Miyazaki Entrance English cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim that every paragraph supports; a correct main-idea option is neither narrower (one detail) nor broader (beyond the passage) than the text.

Detail questions: locate the keyword in the passage, then match the paraphrase; wrong options typically reuse passage words but reverse or exaggerate the relationship.

Inference is licensed, not guessed: the answer must follow necessarily from stated evidence, so eliminate options that need outside knowledge or a single unstated assumption.

Author's intent signals: 'argue/claim' = persuasion, 'describe/outline' = exposition, 'recount' = narrative, 'satirize/criticize' = evaluation; match the dominant verb pattern.

Tone words map to evidence: 'however', 'unfortunately', 'surprisingly' mark contrast or judgment; a passage with no evaluative adjectives is usually neutral.

Reference questions (it, this, they): the antecedent must agree in number and make sense in the sentence; the nearest noun is often a trap.

Vocabulary-in-context: substitute each option into the sentence and check that the sentence's logic survives; the literal dictionary sense is often wrong.

Order-of-events and comparison questions: build a quick timeline or two-column table from the passage before reading the options.

Collocation pairs to memorize: 'make a decision / do research', 'take part in / participate in', 'strong tea / heavy rain', 'highly qualified / deeply concerned'.

Phrasal verbs change meaning with the particle: 'turn up' (arrive), 'turn down' (refuse), 'turn out' (result), 'turn in' (submit).

Idioms are fixed: 'a piece of cake' = easy; 'under the weather' = unwell; 'on the fence' = undecided; altering the wording breaks the idiom.

Word families differ by part of speech: economy (noun), economic (relating to the economy), economical (money-saving), economist (person).

False friends and confusables: 'affect' (verb) vs 'effect' (noun); 'advice' (noun) vs 'advise' (verb); 'lend' (give) vs 'borrow' (receive).

Formality rule: 'kids, get, a lot of' are informal; 'children, obtain, numerous' are academic; exam prose usually expects the formal option.

Preposition partners: 'interested in', 'responsible for', 'capable of', 'similar to', 'depend on', 'consist of'.

Context clue types: definition ('that is'), contrast ('unlike'), example ('such as'), and cause-effect ('therefore'); the clue type tells you the direction of meaning.

Subject-verb agreement: ignore prepositional phrases between subject and verb ('The list of items is long'); 'each, every, everyone, nobody' take singular verbs.

Present perfect (have/has + past participle) links past to now and rejects finished-time markers; use past simple with 'yesterday, in 2019, last week'.

Passive = be + past participle; use it when the doer is unknown or unimportant, and keep the tense of 'be' matching the active tense.

Reported speech backshifts one tense ('I am tired' → she said she was tired) and adjusts time words ('today' → that day).

Conditionals: zero (if + present, present), first (if + present, will), second (if + past, would), third (if + had + past participle, would have + past participle).

Relative clauses: 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'whose' for possession; non-defining clauses take commas and never use 'that'.

Word order: adverb of frequency before the main verb but after 'be' ('She always arrives early'; 'He is always late'); indirect questions keep statement order ('Do you know where he lives?').

Countability: 'much/little/fewer' with uncountables or plurals as appropriate; 'information, advice, furniture, equipment' are uncountable and take no plural -s.

Paragraph architecture: topic sentence stating one controlling idea, 2-4 supporting sentences with reasons or examples, closing sentence that echoes the topic without repeating it verbatim.

Essay skeleton: introduction with thesis, body paragraphs each covering one reason, conclusion restating the thesis and its significance; one idea per paragraph.

Cohesion devices: 'first, moreover, in contrast, as a result, for instance'; vary them and avoid stacking two connectors in one sentence.

Thesis test: a thesis must be arguable and specific; 'Technology is important' fails, 'Smartphones have changed how students take notes' passes.

Register control: avoid contractions, slang, and 'you' in academic writing; prefer impersonal subjects ('Researchers found...') over 'I think'.

Sentence variety: mix simple, compound, and complex sentences; a paragraph of identical subject-verb-object sentences reads mechanically.

Common deduction points: sentence fragments, comma splices ('It was late, we left'), and run-ons; join clauses with a conjunction, semicolon, or full stop.

Summary vs. paraphrase: summarizing compresses to main points with citation; paraphrasing restates a specific passage in new wording and structure.

Predict from the question stem before audio plays: a 'why' question signals a reason to catch, a 'where' question signals a place name.

Signal words mark structure: 'first, then, finally' for sequence; 'however, although' for contrast; 'so, therefore' for conclusion; 'for example' for illustration.

Numbers, times, and prices are frequent traps: note them as heard, since the speaker often corrects ('at 3... sorry, 3:30').

Negation and hedges reverse meaning: 'not unlikely', 'hardly ever', 'I'm not sure I agree' do not mean the plain positive or negative.

In dialogues, the second speaker usually answers the question; the first speaker's statement is often a setup, not the answer.

Distinguish the stated fact from the speaker's opinion: 'The report says X, but I doubt it' makes X a reported fact and doubt the opinion.

Monologue organization: listen for the opening purpose statement and the closing summary; the main idea is usually announced in the first 30 seconds.

Spelling and proper nouns: if an option differs by one sound (fifteen/fifty, can/can't), rely on stress and the following context word.

Requests scale by politeness: 'Can you...?' (informal) < 'Could you...?' < 'Would you mind + -ing?' (formal); the last takes 'Not at all' as agreement.

Apologies pair with the offense: 'I'm sorry for the delay' + remedy; 'Excuse me' opens an interruption, 'I beg your pardon' asks for repetition or signals offense.

Offers and invitations: 'Would you like...?' invites, 'Do you like...?' asks preference; accept with 'I'd love to', decline with 'I'm afraid I can't'.

Opinion and disagreement formulas: 'I see your point, but...' softens disagreement; 'I couldn't agree more' means full agreement, not disagreement.

Telephone and service register: 'Could I speak to...?', 'Hold on, please', 'I'm calling about...'; state purpose early.

Academic functional phrases: asking for clarification ('Could you explain what you mean by...?'), checking understanding ('So you're saying that...?'), conceding ('Granted, but...').

Suggestions: 'Why don't we...?', 'How about + -ing?', 'Shall we...?'; responses use 'That sounds good' or 'I'd rather not'.

Written functional texts: emails open with purpose and close with a standard formula ('I look forward to hearing from you'); complaints state facts, impact, and requested action in that order.