Shizuoka Public High School Entrance Examination - English key terms

The most important point a whole passage or talk is making, which the other sentences support. Questions often ask you to choose the best title or summary rather than a small detail.

A specific fact, example, number, or reason that explains or proves the main idea. Detail questions usually ask who, when, where, how many, or what happened first.

The sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that states what the paragraph is about. Finding it quickly helps you predict the content that follows.

A conclusion you draw from clues in the text that are not stated directly. The answer must be supported by the passage, not by your own opinion or outside knowledge.

The reason a writer produced the text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or give instructions. Noticing the purpose helps you judge which answer fits the whole passage.

The feeling or attitude a writer shows through word choice, such as friendly, worried, amused, or serious. Tone is described with an adjective, not with the topic of the passage.

Reading quickly to find one specific piece of information, such as a name, time, or price, without reading every word. Useful for timetables, notices, and menus in information-retrieval tasks.

Reading quickly through headings, first sentences, and key words to get the general sense of a text before answering questions. It saves time on longer passages.

Information around an unknown word, such as a definition, example, or contrast, that helps you guess its meaning. Examiners often test whether you can infer a word's meaning from the sentence.

Saying the same meaning with different words. Correct answers in reading sections often restate the passage rather than repeat its exact wording, so train yourself to match meanings, not spellings.

A word with a similar meaning to another word, such as begin and start. Recognizing synonyms helps you connect a question with the sentence in the passage that answers it.

A word with the opposite meaning to another word, such as expensive and cheap. Contrast signals like but and however often introduce an antonym clue for an unfamiliar word.

The person, thing, or idea that a pronoun such as it, they, or this points back to. Pronoun-reference questions ask you to identify exactly what the pronoun replaces in the text.

The way sentences are linked so a text reads as one connected whole, using pronouns, repeated words, and linking words. Cohesion clues help you follow who did what across several sentences.

A linking word or phrase such as however, therefore, in addition, or on the other hand that shows the relationship between ideas. Choosing the right connective is common in fill-in-the-blank items.

A relationship in which two ideas differ, signalled by words like but, although, while, and however. Missing a contrast can reverse the meaning of a sentence and lead to a wrong answer.

A relationship in which one event makes another happen, signalled by because, so, therefore, and as a result. Questions may ask why something happened or what happened as a result.

The tense formed with have or has plus the past participle, as in I have lived here for five years. It links a past action to the present and is often used with for and since.

The third form of a verb, such as written, taken, or seen, used in perfect tenses and the passive voice. Irregular forms are frequently tested in sentence-completion items.

A sentence pattern in which the subject receives the action, formed with be plus the past participle, as in The window was broken. Used when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

A pronoun such as who, which, that, or whose that introduces a clause describing a noun, as in the boy who won. Choose who for people and which for things in defining clauses.

A phrase beginning with an -ing or past participle form that describes a noun or an action, as in Walking down the street, I met her. Word-order tasks often test who the phrase describes.

The base form of a verb with to, as in to swim, or without to after modals and some verbs, as in make him laugh. Verb-pattern choices are a frequent gap-fill point.

The -ing form of a verb used as a noun, as in Swimming is fun or I enjoy reading. Some verbs take a gerund and others take an infinitive, so learn the patterns in pairs.

A helping verb such as can, must, should, or may that adds ability, obligation, permission, or possibility. It is followed by the base form and does not take -s in the third person.

The form used to compare two things, made with -er or more, as in taller or more careful. Remember than after the comparison and never use both -er and more together.

The form used to compare three or more things, made with -est or most, as in the tallest or the most interesting. It normally takes the, and very cannot replace the superlative form.

For is used with a length of time, as in for three years, while since is used with a starting point, as in since 2020. Confusing the two is a common error in tense questions.

A helping verb such as be, have, do, or a modal that carries tense, question form, or negation, as in Do you like it? It appears before the subject in questions.

A short question added to the end of a statement, as in You are a student, aren't you? Use a negative tag after a positive statement and match the auxiliary and subject.

The fixed arrangement of subject, verb, object, and modifiers in an English sentence. Reordering items test whether you can rebuild a sentence so it is grammatical and natural.

A group of words containing a subject and a verb, either as a full sentence or as part of one. Counting clauses helps you decide where commas and linking words belong.

A question embedded in another sentence, using statement word order, as in Do you know where he lives? Do not use do or a question mark inside the embedded part.

In Japanese entrance-exam writing, a short English sentence given as a cue that you must use its meaning, and sometimes its exact words, in your composition. Ignoring it loses marks.

A short piece of guided writing, often 20 to 30 words, on a given topic, such as a school event or a message to a friend. Clear simple sentences with correct grammar score better than long risky ones.

The number of English words in your composition, which the instructions usually set as a minimum or range. Count carefully, since too few words or a large excess can cost points.

Listening to catch the overall meaning of a short talk or dialogue without understanding every word. Focus on who is speaking, where, and what they finally decide to do.

Listening to catch specific information such as a time, price, place, or number. Read the question options before the audio starts so you know which detail to wait for.

Writing down words exactly as you hear them, often tested with short phrases or numbers. Practise spelling, small words like a and the, and the difference between similar sounds.