RBSE VU English key terms

The central point a passage is built around, stated or implied. A reader who can state it in one sentence has understood what the whole text is for, not just one detail.

A fact, example, reason, or statistic that backs up the main idea. Details answer the question of why the main point should be believed or how it is true.

A conclusion a reader draws by combining stated information with general knowledge, when the writer does not say it outright. Inferences must be defensible from the text, not guesses.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. The remaining sentences develop, illustrate, or qualify it.

The writer's attitude toward the subject, revealed by word choice and sentence style. Tone may be ironic, sympathetic, critical, or neutral, and it differs from the reader's own reaction.

Reading quickly with the eyes moving over the text to locate one specific item, such as a date, name, or figure, 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 gives an overview before detailed reading begins.

Information in the surrounding words or sentences that helps a reader work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word, such as a definition, example, contrast, or cause-effect signal.

A word with a meaning close to another word, such as 'begin' and 'commence'. Synonyms rarely match perfectly, because they differ in formality, strength, or the situations they suit.

A word expressing the opposite of another, such as 'scarce' for 'abundant'. Antonyms can be graded (hot/cold) or absolute (alive/dead), and the distinction affects how they are used.

A meaningful word element attached before a root, as 'un-' in 'unfair' or 'pre-' in 'preview'. Knowing common prefixes helps a candidate guess the meaning of unfamiliar words.

A meaningful element added after a root that often changes the word's grammatical class, as '-ness' turns 'kind' into a noun and '-less' turns 'hope' into an adjective.

The base form of a word to which prefixes and suffixes are added, carrying the core meaning. For example, 'act' underlies 'action', 'react', and 'inactive'.

The emotional or cultural association a word carries beyond its literal meaning. 'Cheap' and 'inexpensive' share a sense but suggest different attitudes, so word choice shapes tone.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, stripped of emotional colouring. It is what remains when connotation is set aside, as in the neutral sense of 'home' as a dwelling.

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

The habitual pairing of words that native users expect together, such as 'heavy rain' rather than 'strong rain'. Correct collocation is a mark of natural, accurate English.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition to produce a new meaning, as 'give up' means to quit. Some are separable ('turn the light off') and some are not.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, so 'the list of items is long' takes a singular verb because 'list' is the head of the subject.

Keeping verb tenses logical and stable within a passage, shifting only when the time frame genuinely changes. Random shifts between past and present confuse the reader about when events occur.

A group of words containing a subject and a finite verb. An independent clause can stand as a sentence; a dependent clause cannot and must be attached to a main clause.

A group of related words without a subject-verb pair, functioning as a single part of a sentence, as in 'in the early morning' or 'having finished the work'.

A sentence pattern in which the subject performs the action, as in 'The committee approved the plan'. It is usually clearer and more direct than the passive.

A pattern in which the subject receives the action, formed with a form of 'be' plus a past participle, as in 'The plan was approved'. Useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

Reporting a person's exact words inside quotation marks, as in 'She said, "I am ready."' The tense inside the quotes stays as it was originally spoken.

Conveying what someone said without quoting exactly, as in 'She said that she was ready'. Pronouns, tenses, and time words usually shift back one step.

A letter written for an official or professional purpose, using a polite, impersonal register, a clear subject line, and a conventional closing such as 'Yours faithfully' or 'Yours sincerely'.

A short public written announcement displayed for a specific audience, giving information such as a meeting, a change of schedule, or a lost item, usually with heading, date, and signature.

A block of sentences developing one idea, opening with a topic sentence and closing with a link to the next block. Paragraph breaks signal shifts in thought to the reader.

A structured piece of writing with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, presenting and supporting a position or explaining a subject in connected prose.

A single sentence, usually at the end of the introduction, that states the essay's central claim and the direction the argument will take. Everything after it should support it.

The way sentences and paragraphs are tied together using linking words, pronouns, and repeated key terms, so the writing reads as one continuous whole rather than separate statements.

The quality of a text whose ideas follow a clear, logical order that a reader can follow easily. Cohesion concerns the links; coherence concerns whether the overall sequence makes sense.

A word or phrase such as 'however', 'therefore', or 'in addition' that signals the relation between two ideas. Choosing the wrong one misrepresents the logic of the sentence.

The level of formality a piece of writing adopts, ranging from casual to highly formal. Register must suit the audience and purpose, so a complaint letter avoids slang.

An expression used for effect rather than literal meaning, such as metaphor, simile, or personification. Recognising it is essential to interpreting poetry and descriptive prose.

A comparison in which one thing is described as if it were another, without 'like' or 'as', as in 'the classroom was a zoo'. It conveys meaning through implied resemblance.

A comparison introduced by 'like' or 'as', such as 'her voice was like gravel'. The explicit marker distinguishes it from metaphor, which states the resemblance directly.

Giving human qualities to a non-human thing, as when a poem says the wind 'whispered' or the sun 'smiled'. It creates mood and makes abstract ideas vivid.