FTCE GK key terms

A single sentence, usually near the end of an introduction, that states an essay's central claim and previews the main points the writer will develop.

The sentence that opens a body paragraph and names the main point that paragraph will explain and support with evidence.

Specific examples, facts, statistics, or quotations a writer uses to prove a claim in a body paragraph and make the argument credible.

The logical order and clear connection of ideas in an essay so that each paragraph builds on the one before and readers can follow the argument.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked through repeated words, pronouns, and transitions so the writing reads as one smooth whole.

A word, phrase, or sentence that signals the relationship between ideas, such as 'however,' 'therefore,' or 'for example.'

A point that opposes the writer's thesis; a strong essay acknowledges it and then answers or refutes it with evidence.

The quality of an essay in which every sentence and paragraph directly supports the thesis, with no unrelated material included.

The rule that a subject and its verb must match in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

The rule that a pronoun must match its antecedent in number and gender, so a singular antecedent takes a singular pronoun such as 'he,' 'she,' or 'it.'

Two or more independent clauses joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction, creating a sentence that must be divided or repaired.

A run-on error in which two independent clauses are joined with only a comma and no coordinating conjunction.

A group of words punctuated as a sentence but lacking a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.

A descriptive phrase that does not clearly attach to the word it is meant to describe, often because the intended subject is missing from the sentence.

A word or phrase placed too far from the word it describes, so the sentence's meaning becomes confusing or unintentionally funny.

Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or series, such as all verbs or all noun phrases, to keep writing clear and balanced.

A sentence construction in which the subject performs the action, as in 'The committee approved the plan,' making writing direct and lively.

The central point a passage is about, often stated in a topic sentence or implied through the details the author includes.

A reasonable conclusion a reader draws by combining information in the text with prior knowledge, even though the text does not state it directly.

A fact, example, statistic, or reason in a passage that explains, proves, or develops the main idea and helps readers trust the author's point.

The reason an author writes a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain; purpose shapes the content, organization, and tone.

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, revealed through word choice and details, such as humorous, critical, or respectful.

The surrounding words, phrases, and sentences that help a reader figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word without using a dictionary.

A fact is a statement that can be proven true; an opinion is a belief or judgment that reflects personal views and cannot be proven.

The way an author organizes information in a passage, such as cause and effect, comparison, chronological sequence, or problem and solution.

A brief restatement of a passage's main points in the reader's own words, leaving out minor details and personal opinion.

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

A comparison of two quantities by division, often written as a fraction or with a colon, such as 3 to 4 or 3:4.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, such as 3/4 = 6/8; it can be solved by cross-multiplying.

A ratio that compares a number to 100, meaning 'per hundred,' so 25% equals 25 out of 100 or 0.25.

The arithmetic average of a data set, found by adding all the values and dividing by the number of values.

The middle value in a data set arranged in order; if there is an even number of values, it is the average of the two middle values.

The value that appears most often in a data set; a set may have one mode, several modes, or no mode.

A number from 0 to 1 that expresses how likely an event is, calculated as favorable outcomes divided by total possible outcomes.

A measure of how steep a line is, equal to the change in y divided by the change in x between two points on the line.

An equation whose graph is a straight line, usually written in the form y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.

The rule for right triangles stating that the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides, a² + b² = c².

A number that shows how many times a base is multiplied by itself, as in 3⁴, where 4 is the exponent and 3 is the base.