Kagoshima Entrance English key terms

The single most important point that a listening passage or a reading text is making. It is broader than any one detail and is often stated near the beginning or the end.

A specific fact, example, number, or reason that explains or proves the main idea. Questions about details usually ask who, what, when, where, or how much.

A conclusion a listener or reader draws from clues in the text rather than from a directly stated sentence. The answer must be supported by evidence, not by personal opinion.

The reason a person is speaking, such as to request, apologize, invite, warn, or explain. Identifying it helps you choose the correct response in dialogue questions.

The attitude a speaker or writer shows through word choice and stress, for example friendly, annoyed, worried, or formal. Tone is heard in intonation as much as in vocabulary.

The rise and fall of the voice across a sentence. In English it can change a statement into a question or signal surprise, doubt, or politeness.

The extra loudness or length given to one syllable of a word or one word in a sentence. Correct stress helps listeners understand which information is new or important.

Choosing the most natural reply to a short spoken line such as an offer, apology, or request. The best answer fits both the meaning and the level of politeness.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. The remaining sentences develop or support it with details.

A group of sentences about one point, separated from other groups by an indentation or a blank line. A well-written paragraph has one clear focus.

Information in the surrounding words or sentences that helps you guess the meaning of an unknown word. Examples, contrasts, and definitions nearby are common types.

A word with a meaning close to another word, such as begin and start. Recognizing synonyms helps you match answer choices to the words in a passage.

A word with the opposite meaning of another word, such as expensive and cheap. Contrast signals like but and however often introduce an antonym in a text.

To express the same meaning with different words or sentence structure. Correct answers in reading tests are often paraphrases of a sentence in the passage.

A short statement of the main points of a text, written in your own words and without minor details. A good summary keeps the original order of importance.

Reading quickly to find one specific piece of information, such as a date, a price, or a name. Your eyes move over the text without reading every word.

Reading quickly to get the general sense of a text before answering questions. You look at headings, first sentences, and repeated words rather than details.

Moving information from a passage into another form, such as a table, chart, or notice, or reading such a form to answer questions. Accuracy of numbers and names matters most.

A visual display of data using bars, lines, or circles. When describing a chart in writing, state the overall trend first and then give key figures.

The general direction in which numbers or events change over time, such as rising, falling, or staying steady. Describing a trend requires verbs like increase, decrease, and remain stable.

Showing how two or more things are similar or different. English marks it with forms like -er, more, as ... as, and unlike.

The form of an adjective or adverb used to compare three or more things, such as the tallest or the most carefully. Short words take -est; longer words take most.

The verb form that shows when an action happens, for example present, past, or future. Time words like yesterday or next week help you choose the correct tense.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, as in She goes versus They go. Long phrases between subject and verb often hide the real subject.

A group of words containing a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent clause cannot.

A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses, such as and, but, because, and although. It signals the relationship between the joined ideas.

A word like who, which, or that that introduces a clause describing a noun. It helps combine two short sentences into one smooth sentence.

A verb form used as an adjective or in a phrase, such as the -ing form or the past participle. Participial phrases add information without a full clause.

A pair or group of words that native speakers naturally use together, such as make a decision or heavy rain. Learning whole phrases is more reliable than translating word by word.

A verb combined with a particle that changes or sharpens its meaning, such as give up, look after, or turn down. The particle is essential and cannot be guessed from the verb alone.

A fixed expression whose meaning is not the literal sum of its words, such as under the weather. Idioms should be learned as whole units with an example sentence.

The degree of formality chosen for a situation, from casual speech with friends to formal language with teachers or strangers. Could you and Would you mind are more polite than a bare command.

The style of language suited to a particular situation, such as formal, neutral, or casual. A letter to a host family and an essay use different registers.

One sentence in an essay that states the writer's main claim and often previews the supporting points. It usually appears at the end of the introduction.

A short plan listing the main points and supporting ideas in order before writing. It keeps a composition organized and prevents repetition.

The quality of a text whose ideas are connected logically and flow smoothly from one to the next. Linking words and consistent pronouns help create it.

A linking word or phrase such as however, therefore, or in addition that shows how two ideas relate. Correct choice depends on whether the ideas contrast, cause, or add.

A unit of pronunciation containing one vowel sound, such as the three units in com-pu-ter. Counting syllables helps with spelling, stress, and writing short poems.

A short spoken or written message giving information to many people at once, such as a school notice about a schedule change. Listen for time, place, and what listeners must do.