ASSEB HSLC English (Second Language) key terms

A reading text the candidate has not studied before, followed by questions testing comprehension. Answers must be drawn from the passage itself, not from memorised material.

The central point a paragraph or passage is making. It is broader than any single detail and is often stated in a topic sentence or must be summarised from the whole text.

A fact, example, reason, or figure that explains or proves the main idea. Questions often ask you to pick out which detail is stated and which is not.

A conclusion reached by reasoning from clues in the text rather than from a directly stated sentence. The answer is implied, so you must justify it with evidence from the passage.

The sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. The remaining sentences develop or illustrate it.

The writer's attitude towards the subject, shown through word choice, such as ironic, critical, sympathetic, or neutral. Tone is different from the mood the reader feels.

Reading quickly to locate a specific piece of information, such as a date, name, or number, without reading every word in order.

Reading rapidly for the general sense of a passage, often by looking at headings, first sentences, and key words. It helps before detailed reading or when matching headings.

A letter written to an official, editor, or institution, using a polite, impersonal register, full forms instead of contractions, and a fixed layout of address, salutation, body, and closing.

A short public announcement displayed on a board or in a paper. It states what, when, where, and whom to contact, usually in a heading, brief body, and the writer's name and designation.

A factual account of an event or situation, written in the third person and past tense, with a heading, byline, and organised paragraphs answering what, when, where, who, and why.

The greeting at the start of a letter, such as 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam'. In formal letters it matches the closing, so 'Dear Sir' pairs with 'Yours faithfully'.

The level of formality suited to the reader and purpose. Formal writing avoids slang and contractions, while informal writing to a friend may use them.

The way sentences are linked so a piece of writing flows, achieved through pronouns, repeated key words, and linking words such as however, therefore, and in addition.

The quality of a paragraph that develops one idea only, with every sentence serving that idea. A sentence on a different topic breaks unity and should be removed or moved.

The verb form that shows the time of an action and whether it is finished, continuing, or repeated, as in simple past, present perfect, and past continuous.

The rule that the tense of a subordinate clause usually follows the tense of the main verb, so a past main verb normally takes a past tense in reported speech and in time clauses.

A sentence pattern in which the subject performs the action, as in 'The teacher marked the papers'. It is usually clearer and more direct than the passive.

A sentence pattern in which the object of the action becomes the subject, formed with a form of 'be' plus the past participle, as in 'The papers were marked'.

In a passive sentence, the doer of the action, usually introduced by 'by', as in 'by the teacher'. The agent is omitted when it is unknown or unimportant.

Conveying someone's words indirectly without quotation marks, which usually shifts pronouns, tense, and time or place words, as in 'He said that he was tired'.

Quoting a speaker's exact words inside quotation marks, with a reporting clause and the original tense kept, as in She said, 'I am tired.'

The rule that a verb matches its subject in number and person, so a singular subject takes a singular verb even when words come between them.

The choice of singular or plural verb with words like team, committee, or family. Singular is usual when the group acts as one unit, plural when members act separately.

The determiners 'a', 'an', and 'the'. 'A' and 'an' are indefinite and depend on sound, while 'the' is definite and points to something already known or unique.

A word such as in, on, at, of, or by that links a noun or pronoun to another word and shows relations of place, time, or manner. Correct choice is largely fixed by usage.

Rewriting a sentence to change its grammatical form, such as from affirmative to negative or simple to complex, while keeping the meaning unchanged.

A word with a meaning close to another word, such as 'begin' and 'commence'. Synonyms rarely match exactly, so context decides which one fits.

A word opposite in meaning to another, such as 'generous' and 'stingy'. Antonyms may be formed with prefixes like un-, in-, or dis-.

A letter group added to the front of a word to change its meaning, as un- in 'unhappy' or re- in 'rewrite'. It does not usually change the word class.

A letter group added to the end of a word, often changing its word class, as -ness turns 'kind' into the noun 'kindness' and -ful forms the adjective 'hopeful'.

The process of building new words from existing ones by adding affixes, combining words, or changing word class, such as 'beauty' to 'beautiful' to 'beautifully'.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'to let the cat out of the bag' meaning to reveal a secret.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition that creates a new meaning, such as 'give up' meaning to stop trying. The particle cannot usually be replaced.

The feeling or association a word carries beyond its literal meaning. 'Cheap' and 'affordable' may describe the same price but carry different connotations.

The central idea or message a literary work explores, such as the dignity of labour or the pain of parting. It is broader than plot and is stated in an abstract phrase.

The methods a writer uses to build a character, including description, dialogue, actions, and what others say. A character may be flat and fixed or round and developing.

The main character around whom the story is built and whose fortunes the reader follows. The protagonist is not necessarily admirable or heroic.

The way a story is told, including point of view, order of events, flashback, and use of dialogue. It shapes how much the reader knows and when.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create a picture or feeling, often through simile, metaphor, and sensory adjectives. It supports the mood and theme.

A figure of speech that states one thing is another without using 'like' or 'as', such as calling old age the autumn of life. It creates a compressed comparison.

A comparison using 'like' or 'as', such as 'as brave as a lion'. It makes a description vivid by linking an unfamiliar thing to a familiar one.

Giving human qualities to a non-human thing, as when the wind whispers or the sun smiles. It is common in nature poetry to create atmosphere.

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in 'silent, slow, and still'. It draws attention to a phrase and adds rhythm.

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, shown by letters so that each new sound gets the next letter, for example abab or aabb.

A group of lines in a poem set apart by spacing, working like a paragraph. Its length and shape often follow a fixed pattern in prescribed poems.

The thought or feeling the whole poem conveys, built from its images, tone, and structure. It is stated as a full sentence, not as a one-word topic.

The sequence of events in a story, arranged with a beginning, a complication, a climax, and a resolution. It answers what happens and why it matters.

The lesson a story teaches about behaviour or values, often implied rather than stated. It should be expressed as a general principle, not as a summary of events.

Information in the surrounding words that helps you work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word, through definition, example, contrast, or cause and effect.

A word or phrase such as however, moreover, or as a result that shows the relation between ideas. Choosing the right linker signals contrast, addition, cause, or sequence.

A word placed before a noun to specify it, including articles, possessives, and quantifiers such as some, many, and each. Its choice depends on countability and definiteness.