Hiroshima Entrance English key terms

The single most important point a passage makes about its topic, broad enough to cover everything the writer says and specific enough to exclude side details. Questions often ask you to choose the best statement of it.

A fact, example, reason, or statistic a writer uses to explain, prove, or illustrate the main idea. Detail questions ask you to locate such information and distinguish it from statements the passage never makes.

A conclusion a reader draws from evidence in the text rather than from a sentence stated outright. A valid inference must be forced by what the passage says, not merely possible or personally plausible.

The writer's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice and emphasis, for example critical, admiring, humorous, or neutral. Tone questions ask you to name that attitude rather than summarize the content.

A pronoun or demonstrative such as it, they, this, or the former that points back to something already mentioned. Reference questions ask which earlier word or phrase the item actually replaces.

A restatement of a sentence or idea in different words while keeping the same meaning. Correct answer choices are usually paraphrases of the passage, not verbatim copies, so recognizing rewording is essential.

The way sentences and paragraphs are tied together by linking words, repeated vocabulary, and logical flow so the text reads as one connected piece. Cohesion clues are central to ordering and gap-fill tasks.

A task in which jumbled sentences or paragraphs must be arranged into a logical sequence. Success depends on spotting time markers, cause-and-effect links, pronouns pointing backward, and general statements that introduce specifics.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. It sets the reader's expectation, and the remaining sentences develop or support it.

A word or phrase such as however, therefore, in addition, or on the other hand that signals the logical relation between ideas. Choosing the right connective depends on whether ideas contrast, add, or follow as a result.

A clause containing a subject and verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a word like because, although, when, or which. It attaches to a main clause to add reason, time, or condition.

A word such as who, which, that, or whose that introduces a clause describing a preceding noun. It lets a writer combine two short sentences into one and must agree with the noun it describes.

A phrase built on an -ing or -ed verb form that modifies a noun or the whole sentence, as in Walking home, she noticed the lights. The implied subject must match the subject of the main clause.

The conventional arrangement of subject, verb, object, and modifiers in an English sentence. Japanese and English differ sharply here, so questions test whether adverbs, negation, and question forms sit in the right place.

The rules for choosing a, an, the, or no article before a noun, depending on whether the listener can identify the referent and whether the noun is countable. Japanese has no equivalent system, so this is a frequent error point.

Keeping verb tenses logical within a sentence or passage, for example using past tense throughout a narrative or present tense for general truths. Shifts are allowed only when the meaning genuinely changes in time.

Conveying what someone said without quoting directly, which usually requires backshifting the tense and adjusting pronouns and time words, as in she said she was leaving the next day.

A word with a meaning close to another word's, though rarely identical in nuance or grammatical use. Vocabulary questions often ask you to pick the closest synonym for an underlined word in context.

The emotional or evaluative shading a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as the difference between inexpensive and cheap. Choosing the right word depends on matching connotation to the writer's attitude.

A pairing of words that native speakers conventionally use together, such as make a decision, heavy rain, or deeply concerned. Grammatically possible alternatives often sound wrong because the collocation is fixed.

A verb combined with a particle or preposition that together carry a meaning different from the verb alone, such as give up, look into, or put off. The particle cannot be guessed from its ordinary spatial sense.

A fixed expression whose overall meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as break the ice or under the weather. Idiom questions test recognition rather than literal translation.

A noun that can take a plural form and be preceded by a number, such as book or idea, as opposed to mass nouns like information or advice. This distinction controls article and quantifier choice.

A sentence that bridges two paragraphs by recalling the previous point and pointing toward the next. It keeps a multi-paragraph essay from reading as a list of disconnected blocks.

The sentence in an introduction that states the essay's central claim and often previews its structure. Everything in the body should support it, and the conclusion should return to it.

A brief plan listing the main points of a piece of writing in order before drafting. It helps a timed writer keep paragraphs balanced and avoid drifting off the assigned topic.

A composition task shaped by given prompts, notes, or a situation rather than left entirely open. The writer must cover every required point while still producing connected, natural prose.

Rendering each word of the source text with its direct counterpart, which often produces unnatural or unclear English. Effective translation conveys the meaning and register of the original instead of its word order.

The quality of reading as if originally written in the target language, with idiomatic word choice and sentence rhythm. A translation can be accurate yet unnatural if it copies the source language's structure.

The level of formality a text adopts, from casual conversation to formal academic prose. Translations and compositions must keep the source's register rather than sliding into a different level of politeness.

The overall sense of a spoken or written message, as opposed to its exact wording. Listening tasks often ask for the gist first, before asking for specific numbers or names.

Attending to specific information such as times, prices, names, or reasons while a recording plays. It requires predicting what kind of information to expect from the question before the audio begins.

Writing brief keywords, symbols, and abbreviations while listening so that answers can be checked afterward. Notes should capture structure and key facts without distracting attention from the ongoing speech.

A short account of a text's central points in the writer's own words, leaving out examples and repetition. A good summary keeps the original's proportions rather than dwelling on one interesting detail.

A task requiring you to move facts from a passage or recording into another format such as a table, chart, or form. Accuracy of detail matters more than elegant wording.

An answer choice that looks tempting because it repeats words from the passage but misstates the meaning, often by reversing cause and effect or exaggerating a claim. Recognizing distractors is a core test skill.