauses carry essential information; non-defining ones add extra detail and take commas.

A word or phrase such as 'however', 'therefore' or 'in addition' that signals the logical relation between ideas. The right choice depends on whether you are contrasting, adding or concluding.

The way sentences are tied together through connectors, pronouns, repeated key words and parallel structures. A text can be grammatical sentence by sentence yet still fail to hold together.

The logical organisation of ideas so that the text progresses in a way the reader can follow. It concerns the order and relevance of content, while cohesion concerns the linking devices.

The use of pronouns and determiners such as 'this', 'they' or 'the former' to point back or forward to something already mentioned. Unclear reference is a frequent source of ambiguity.

A block of sentences developing one idea, normally opened by a topic sentence and marked by indentation or a line break. Clear paragraphing is part of the mark for organisation.

The level of formality suited to a situation, ranging from conversational to academic. An opinion essay needs a consistent, reasonably formal register, avoiding slang and contractions.

A sentence, usually at the end of the introduction, that states the position the essay will defend. Everything in the body should support it, and the conclusion should echo it.

A claim supported by reasons and evidence, presented so that a reader could be persuaded or could object. In an opinion essay each body paragraph typically advances one.

The opposing view that a writer acknowledges before answering it. Including one and rebutting it makes an opinion essay more convincing than listing only favourable points.

Facts, examples or statistics used to support a claim. In an exam essay, invented precise statistics are risky, so general examples and reasoning are usually safer.

A brief restatement of the main points in your own words, omitting detail and examples. It tests whether you have understood the text rather than copied its phrasing.

Expressing someone else's idea in different words while keeping the meaning. It avoids copying the source wording and shows that you have genuinely understood it.

The marks that structure written language, including commas, full stops, semicolons and apostrophes. Errors such as comma splices or missing apostrophes reduce the accuracy mark.

The correct arrangement of letters in a word. Common exam traps include doubled consonants, silent letters and the difference between British and American variants, which should be kept consistent.

The number of words a task requires, usually given as a range. Going far below it loses content marks and going far above it adds errors without extra credit.