iTEP SLATE Core flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match the head noun of the subject, not the closest noun. In "the list of names is long," the singular head noun list controls the singular verb is.

Present perfect

Formed with have or has plus the past participle. It describes an action linked to the present or one whose time is unspecified, as in "I have finished the report."

Uncountable nouns

Nouns such as information, advice, furniture, and research that take no plural and no a or an. Quantity is expressed with much, little, or a piece of.

Definite article the

Used for a noun already mentioned, a unique object, or one identifiable from context. "She bought a coat; the coat was blue" shows second mention.

Comparative adjectives

Used to compare two things. Short adjectives add -er; longer adjectives take more, as in "more careful." The comparison is usually completed with than.

Prepositions of time

In marks months, years, and seasons; on marks days and dates; at marks exact clock times. Example: at noon on Friday in July.

Relative pronouns

Who refers to people, which to things, where to places, and whose to possession. The pronoun may be omitted only when it is the object of the clause.

Second conditional

Uses past tense in the if-clause and would plus base verb in the result. It describes unreal or unlikely present situations, as in "If I knew, I would tell you."

Gerund after certain verbs

Verbs such as enjoy, avoid, finish, and suggest are followed by the -ing form rather than an infinitive. Example: "She avoided answering the question."

Question-word focus

The question word predicts the answer type: who for a person, where for a place, when for a time, why for a reason, and how for a method.

Self-correction in speech

Speakers often revise what they say, as in "at nine, no, nine thirty." The corrected figure, not the first one, is the intended answer.

Contrast signal words

Words such as but, however, although, and instead announce that the next information reverses or limits what came before, so it often carries the tested point.

Second-speaker answer rule

In a short dialogue the first speaker usually gives background, and the second speaker's reply contains the information the question asks for.

Paraphrase in listening

The correct option rarely repeats the speaker's exact words. It restates the same meaning with synonyms, so matching meaning matters more than matching sound.

Main idea placement

In a short talk or lecture, the central topic is usually stated in the opening sentences and then supported by details that follow in order.

Rising intonation

A rising pitch at the end of an utterance typically signals a yes-no question, uncertainty, or a request for confirmation rather than a finished statement.

Main-idea question

Asks what the passage is mostly about. The correct option covers the whole text; an option restating one sentence is a detail distractor.

Vocabulary in context

Asks for the meaning of a word as used in the passage. Test each option by substituting it into the sentence and checking that the logic still holds.

Inference question

Asks what can be concluded from the passage. The answer must follow from stated evidence; an option that is true in general but unstated is incorrect.

Scanning for detail

Locating a specific fact by finding the keyword or a synonym, then reading the surrounding sentence to confirm the exact wording before choosing.

Pronoun reference

Asks what a pronoun such as it, they, or this refers to. The antecedent is normally the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and fits the meaning.

Sequence question

Asks for the order of events. Order is set by explicit markers such as first, then, after, and finally, not by the order sentences appear.

Negative detail question

Asks which option is NOT stated in the passage. Three options are supported by the text and are eliminated; the unsupported one is the answer.

Author's purpose

The reason the writer produced the text: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to explain a process. The question verb usually signals which.

Sentence fragment

A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a finite verb, or a main clause, as in "Because the bus was late."

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined by only a comma. It is repaired with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus coordinating conjunction such as and or but.

Topic sentence

The sentence stating the paragraph's main point, usually placed first. Every other sentence in the paragraph should support or explain it.

Formal register

Writing that avoids contractions, slang, and direct address with you. It uses complete verb forms and third-person reference, which suits academic and test responses.

Contrast connectors

Words such as however, nevertheless, and on the other hand that signal a shift to an opposing or qualifying idea between two sentences or clauses.

Parallel structure

Items in a list or after correlative conjunctions share the same grammatical form. "Hiking, swimming, and cycling" is parallel; mixing forms is not.

Quotation mark punctuation

In standard American usage, periods and commas are placed inside the closing quotation mark, while semicolons and question marks follow the logic of the sentence.

Idea development

A writing response scores higher when it states one clear main idea and supports it with two or three explained reasons or examples rather than many undeveloped points.