Ibaraki Entrance English flashcards

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

-teen vs -ty stress

In numbers such as thirteen and thirty, -teen takes the stress and a long vowel, while -ty is unstressed with a short vowel, so stress decides whether the answer is 13 or 30.

Correction markers in dialogue

Words like actually, no wait, I mean, and but cancel what a speaker said earlier; the corrected information that follows is the value the question usually asks for.

Question word pre-scan

Before the recording starts, read each question's wh-word (who, when, where, how much, how long) to know which single detail you must write down while listening.

Time arithmetic phrases

Expressions such as two hours later, the day after tomorrow, and next Friday do not give the answer directly; compute the final time from the base time stated in the dialogue.

Sound-alike direction pairs

Bring and take, come and go, borrow and lend differ by direction: bring, come, and borrow move toward the speaker, while take, go, and lend move away.

Note-taking abbreviations

While listening, record numbers as numerals, names as initials, and movement as arrows instead of full words, so you can keep pace with the speaker and still answer later.

Invitation response pattern

An invitation such as Would you like to join us? is answered either by accepting with a positive comment or by declining with an apology plus a reason, never by a bare no.

Could you versus Can you

Could you and Would you are more polite than Can you and Will you; a suitable reply is Sure or I'm sorry, but I can't, matching the politeness level of the request.

Restaurant ordering phrases

A server says May I take your order? and For here or to go?; the customer answers with I'll have the fish or Just water, please, keeping the same short form.

Phone call formulas

On the phone, identify yourself with This is Ken speaking, ask with May I speak to Yumi?, and request time with Hold on, please; never say I am Ken.

Asking and giving directions

Typical answers use Go along this street, turn left at the second corner, and It's on your right, so match each option to the landmark and the side of the street.

Shopping reply phrases

Useful customer lines are How much is it?, Can I try it on?, and I'll take it, while the clerk may say Can I help you? or Here you are.

So do I / Neither do I

Agreement with an affirmative statement uses So + auxiliary + subject (So do I); agreement with a negative uses Neither or Nor + auxiliary + subject, keeping the same auxiliary.

Pronoun referent check

For questions asking what it or them refers to, find the nearest preceding noun matching in number (singular or plural) and meaning, then confirm the sentence still makes sense.

Contrast connector however

However, but, although, and on the other hand signal a reversal; the answer to a why or what-changed question usually sits in the clause following the contrast marker.

Result connectors so therefore

So, therefore, as a result, and that is why introduce a consequence; when a question asks what happened, scan the sentence after these markers rather than the whole paragraph.

Topic sentence position

In these passages the main idea is normally stated in the first sentence of a paragraph and restated in the final paragraph, so main-idea options paraphrase those sentences.

True-false false option pattern

A wrong option often copies exact words from the passage but swaps the subject, reverses the logic with a negative, or changes a number, so compare each detail one by one.

Because-clause reason location

Reasons follow because, since, and for that reason, or appear after a colon; if the question asks why, quote the clause after the marker and check its subject.

Definition clue in text

An unknown word is often explained by an appositive, a dash, or phrases like that is, which means, or in other words, which give its meaning without a dictionary.

One of the plural rule

The pattern one of the + plural noun takes a singular verb: One of my friends lives in Mito, because the grammatical subject is one, not friends.

Future in when-clause

After when, if, before, after, and as soon as, English uses the present tense for future meaning: I will call you when I arrive, not when I will arrive.

Gerund after enjoy finish mind

Verbs enjoy, finish, stop, mind, and practice take an -ing form, while want, hope, decide, plan, and need take a to-infinitive; the first verb fixes the choice.

Relative pronoun selection

Use who or that for people, which or that for things, whose for possession, and where for places, then check that the clause still has its own subject or object.

Borrow versus lend

Borrow means to take something from someone for a time (borrow a book from Ken); lend means to give it for a time (lend a book to Ken), so the preposition shows the direction.

Comparison formula as as

Equality uses as + adjective + as; inequality uses -er than or more + adjective + than; the superlative uses the -est or the most, usually followed by in or of.

Opinion plus reason frame

A two-sentence answer can follow I think + opinion, because + reason, or Opinion + For example + detail; each sentence needs its own subject and verb.

No-subject fragment error

English requires an explicit subject in every sentence, so Because I like soccer is a fragment; write I like soccer because it is exciting to watch.

Word count midpoint target

When the condition says 10 to 20 words, plan about 14 to 16 words; writing near the minimum risks a missing content point, and writing near the maximum invites errors.

Tense mirror rule

Answer in the tense the question uses: a question about last week takes the past tense, and a question about your future plans takes will or be going to.

Given-word reuse rule

If the prompt supplies a word or phrase, keep it unchanged in your answer, with the same tense, number, and spelling, and build the rest of the sentence around it.

Sentence-ending punctuation check

Every written answer needs a capital letter at the start and a period, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end; a missing period can cost a point even when the English is correct.