Nara Public High School Entrance Examination - English flashcards

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

since vs. for

Use since with a starting point in time (since 2020, since Monday). Use for with a length of time (for three years, for two hours). Both pair with the present perfect.

-ed pronunciation rules

Past-tense -ed is /t/ after voiceless sounds (watched), /d/ after voiced sounds (played), and /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted, needed). Only the last group adds a syllable.

Plural -s pronunciation

Final -s is /s/ after voiceless sounds (books), /z/ after voiced sounds (dogs), and /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, x (boxes, watches). The /ɪz/ group adds a syllable.

Silent letters list

Common silent letters: k in know, knee, knife; b in climb, comb; w in write, wrong; h in hour, honest; l in walk, talk, half; t in listen, castle.

Word stress: noun vs. verb

Many two-syllable words shift stress by part of speech: nouns stress the first syllable (PREsent, REcord), verbs stress the second (preSENT, reCORD).

Gerund after certain verbs

Verbs enjoy, finish, stop, mind, avoid, and practice take a gerund (-ing form): I enjoy reading. He finished writing the report.

Infinitive after certain verbs

Verbs want, hope, decide, plan, need, and try take to plus the base verb: She decided to leave. They hope to win.

Irregular comparatives

Good becomes better, best; bad becomes worse, worst; many/much becomes more, most; little becomes less, least; far becomes farther/further, farthest/furthest.

Relative pronoun choice

Use who for people, which for things, that for both in defining clauses, whose for possession, and where for places. Example: the girl who won; the book which I read.

Passive voice formation

Passive = be + past participle. The active object becomes the subject: Someone built the bridge becomes The bridge was built. Add by plus the agent only if needed.

Polite request: Would you mind

Would you mind plus a gerund asks a favor. Agreement is negative: Not at all, or Of course not. Saying Yes means you do mind and refuse.

Accepting and refusing offers

Accept with Yes, please or I'd love to. Refuse politely with No, thank you plus a reason, for example No, thank you. I'm fine.

Asking for repetition

Use Pardon?, Could you say that again?, or I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. These keep the conversation going without pretending to understand.

Telephone phrases

This is Ken speaking. May I speak to Yuki? Hold on, please. Can I take a message? I'll call back later. These are standard phone exchanges.

Declining an invitation

Give thanks, a reason, and often an alternative: I'd love to, but I have plans. How about Sunday? A bare No is too abrupt for polite English.

Contrast signal words

But, however, actually, instead, and although signal a change from what came before. In listening and reading, the answer often follows these words.

Similar-sounding number pairs

Thirteen/thirty, fifteen/fifty, and fourteen/forty differ in stress: -teen is stressed and longer, -ty is unstressed and shorter. Write digits as you listen.

Direction language

Turn left at the second corner. Go straight for two blocks. It's across from the bank, next to the station, between the park and the school.

Notices: four key elements

For notices and emails, identify sender, receiver, purpose, and date or deadline. These four elements answer most short-passage questions.

Pronoun reference strategy

It, they, this, and that refer to a nearby noun phrase that fits the meaning. Check number (singular/plural) and logic before choosing.

Main idea versus detail

A main-idea or title option must cover the whole passage. An option that repeats one detail from the first sentence is usually a distractor.

Reading a graph first

Before comparing values, read the chart title, both axis labels with units, and the legend. Missing units is the most common cause of wrong answers.

Inference item rule

The correct inference must follow necessarily from the text. An option that is true in real life but not stated in the passage is wrong.

Cause and effect markers

Because, so, therefore, as a result, lead to, and result in show causation. Match the direction carefully: the cause comes before the result.

Vocabulary in context test

Substitute each option into the original sentence and re-read it. Only the option that preserves the sentence's logic is correct.

Composition structure

State your opinion in the first sentence, give one or two reasons with examples, then close by restating the opinion in different words.

Linking words for writing

Use first, also, for example, however, therefore, and in conclusion to show how sentences relate. Clear links raise the score for organization.

Writing check: agreement and plurals

Before submitting, check every verb agrees with its subject and every countable plural has -s. These two errors cause the most lost points.

Integrated email-reply task

Answer every question in the original email and match its tone: formal for a teacher or office, casual for a friend. Missing one question loses points.

Fill-in-dialogue method

Read the reply line first. It limits what the missing line can mean, so choose the option that makes the reply logical and natural.

Paraphrase item rule

The correct paraphrase keeps all key information and adds nothing new. Options that drop a key point or invent a detail are wrong.

Text and chart combined

When a passage and a chart appear together, the chart's labeled numbers are the data and the text supplies the interpretation. Use both to answer.