Oita Public High School Entrance Examination - English cheat sheet

Question types on the Oita listening section: choosing a picture or scene, picking a spoken reply, and answering a question about a short monologue or dialogue.

Numbers, times, and prices are usually stated once and then corrected once ("actually, let's make it 3:30"); the second number is the answer.

Signal words that flip meaning: but, however, instead, actually, not really, never mind - the answer follows these words, not precedes them.

Direction and place words to track on a map or floor plan: next to, across from, between, on the corner of, go straight, turn left at the second corner.

In reply-choice items, a question beginning with "How" expects a manner or condition answer, not yes/no; "Why" expects because/clause answers.

Days and dates: the week is named from Sunday in English; "the day after tomorrow" = two days later, "last Friday" from a Monday = three days earlier.

When two speakers give different opinions, the question usually asks about one named speaker, so track who says what.

Dialogue items test the function of a line: greeting, request, apology, invitation, offer, refusal, or suggestion - match the reply to the function, not to the topic.

Polite refusal pattern: "I'd love to, but ..." or "Sounds good, but ..." - the real answer is the clause after but.

Pronoun reference: it, they, this, that, one refer to the nearest preceding noun that fits the meaning; check number (singular/plural) first.

Time-order markers (first, then, after that, finally) determine sequence questions; the event listed last in the text is not always the latest in time.

For notice and message items, the key information is who must do what, by when, and where - scan for names, dates, and places before reading fully.

Negative and double-negative forms: "not uncommon" = common; "I don't disagree" = I agree; simplify before choosing.

Words that change scope: only, all, some, always, never - an option that adds "always" to a text saying "often" is wrong.

Main-idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage; an option that is true but covers only one paragraph is a detail, not the main idea.

Order of difficulty in the text: answers to detail questions usually appear in the same order as the questions.

Tables, timetables, and flyers: read the column headings and units first, then locate the row matching the two conditions given in the question.

When two conditions must both hold (e.g., under 1,000 yen AND open on Sunday), eliminate rows that fail either condition.

Author's-purpose questions use verbs such as inform, persuade, explain, warn, invite; choose the verb matching the passage type (notice = inform/invite).

Inference items: the answer must be supported by the text; an option that is merely possible in real life but unstated is wrong.

Unknown words: use the surrounding definition, example, or contrast ("unlike A, B ...") rather than guessing from the word's shape alone.

Tense agreement: a past-time adverb (yesterday, last week, in 2019) forces past tense in the main verb.

Present perfect (have/has + past participle) pairs with since, for, ever, never, already, yet; simple past pairs with a finished time.

Subject-verb agreement: each, every, everyone, nobody take singular verbs; a number of + plural noun takes a plural verb.

Infinitives after want, hope, decide, plan, try; gerunds after enjoy, finish, stop, mind, look forward to.

Passive voice: be + past participle; the doer is introduced by by, and the object of the active sentence becomes the subject.

Relative pronouns: who for people, which for things, that for both in defining clauses, where for places, whose for possession.

Comparatives: as ... as for equality, -er/more ... than for difference, the -est/the most for the superlative; good→better→best, many→more→most.

Japanese prompt conditions (条件) must all be met: word count, required content points, and any required sentence pattern such as "because" or "when".

English word count is counted in words, not characters; a 25-word requirement means at least 25 whitespace-delimited words.

A safe paragraph structure: topic sentence stating the opinion, one or two supporting reasons with because/for example, closing sentence.

Linkers to raise coherence: first, second, also, however, for example, so, therefore, in conclusion.

Keep the tense consistent within one narrative; switch only when the time frame genuinely changes.

Avoid Japanese-style literal translation: "I like very much tennis" is wrong; the adverb order is "I like tennis very much."

Check the five high-frequency errors before finishing: third-person -s, plural -s, articles a/an/the, capital letters, and final punctuation.

Cross-curricular passages often combine a graph, chart, or table with prose; the question asks you to state a trend in words (increase, decrease, stay the same).

Percentages and fractions in charts: half = 50%, a third ≈ 33%, a quarter = 25%; compare relative sizes before answering.

Sequence and process tasks (experiments, recipes, school events) are answered by matching each step to its purpose or result.

Emails and letters: identify sender, receiver, purpose, and the requested action; the reply usually confirms or changes one detail.

Poster and schedule tasks: cross two sources (a notice plus a timetable) to find the single slot satisfying all stated conditions.

When summarizing in English, keep the original's key numbers and names and drop examples; a summary that adds new opinion is wrong.

Cultural and school-life topics (club activities, homestay, school rules) reuse the same vocabulary; learn paired terms such as join a club / take part in an event.