iTEP SLATE Core cheat sheet

Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not the nearest noun phrase - "The box of pens is here"; "The boxes of pens are here."

Simple past vs. present perfect: simple past fixes a finished time ("I saw him yesterday"); present perfect links to now or omits the time ("I have seen him").

Countable vs. uncountable: countable nouns take a/an and plurals ("a suggestion, two suggestions"); uncountable nouns take no plural and no a/an ("information, advice, furniture").

Article rule of thumb: first mention uses a/an for singular count nouns, later mention uses the; unique or shared-reference nouns take the ("the sun, the teacher").

Comparative and superlative forms: one-syllable adjectives add -er/-est ("faster, fastest"); three or more syllables use more/most ("more expensive, most expensive").

Preposition of time: in for months, years, and parts of the day; on for days and dates; at for clock times ("in May, on Monday, at 7 p.m.").

Relative clauses: use who for people, which for things, where for places; omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object ("the book I read").

Conditionals: zero/general truth uses present + present; first uses present + will; second uses past + would; third uses had + past participle + would have + past participle.

Gerund vs. infinitive: verbs like enjoy, avoid, and finish take -ing; verbs like want, decide, and hope take to + base form.

Listen for the answer to the question word first: who signals a person, where a place, when a time, why a reason, how a method or degree.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: a speaker may state one figure and then correct it, so the last stated number is usually the intended answer.

Signal words mark structure: however and but introduce contrast; because and so introduce cause and result; actually introduces a correction.

In short dialogues, the second speaker's reply carries the answer; the first speaker's statement usually sets up the topic only.

Names, days, and prices are often spelled or repeated in a paraphrase rather than verbatim; match meaning, not exact wording.

In longer talks, the main idea usually appears in the first two sentences; details supporting it follow in the same order as the questions.

Tone cues: rising intonation on a statement signals a question or doubt; falling intonation signals a completed statement.

Main-idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage, not one detail; an option that repeats a single sentence is usually a distractor.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves the surrounding logic, not the most common dictionary sense.

Inference questions: the answer must follow from stated evidence; an option that is merely plausible in real life but unstated is wrong.

Scanning for detail: locate the keyword or a synonym first, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm.

Pronoun reference: the antecedent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

Sequence questions: order events by explicit time markers (first, then, after, finally) rather than by the order sentences appear.

Negative detail questions ("NOT mentioned"): verify each option against the text and eliminate the three that are supported.

Author's purpose: informative passages explain, persuasive passages argue, and narrative passages recount; the verb in the question predicts the answer type.

A complete sentence needs a subject and a finite verb; a fragment such as "Because the bus was late." lacks a main clause.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting detail, and a closing or linking sentence; every sentence should relate to the topic sentence.

Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and second-person you in academic writing; use full forms and third person.

Connectors signal relationship: addition (furthermore), contrast (however), cause (therefore), example (for instance).

Punctuation with quotation marks: periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark in standard American usage.

Parallel structure: items in a list or after correlative conjunctions share the same grammatical form ("hiking, swimming, and cycling").

Word-count tasks reward development: one clear main idea with two or three explained reasons scores above several undeveloped ideas.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not the nearest noun phrase - "The box of pens is here"; "The boxes of pens are here."

Simple past vs. present perfect: simple past fixes a finished time ("I saw him yesterday"); present perfect links to now or omits the time ("I have seen him").

Countable vs. uncountable: countable nouns take a/an and plurals ("a suggestion, two suggestions"); uncountable nouns take no plural and no a/an ("information, advice, furniture").

Article rule of thumb: first mention uses a/an for singular count nouns, later mention uses the; unique or shared-reference nouns take the ("the sun, the teacher").

Comparative and superlative forms: one-syllable adjectives add -er/-est ("faster, fastest"); three or more syllables use more/most ("more expensive, most expensive").

Preposition of time: in for months, years, and parts of the day; on for days and dates; at for clock times ("in May, on Monday, at 7 p.m.").

Relative clauses: use who for people, which for things, where for places; omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object ("the book I read").

Conditionals: zero/general truth uses present + present; first uses present + will; second uses past + would; third uses had + past participle + would have + past participle.

Gerund vs. infinitive: verbs like enjoy, avoid, and finish take -ing; verbs like want, decide, and hope take to + base form.

Listen for the answer to the question word first: who signals a person, where a place, when a time, why a reason, how a method or degree.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: a speaker may state one figure and then correct it, so the last stated number is usually the intended answer.

Signal words mark structure: however and but introduce contrast; because and so introduce cause and result; actually introduces a correction.

In short dialogues, the second speaker's reply carries the answer; the first speaker's statement usually sets up the topic only.

Names, days, and prices are often spelled or repeated in a paraphrase rather than verbatim; match meaning, not exact wording.

In longer talks, the main idea usually appears in the first two sentences; details supporting it follow in the same order as the questions.

Tone cues: rising intonation on a statement signals a question or doubt; falling intonation signals a completed statement.

Main-idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage, not one detail; an option that repeats a single sentence is usually a distractor.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves the surrounding logic, not the most common dictionary sense.

Inference questions: the answer must follow from stated evidence; an option that is merely plausible in real life but unstated is wrong.

Scanning for detail: locate the keyword or a synonym first, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm.

Pronoun reference: the antecedent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

Sequence questions: order events by explicit time markers (first, then, after, finally) rather than by the order sentences appear.

Negative detail questions ("NOT mentioned"): verify each option against the text and eliminate the three that are supported.

Author's purpose: informative passages explain, persuasive passages argue, and narrative passages recount; the verb in the question predicts the answer type.

A complete sentence needs a subject and a finite verb; a fragment such as "Because the bus was late." lacks a main clause.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting detail, and a closing or linking sentence; every sentence should relate to the topic sentence.

Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and second-person you in academic writing; use full forms and third person.

Connectors signal relationship: addition (furthermore), contrast (however), cause (therefore), example (for instance).

Punctuation with quotation marks: periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark in standard American usage.

Parallel structure: items in a list or after correlative conjunctions share the same grammatical form ("hiking, swimming, and cycling").

Word-count tasks reward development: one clear main idea with two or three explained reasons scores above several undeveloped ideas.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not the nearest noun phrase - "The box of pens is here"; "The boxes of pens are here."

Simple past vs. present perfect: simple past fixes a finished time ("I saw him yesterday"); present perfect links to now or omits the time ("I have seen him").

Countable vs. uncountable: countable nouns take a/an and plurals ("a suggestion, two suggestions"); uncountable nouns take no plural and no a/an ("information, advice, furniture").

Article rule of thumb: first mention uses a/an for singular count nouns, later mention uses the; unique or shared-reference nouns take the ("the sun, the teacher").

Comparative and superlative forms: one-syllable adjectives add -er/-est ("faster, fastest"); three or more syllables use more/most ("more expensive, most expensive").

Preposition of time: in for months, years, and parts of the day; on for days and dates; at for clock times ("in May, on Monday, at 7 p.m.").

Relative clauses: use who for people, which for things, where for places; omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object ("the book I read").

Conditionals: zero/general truth uses present + present; first uses present + will; second uses past + would; third uses had + past participle + would have + past participle.

Gerund vs. infinitive: verbs like enjoy, avoid, and finish take -ing; verbs like want, decide, and hope take to + base form.

Listen for the answer to the question word first: who signals a person, where a place, when a time, why a reason, how a method or degree.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: a speaker may state one figure and then correct it, so the last stated number is usually the intended answer.

Signal words mark structure: however and but introduce contrast; because and so introduce cause and result; actually introduces a correction.

In short dialogues, the second speaker's reply carries the answer; the first speaker's statement usually sets up the topic only.

Names, days, and prices are often spelled or repeated in a paraphrase rather than verbatim; match meaning, not exact wording.

In longer talks, the main idea usually appears in the first two sentences; details supporting it follow in the same order as the questions.

Tone cues: rising intonation on a statement signals a question or doubt; falling intonation signals a completed statement.

Main-idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage, not one detail; an option that repeats a single sentence is usually a distractor.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves the surrounding logic, not the most common dictionary sense.

Inference questions: the answer must follow from stated evidence; an option that is merely plausible in real life but unstated is wrong.

Scanning for detail: locate the keyword or a synonym first, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm.

Pronoun reference: the antecedent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

Sequence questions: order events by explicit time markers (first, then, after, finally) rather than by the order sentences appear.

Negative detail questions ("NOT mentioned"): verify each option against the text and eliminate the three that are supported.

Author's purpose: informative passages explain, persuasive passages argue, and narrative passages recount; the verb in the question predicts the answer type.

A complete sentence needs a subject and a finite verb; a fragment such as "Because the bus was late." lacks a main clause.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting detail, and a closing or linking sentence; every sentence should relate to the topic sentence.

Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and second-person you in academic writing; use full forms and third person.

Connectors signal relationship: addition (furthermore), contrast (however), cause (therefore), example (for instance).

Punctuation with quotation marks: periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark in standard American usage.

Parallel structure: items in a list or after correlative conjunctions share the same grammatical form ("hiking, swimming, and cycling").

Word-count tasks reward development: one clear main idea with two or three explained reasons scores above several undeveloped ideas.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not the nearest noun phrase - "The box of pens is here"; "The boxes of pens are here."

Simple past vs. present perfect: simple past fixes a finished time ("I saw him yesterday"); present perfect links to now or omits the time ("I have seen him").

Countable vs. uncountable: countable nouns take a/an and plurals ("a suggestion, two suggestions"); uncountable nouns take no plural and no a/an ("information, advice, furniture").

Article rule of thumb: first mention uses a/an for singular count nouns, later mention uses the; unique or shared-reference nouns take the ("the sun, the teacher").

Comparative and superlative forms: one-syllable adjectives add -er/-est ("faster, fastest"); three or more syllables use more/most ("more expensive, most expensive").

Preposition of time: in for months, years, and parts of the day; on for days and dates; at for clock times ("in May, on Monday, at 7 p.m.").

Relative clauses: use who for people, which for things, where for places; omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object ("the book I read").

Conditionals: zero/general truth uses present + present; first uses present + will; second uses past + would; third uses had + past participle + would have + past participle.

Gerund vs. infinitive: verbs like enjoy, avoid, and finish take -ing; verbs like want, decide, and hope take to + base form.

Listen for the answer to the question word first: who signals a person, where a place, when a time, why a reason, how a method or degree.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: a speaker may state one figure and then correct it, so the last stated number is usually the intended answer.

Signal words mark structure: however and but introduce contrast; because and so introduce cause and result; actually introduces a correction.

In short dialogues, the second speaker's reply carries the answer; the first speaker's statement usually sets up the topic only.

Names, days, and prices are often spelled or repeated in a paraphrase rather than verbatim; match meaning, not exact wording.

In longer talks, the main idea usually appears in the first two sentences; details supporting it follow in the same order as the questions.

Tone cues: rising intonation on a statement signals a question or doubt; falling intonation signals a completed statement.

Main-idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage, not one detail; an option that repeats a single sentence is usually a distractor.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves the surrounding logic, not the most common dictionary sense.

Inference questions: the answer must follow from stated evidence; an option that is merely plausible in real life but unstated is wrong.

Scanning for detail: locate the keyword or a synonym first, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm.

Pronoun reference: the antecedent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

Sequence questions: order events by explicit time markers (first, then, after, finally) rather than by the order sentences appear.

Negative detail questions ("NOT mentioned"): verify each option against the text and eliminate the three that are supported.

Author's purpose: informative passages explain, persuasive passages argue, and narrative passages recount; the verb in the question predicts the answer type.

A complete sentence needs a subject and a finite verb; a fragment such as "Because the bus was late." lacks a main clause.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting detail, and a closing or linking sentence; every sentence should relate to the topic sentence.

Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and second-person you in academic writing; use full forms and third person.

Connectors signal relationship: addition (furthermore), contrast (however), cause (therefore), example (for instance).

Punctuation with quotation marks: periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark in standard American usage.

Parallel structure: items in a list or after correlative conjunctions share the same grammatical form ("hiking, swimming, and cycling").

Word-count tasks reward development: one clear main idea with two or three explained reasons scores above several undeveloped ideas.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not the nearest noun phrase - "The box of pens is here"; "The boxes of pens are here."

Simple past vs. present perfect: simple past fixes a finished time ("I saw him yesterday"); present perfect links to now or omits the time ("I have seen him").

Countable vs. uncountable: countable nouns take a/an and plurals ("a suggestion, two suggestions"); uncountable nouns take no plural and no a/an ("information, advice, furniture").

Article rule of thumb: first mention uses a/an for singular count nouns, later mention uses the; unique or shared-reference nouns take the ("the sun, the teacher").

Comparative and superlative forms: one-syllable adjectives add -er/-est ("faster, fastest"); three or more syllables use more/most ("more expensive, most expensive").

Preposition of time: in for months, years, and parts of the day; on for days and dates; at for clock times ("in May, on Monday, at 7 p.m.").

Relative clauses: use who for people, which for things, where for places; omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object ("the book I read").

Conditionals: zero/general truth uses present + present; first uses present + will; second uses past + would; third uses had + past participle + would have + past participle.

Gerund vs. infinitive: verbs like enjoy, avoid, and finish take -ing; verbs like want, decide, and hope take to + base form.

Listen for the answer to the question word first: who signals a person, where a place, when a time, why a reason, how a method or degree.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: a speaker may state one figure and then correct it, so the last stated number is usually the intended answer.

Signal words mark structure: however and but introduce contrast; because and so introduce cause and result; actually introduces a correction.

In short dialogues, the second speaker's reply carries the answer; the first speaker's statement usually sets up the topic only.

Names, days, and prices are often spelled or repeated in a paraphrase rather than verbatim; match meaning, not exact wording.

In longer talks, the main idea usually appears in the first two sentences; details supporting it follow in the same order as the questions.

Tone cues: rising intonation on a statement signals a question or doubt; falling intonation signals a completed statement.

Main-idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage, not one detail; an option that repeats a single sentence is usually a distractor.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves the surrounding logic, not the most common dictionary sense.

Inference questions: the answer must follow from stated evidence; an option that is merely plausible in real life but unstated is wrong.

Scanning for detail: locate the keyword or a synonym first, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm.

Pronoun reference: the antecedent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

Sequence questions: order events by explicit time markers (first, then, after, finally) rather than by the order sentences appear.

Negative detail questions ("NOT mentioned"): verify each option against the text and eliminate the three that are supported.

Author's purpose: informative passages explain, persuasive passages argue, and narrative passages recount; the verb in the question predicts the answer type.

A complete sentence needs a subject and a finite verb; a fragment such as "Because the bus was late." lacks a main clause.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting detail, and a closing or linking sentence; every sentence should relate to the topic sentence.

Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and second-person you in academic writing; use full forms and third person.

Connectors signal relationship: addition (furthermore), contrast (however), cause (therefore), example (for instance).

Punctuation with quotation marks: periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark in standard American usage.

Parallel structure: items in a list or after correlative conjunctions share the same grammatical form ("hiking, swimming, and cycling").

Word-count tasks reward development: one clear main idea with two or three explained reasons scores above several undeveloped ideas.