ISEE Middle Level key terms

A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. Strong synonym questions ask you to pick the answer closest in meaning, not just related in topic.

A word that means the opposite of another word. On the ISEE, the four choices often include two near-synonyms, so eliminate those and choose between the remaining opposites.

The feeling or attitude a word carries beyond its literal meaning. "Childlike" suggests innocence while "childish" suggests immaturity, so connotation often decides the best answer.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from any emotional shading. A word's denotation can be neutral even when its connotation is strongly positive or negative.

Information in the surrounding sentence or paragraph that hints at a word's meaning. Contrast words like "but" and "unlike" often signal that an unfamiliar word means the opposite of something nearby.

A meaningful unit attached to the front of a root word that changes its meaning, such as "pre-" (before) or "mis-" (wrongly). Recognizing common prefixes lets you decode unfamiliar vocabulary quickly.

A meaningful unit attached to the end of a root word that changes its meaning or part of speech, such as "-less" (without) or "-ify" (to make). Suffixes often reveal whether an answer choice is a noun, verb, or adjective.

The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning, to which prefixes and suffixes are added. Knowing roots such as "bene-" (good) or "mal-" (bad) helps you infer meanings of unfamiliar words.

A comparison stating that two pairs of words share the same relationship, written as A is to B as C is to D. Solving one requires naming the exact relationship before checking the answer choices.

A verbal reasoning question type in which one or two words are missing from a sentence and you choose the answer that fits both meaning and grammar. Read the whole sentence first to predict the missing idea.

The central point a passage is making about its topic, broad enough to cover the whole text but specific enough to exclude details. Wrong answers are usually too narrow, too broad, or contradicted by the passage.

A fact, example, or reason in a passage that backs up the main idea. Detail questions ask what the passage states directly, so the correct answer must be traceable to specific lines.

A conclusion drawn from evidence in the passage but not stated outright. A valid inference must be strongly supported by the text, not merely plausible or consistent with your own experience.

The author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice and emphasis, such as critical, admiring, or amused. Tone questions usually require you to justify your choice with specific language from the passage.

The reason a writer produced a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain a process. Purpose differs from main idea: purpose describes the writer's goal, while main idea describes the message.

A word or phrase that shows how ideas connect, such as "however" (contrast), "therefore" (result), or "meanwhile" (time). Tracking transitions helps you follow a passage's logic and predict what comes next.

A letter or symbol that stands for an unknown or changing number in an expression or equation. Solving for a variable means isolating it on one side using inverse operations.

A mathematical phrase combining numbers, variables, and operations without an equals sign, such as 3x + 5. An expression can be simplified or evaluated but not "solved" the way an equation can.

A statement that two mathematical expressions are equal, such as 2x + 1 = 9. Whatever operation you apply to one side must also be applied to the other to keep the statement true.

A comparison of two quantities by division, often written as 3:4 or 3/4. Ratios can be scaled by multiplying or dividing both parts by the same nonzero number.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, such as 3/4 = x/12. Cross-multiplication solves proportions quickly and is a frequent shortcut on quantitative questions.

A part per hundred, so 25% equals 25/100 or 0.25. Percent problems typically ask for the part, the whole, or the percent itself, and setting up part = percent × whole organizes all three.

The arithmetic average, found by adding all values and dividing by how many there are. The mean is pulled toward unusually large or small values, unlike the median.

The middle value in a list arranged in order; if there are two middle values, it is their average. The median is less affected by extreme outliers than the mean is.

The value that appears most often in a data set. A set may have one mode, several modes, or no mode at all if every value appears equally often.

A number from 0 to 1 describing how likely an event is, calculated as favorable outcomes divided by total equally likely outcomes. Probabilities of all possible outcomes must sum to 1.

A measure of how steep a line is, equal to rise over run, or the change in y divided by the change in x. A positive slope rises left to right; a negative slope falls.

An equation whose graph is a straight line, commonly written y = mx + b, where m is slope and b is the y-intercept. Its variables are raised only to the first power.

A two-dimensional grid formed by a horizontal x-axis and a vertical y-axis intersecting at the origin. Each point is named by an ordered pair (x, y) giving horizontal then vertical position.

Two numbers written as (x, y) that locate a single point on the coordinate plane. The order matters: (3, 5) is a different point from (5, 3).

The rule that in a right triangle the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides, a² + b² = c². It applies only to right triangles.

The longest side of a right triangle, located opposite the right angle. In the Pythagorean theorem it is the side labeled c.

A number that, when multiplied by itself, produces a given value; the square root of 49 is 7. Square roots appear often in geometry and in simplifying radical answers.

A raised number showing how many times a base is multiplied by itself, as in 2³ = 2 × 2 × 2. Multiplying powers with the same base means adding exponents.

A single sentence that states the central claim of an essay and previews how the body will support it. A strong thesis is specific, arguable, and placed near the end of the introduction.

The first or main sentence of a body paragraph that names the paragraph's single focus and links it to the thesis. Every other sentence in the paragraph should support it.

A word, phrase, or sentence that connects one idea or paragraph to the next, guiding the reader through your reasoning. Effective transitions show relationships such as cause, contrast, or sequence.

The writing task and instructions you must respond to in the essay section. Read it twice and underline the exact question so your essay answers it rather than a related topic.