JC English flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central claim or point that the entire passage supports. It is broader than any single detail and is often tested by 'mainly about' or 'best title' questions.

Supporting detail

A specific fact, example, or statistic that backs up the main idea. Detail questions usually begin 'according to the passage' and are answered directly from the text.

Valid inference

A conclusion forced by evidence in the text plus ordinary logic. If an answer requires outside knowledge or a guess, it is not a valid inference.

Author's tone

The writer's attitude toward the subject, such as critical, nostalgic, ironic, or objective. Tone is shown through word choice and is not the same as the topic's mood.

Pronoun referent

The noun phrase a pronoun replaces. To find it, look back for the nearest phrase that agrees in number and produces a sensible sentence.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match its subject in number. Ignore phrases between them, and treat each, every, everyone, and neither as singular.

Present perfect tense

Have or has plus a past participle. It connects a past action to the present and cannot be used with finished time markers like yesterday or in 2019.

Past perfect tense

Had plus a past participle. It marks the earlier of two past events, while the later event takes the simple past.

Second conditional

If plus simple past in the condition, would plus base verb in the result. It describes an unreal or unlikely present situation.

Dangling modifier

An introductory phrase that fails to describe the subject of the main clause. 'Walking home, the rain started' is wrong because the rain was not walking.

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Repair it with a semicolon, a period, or a coordinating conjunction.

Denotation and connotation

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning; connotation is its positive, negative, or neutral emotional charge. Words with the same denotation can differ sharply in connotation.

Affect versus effect

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence. Effect is usually a noun meaning a result. 'The rain affected the game; the effect was a delay.'

Context clue types

Hints inside a sentence that reveal an unknown word: definition, example, contrast, and cause-effect. Signal words include means, such as, unlike, and therefore.

Prefix meanings

Letter groups added before a root that change meaning: un-, in-, dis- negate; re- means again; pre- before; post- after; mis- wrongly.

Suffix and part of speech

Endings that signal grammatical class: -tion and -ment form nouns, -ful and -ive form adjectives, -ly forms adverbs, -ify forms verbs.

Formal register

Language suited to academic or professional writing. It avoids contractions, slang, and vague words such as stuff, and prefers precise nouns and verbs.

Thesis statement

A single sentence in the introduction that states the essay's debatable claim and previews how the body paragraphs will support it.

Topic sentence

The first or key sentence of a body paragraph. It states the one idea that paragraph will develop and links back to the thesis.

Cohesion devices

Words that connect ideas across sentences: pronouns, synonyms, and transitions such as however, therefore, in addition, and by contrast.

Narrative arc

The structure of a story: orientation, rising action, climax, and resolution. Tense and point of view should stay consistent throughout.

Formal email structure

Salutation, a first line stating the purpose, body paragraphs, a closing formula, and a signature. Contractions and slang are avoided.

Redundancy in writing

Repeating the same meaning in different words, such as 'due to the fact that' for because. Cutting it tightens the sentence without losing information.

Editing pass order

Revise in layers: content and organization first, then sentence structure and clarity, then spelling and punctuation last.

Listening prediction

Reading the question before the audio to decide what kind of answer is needed: a number, a reason, a place, or a speaker's attitude.

Contrast signal words

Words such as but, however, and actually that often introduce the correct answer after a distractor has been offered.

Self-correction in speech

When a speaker revises a number, date, or name mid-sentence. Record the final version spoken, not the first one heard.

Gist versus detail questions

Gist questions ask what a passage or talk is mainly about; detail questions ask for a specific fact such as a time, price, or name.

Discourse markers

Words that organize a talk, such as first, next, to sum up, and on the other hand. They signal structure and help listeners follow the argument.

Word stress contrast

Stress placement can change meaning or word class, as in REcord the noun versus reCORD the verb. Content words are stressed; function words are weakened.

Intonation patterns

Statements and wh-questions typically fall in pitch; yes/no questions and non-final list items typically rise.

Connected speech features

Sound changes in fluent speech: linking (an_apple), elision (dropping sounds), and assimilation (don't you becoming 'doncha').

Turn-taking markers

Phrases that manage conversation flow, such as 'Sorry to interrupt', 'Could I just add', and 'Going back to your point'.