GED RLA key terms

The most important point a passage makes about its topic, stated or implied. Everything else in the text supports, explains, or illustrates it.

The subject a passage is about, expressible in a word or short phrase. It answers what the text concerns, not what the author claims about it.

A fact, example, statistic, or reason that backs up a claim or main idea. Removing it would weaken the text's case or leave the point unexplained.

A brief restatement of a text's central points in your own words, leaving out minor details and examples while keeping the overall meaning intact.

A conclusion drawn from clues in the text plus ordinary reasoning, rather than from a statement written out directly. It must be defensible from the passage.

Information stated directly in the passage, so a reader can point to the exact words that supply it. Contrasted with something the reader must infer.

Specific words, phrases, or sentences quoted or closely referenced from a passage to justify an answer or interpretation. Strong answers are anchored in it.

Combining several pieces of information from a text to reach a judgment the author expects readers to make without stating it outright.

The reason a writer produced a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain a process. Purpose shapes tone, structure, and choice of details.

The writer's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and phrasing. It might be critical, sympathetic, amused, urgent, or neutral.

The perspective from which a text is told or argued, such as first person, third person, or an expert persona adopted by the writer.

A reading and writing pattern that examines how two or more things are alike and how they differ, often using signal words like similarly, whereas, and unlike.

A text structure that explains why something happened and what resulted. Signal words include because, therefore, as a result, and consequently.

The way a passage organizes its ideas, such as chronological order, problem and solution, comparison, or description. Structure guides where to look for key information.

Arrangement of events in the order they happened in time, often signaled by dates, first, next, then, and finally.

A word or phrase that connects ideas and shows their relationship, such as however, in addition, for example, or as a result.

Surrounding words and sentences that help a reader work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word without a dictionary.

Determining what a word means as it is used in a particular sentence, since many words carry several possible senses.

The feelings or associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Thin and slim both mean not fat, but they suggest different attitudes.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from any emotional shading or implication it may carry.

Language that means something other than its literal sense, including metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole, used to create vivid comparisons or effects.

A direct comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, such as calling a difficult problem a wall.

A comparison using like or as, such as describing a voice as smooth as glass. It highlights a similarity between two unlike things.

A statement the writer asks the reader to accept as true. It is debatable rather than obvious fact and must be backed by reasons and evidence.

A set of reasons and evidence offered to support a claim and persuade a reader. It may also acknowledge and answer opposing views.

A sentence, usually near the start of an essay, that states the main claim and often previews the reasons that will follow.

Facts, statistics, examples, expert testimony, or quotations used to support a claim. Relevant and sufficient evidence makes an argument convincing.

The logical link a writer builds between evidence and claim, explaining why the evidence should lead the reader to accept the conclusion.

An opposing view that a writer raises and then responds to, often to show the argument has considered other positions and remains stronger.

The writer's answer to a counterargument, explaining why the objection is mistaken, limited, or outweighed by stronger evidence.

A flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument, such as attacking a person instead of the issue or assuming two choices are the only options.

A slant or preference that distorts how information is selected or presented, sometimes signaled by loaded words or one-sided evidence.

The combination of writer, audience, purpose, and context that shapes how a text is composed and how it should be read.

The readers a text is written for. Their knowledge, values, and expectations influence the writer's word choice, evidence, and tone.

A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a complete verb, or a complete thought, such as 'Running down the street.'

Two or more complete sentences joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction, leaving the reader unsure where one idea ends.

A specific kind of run-on in which a comma alone joins two independent clauses, as in 'The test was hard, I studied all night.'

A group of words with a subject and verb that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.

A group of words with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone because it begins with a subordinating word such as because, although, or when.

The two core parts of a sentence: the subject names who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate tells what the subject does or is.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number, so a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

The rule that a pronoun must match the noun it refers to in number and gender, as in 'Each student must bring his or her book.'

The clarity of the link between a pronoun and the noun it stands for. Vague or ambiguous references confuse readers about who did what.

The form of a verb that shows when an action occurs, such as past, present, or future, and whether it is ongoing or completed.

Balancing items in a list or comparison by giving them the same grammatical form, such as 'hiking, swimming, and biking' rather than mixing forms.

A word or phrase that describes another word. A misplaced or dangling modifier appears to describe the wrong word and creates confusion.

A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses, such as and, but, or, because, and although. It signals the relationship between joined ideas.

The quality that makes sentences in a paragraph hold together smoothly, achieved through transitions, consistent pronouns, and logical order of ideas.

Conventions such as capitalizing proper nouns and sentence beginnings and using commas, apostrophes, and end marks correctly to make writing clear.