BSEH SS OSS English cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim the whole passage supports; a detail answers only one paragraph, so test it by asking whether the other paragraphs would still make sense without it.

Skimming order: title, first sentence of each paragraph, last sentence of the passage. The conclusion often restates the author's position in different words.

Inference items must be provable from the text: the correct answer is a necessary consequence, not a plausible real-world fact the passage never states.

Tone words cluster: positive (advocate, celebrate, commend), negative (decry, lament, dismiss), neutral (describe, outline, examine). A single hedge like "arguably" signals caution, not hostility.

EXCEPT / NOT questions invert the logic: three options are supported, one is either contradicted or never mentioned. Verify each option against a line before choosing.

Pronoun and reference chains: when "this" or "such a view" appears, look back to the nearest compatible noun phrase, not to the most recent single word.

Vocabulary-in-context: replace the target word with each option and reread the full sentence; the correct substitute keeps the sentence's logic intact.

Sequence and cause items: mark connectors (because, consequently, nevertheless, whereas). Contrast connectors flag the point the author is arguing against.

A summary option that is true but covers only part of the passage is a distractor; the right summary must cover the passage's full scope.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the head noun, not with an intervening prepositional phrase ("The list of items is long").

Neither/either ... nor/or takes the verb of the nearer subject; "each, every, everyone, somebody" are singular.

Conditionals: zero (present fact), first (real future: if + present, will), second (unreal present: if + past, would), third (unreal past: if + had + past participle, would have).

Reported speech backshift: present to past, will to would, can to could; time markers shift (now to then, tomorrow to the next day) unless the reporting verb is present tense.

Passive form = be + past participle, with the tense carried by "be"; the agent appears only with "by" and is dropped when unknown or unimportant.

Relative clauses: use "that" or "which" for things, "who" for people; non-defining clauses take commas and never take "that".

Collocation is fixed pairing, not synonym choice: make a decision, do research, take responsibility, pay attention, heavy rain, strong argument.

Countability decides quantifiers: much/little/fewer with uncountables or plurals respectively; "fewer" counts items, "less" measures quantity.

Dangling modifiers: an introductory participle phrase must describe the subject of the main clause ("Walking home, she saw..." not "Walking home, the rain began").

Paragraph architecture: topic sentence states the claim, two to four supporting sentences give evidence or example, closing sentence links back to the thesis.

Thesis placement: end of the introduction for exam essays; it must be arguable, not a restatement of the prompt.

Cohesion devices: reference (this trend), substitution (such measures), and connectors (however, therefore, in contrast). Vary them; repeating "also" flattens the text.

Register rule: avoid contractions, slang, and second-person "you" in formal essays; use impersonal constructions ("it is argued that").

Sentence variety: mix simple, compound, and complex sentences; a run of short sentences reads choppy, a run of long ones obscures the main clause.

Punctuation: a comma cannot join two independent clauses (comma splice); use a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

Email and letter formats: greeting, purpose statement in the first line, body, closing, and signature; formal closings use "Yours sincerely" with a named recipient.

Editing pass order: content and organization first, then sentence-level grammar, then spelling and punctuation; correcting surface errors first wastes effort on text you may cut.

Predict from the question stem before audio starts: the stem's keyword tells you what type of information (number, reason, name) to capture.

Distractor pattern: the first number or option mentioned is often corrected later ("at three - sorry, make that half past three").

Signpost phrases announce structure: "first," "moving on," "to sum up," "however" mark transitions where the answer usually follows.

Spelling and numbers: listen for letter-by-letter dictation, doubled letters, and teen/ten distinction (thirteen vs thirty) carried by final stress.

Note completion requires the exact word limit stated; exceeding the word count scores zero even if the content is right.

Map and diagram tasks: orient yourself with compass directions and landmarks first, then track the speaker's route; turns are announced before the destination.

Negative and conditional cues flip meaning: "not until Friday," "unless the form is signed," "rather than" change which option is correct.

Check-as-you-go: write an answer for every gap immediately, since later audio rarely repeats earlier information.

Fluency markers buy planning time naturally: "That's an interesting question," "Let me think for a second," "Off the top of my head."

Part 2 long turn: use the one-minute preparation to note keywords for each bullet, then speak for the full time with a structure of past, present, future.

Extend answers with reason, example, and contrast ("I prefer X because... For instance... Though I can see why others choose Y").

Pronunciation targets: word stress over individual sounds; stress shifts change meaning (PREsent noun vs preSENT verb).

Filled pauses ("um," "uh") are less damaging than silent gaps; self-correction with "what I mean is" preserves coherence.

Paraphrase instead of stalling: if a word is missing, describe it ("the thing you use to open a bottle") rather than switching to your first language.

Interactive turn-taking: respond to the examiner's follow-up before adding your own point; a one-word answer ends the exchange.

Grammar range shown through structures, not length: conditionals, comparatives, and past perfect signal control at higher bands.