FAST key terms

The underlying message or insight about life that a literary work conveys, usually expressed as a full sentence rather than a single word. Themes are developed through characters, events, and repeated ideas.

The most important point an informational text makes about its topic, supported by details throughout the passage. It is sometimes stated outright but often must be built from several key details.

A conclusion a reader draws by combining information stated in a text with background knowledge. An inference is a logical step supported by evidence, not a random guess.

A brief, neutral restatement of a text's main points that includes no personal opinions or judgments. It states the central idea and the most important supporting details in the reader's own words.

The way an author organizes information in a passage, such as chronological order, cause and effect, comparison, problem and solution, or description. Structure signals how ideas relate to one another.

The perspective from which a text is told, such as first person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient, or the position an author takes on a topic in informational writing.

Language that reaches beyond literal meaning to create vivid effects, including simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. It helps readers picture ideas and sense the writer's attitude.

The writer's or narrator's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice, sentence structure, and details. Tone differs from mood, which is the feeling a reader experiences.

A statement an author asserts as true and then supports with reasons and evidence. In argumentative writing, the claim is the position the writer wants readers to accept.

A reasoned set of statements in which a writer supports a claim with evidence, logical reasoning, and attention to opposing views, aiming to persuade readers to accept a position.

The degree to which a source can be trusted, judged by the author's expertise, the publication process, how current it is, and freedom from bias. Reliable sources support claims with verifiable evidence.

Words, phrases, or sentence patterns surrounding an unfamiliar word that help a reader figure out its meaning. Common types include definition, example, synonym, antonym, and general sense clues.

A word part attached to a base or root to change its meaning or part of speech. Prefixes attach at the beginning of a word, and suffixes attach at the end.

The core element of a word that carries its basic meaning and to which prefixes and suffixes may be added. Knowing common Greek and Latin roots helps readers decode unfamiliar words.

General-purpose school words used across subjects in instruction and testing, such as analyze, evaluate, summarize, and contrast. They are distinct from content-specific technical terms.

A single sentence in an essay that states the writer's main claim and often previews the reasons or organization to follow. It usually appears at the end of the introduction.

Developing ideas in writing by adding explanation, examples, evidence, and commentary instead of simply restating a point. Strong elaboration connects evidence back to the claim.

A word, phrase, or sentence that links ideas and shows how they relate, such as however, therefore, or in addition. Transitions guide readers through the logic of a text.

A reference showing where a quotation or piece of information came from, typically naming the author and page or line number so readers can locate the original source.

The value a digit has because of its position in a number, such as the 3 in 4,350 standing for 3 hundreds. Place value underlies regrouping, rounding, and decimal comparison.

A number that can be written as a fraction of two integers with a nonzero denominator, including integers, terminating decimals, and repeating decimals.

A comparison of two quantities by division, often written as a to b, a:b, or a over b. Ratios describe relative size rather than absolute amounts.

A ratio that compares a number to 100, meaning per hundred. Percents express parts of a whole, rates of change, and comparisons between quantities.

The agreed sequence for evaluating expressions: grouping symbols first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.

The distance of a number from zero on the number line, always zero or positive and written between vertical bars. It measures magnitude without regard to direction or sign.

A letter or symbol that stands for an unknown or changing value in an algebraic expression, equation, or formula.

An equation whose graph is a straight line and in which each variable appears to the first power with no products of variables. It can often be written as y = mx + b.

The rate of change of a line, found as rise over run, or the change in y divided by the change in x between two points. Slope describes steepness and direction.

A mathematical statement comparing two expressions that are not necessarily equal, using symbols such as less than, greater than, less than or equal to, or greater than or equal to. Solutions form ranges of values.

A relationship in which every input value corresponds to exactly one output value. Functions can be represented by tables, graphs, equations, or verbal rules.

The amount of surface enclosed by a two-dimensional figure, measured in square units such as square centimeters or square inches.

The amount of space a three-dimensional figure occupies, measured in cubic units. For prisms and cylinders it equals the area of the base multiplied by the height.

The relationship stating that in a right triangle the sum of the squares of the two legs equals the square of the hypotenuse, written a squared plus b squared equals c squared. It finds missing side lengths.

A movement or resizing of a figure on the coordinate plane, such as a translation, reflection, rotation, or dilation, producing a new figure with a defined relationship to the original.

The condition in which two figures have exactly the same size and shape, so all corresponding sides and angles are equal. Translations, reflections, and rotations preserve congruence.

The arithmetic average of a data set, calculated by adding all values and dividing by the number of values. The mean is strongly affected by extreme values.

The middle value of a data set arranged in order, or the mean of the two middle values when the count is even. The median resists the pull of outliers.

The spread of the middle half of a data set, calculated as the third quartile minus the first quartile. It describes variability and is not changed by extreme values.

A number from 0 to 1 expressing how likely an event is, often computed as the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of equally likely outcomes.

A graph that plots paired numerical data as points on a coordinate plane to show whether two variables are related and whether the association is positive, negative, or none.