Saitama 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.

Question word matching

In listening items, the question word decides the answer type: 何 needs a thing, どこ a place, いつ a time, だれ a person, なぜ a reason. Choose the option matching that type before checking details.

Corrected numbers in dialogue

Speakers often revise a number using 〜ではなく or 〜じゃなくて. The first number is a distractor and the corrected, final number is the answer, so wait for the end of the exchange.

Sequence markers in listening

Words like まず (first), それから (then), 〜てから (after doing), 〜前に (before), and 最後に (finally) determine the order of actions in picture-selection questions.

Negative and invitation endings

〜ませんでした states a negative past fact, 〜ませんか invites, and 〜ましょう proposes. A negative reply flips the correct option, so note which ending was used.

Dialogue line functions

Identify what a line does: 〜てください requests, 〜ませんか invites, 〜ましょう offers, すみません apologizes. The function, not the literal words, selects the matching response.

Ko-so-a-do reference

これ and この point near the speaker, それ and その near the listener, あれ and あの away from both. In passages, the referent is usually the nearest preceding noun phrase.

Extreme wording is usually false

Options containing 絶対, いつも, すべて, or 必ず often contradict passages that hedge with たいてい, 多くの, or ときどき. Prefer options that preserve the passage's degree of certainty.

Subject tracking in Japanese

Japanese often omits subjects. Auxiliaries like 〜てくれた (someone did for me) and 〜てもらった (I received the action) reveal who acted, so use them to assign the subject.

Main idea placement

In long passages, the main idea usually appears in the first or last paragraph. The correct option paraphrases it rather than copying one sentence word for word.

Two-condition retrieval items

Information-retrieval questions often require satisfying two conditions at once, such as date and price. An option meeting only one condition is a distractor and must be eliminated.

ただし exception clauses

ただし introduces an exception or condition that overrides the main notice. The correct answer must satisfy the exception as well as the main rule, so read past the main statement.

Opinion markers in passages

〜べきだ (should), 〜のではないか (isn't it that), and 大切だ (important) signal the author's claim. Sentences without such markers usually report facts, not the opinion being asked about.

い-adjective te-form

Drop い and add くて: 高い becomes 高くて. The irregular いい becomes よくて. な-adjectives and nouns use で instead, as in 静かで and 学生で.

Plain past verb forms

五段 verbs change the final syllable: 書く becomes 書いた, 飲む becomes 飲んだ. 一段 verbs drop る and add た: 見る becomes 見た. する becomes した and 来る becomes 来た.

Conditional と restriction

〜と expresses a natural or automatic consequence and cannot be followed by a request, invitation, or volitional statement. Use 〜たら or 〜ば when the main clause contains a request.

Giving and receiving verbs

あげる means I give, もらう means I receive, and くれる means someone gives to me. The direction of benefit and who is subject decide which verb is correct.

Particle で versus に

に marks time points, destinations, and indirect objects. で marks the location of an action, a means or tool, and a cause, as in ペンで書く and 病気で休む.

〜ている versus 〜てある

〜ている shows an ongoing action or a resulting state. 〜てある shows a state resulting from someone's intentional action, as in 窓が開けてある (the window has been opened on purpose).

Japanese counters by noun type

Use 〜人 for people, 〜冊 for books, 〜枚 for flat objects, 〜台 for machines, 〜本 for long thin objects, and 〜匹 for small animals. The noun type selects the counter.

Apology versus thanks

すみません is used when you cause trouble or inconvenience; ありがとう is used for a benefit received. どういたしまして replies only to thanks, not to an apology.

Soft refusal pattern

Decline an invitation with すみません、ちょっと… followed by a reason using 〜ので. A bare いいえ sounds abrupt and is rarely the correct option in situational items.

Permission and prohibition forms

〜てもいいですか asks permission, 〜てはいけません forbids, and 〜なくてもいいです means there is no need to do something. The last is not a prohibition.

Telephone set phrases

もしもし opens a call, 〜ですが identifies the caller, 少々お待ちください asks the listener to wait, and また電話します promises another call. These fixed phrases signal the situation.

Service counter expressions

いらっしゃいませ greets customers, 〜はいかがですか offers an item, 〜をお願いします places an order, and お会計 refers to the bill. These identify shop and restaurant scenes.

Conditioned composition structure

Write a topic sentence stating your opinion, one or two sentences giving a reason with because or for example, and a closing sentence. This covers most 25-to-35-word tasks with every required point.

Word counting rules

Contractions count as one word, numbers written as digits count as one word, and articles and prepositions count separately. Count before finishing to stay inside the required range.

Mentioning required content

When a prompt says to touch on something, name it directly with the exact word, such as club or summer. An implied mention does not satisfy the condition and loses points.

Avoiding Japanese word order

Place the verb after its object and put time expressions early: Last Sunday, I played tennis with my sister. Keeping one consistent tense also protects the grammar score.

E-mail format elements

A short English message needs a greeting such as Hi Mike, a body, a closing such as See you or Best regards, and a signature. Missing greeting or signature loses format points.

Answering every question

A reply message must respond to each question in the original. Leaving one question unanswered is the most common reason for lost points in situational writing tasks.

Accept or decline first

Invitation replies state the decision immediately with Sure, I'd love to or Sorry, I can't. Then give a reason and, when declining, suggest an alternative time or activity.

Politeness by audience

Use Could you or I would like to with teachers and formal readers. Use Can you or I want to with friends. Matching politeness to the reader is part of the score.