Tottori Prefectural Public High School Entrance Examination - English key terms

A verb form made with have or has plus the past participle, as in 'I have lived here for five years.' It connects a past action to the present, or reports experience without saying exactly when.

A sentence pattern in which the person or thing acted on becomes the subject: be plus past participle, often with 'by'. 'The window was broken by Ken.' Use it when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

A word such as who, which, or that that begins a clause describing the noun just before it. In 'the girl who won the race', who ties the winning to the girl.

The base form of a verb with 'to', as in 'to swim'. It can name an action, as in 'To swim is fun', and it often follows adjectives or verbs such as want, need, and easy.

A verb ending in -ing that is used as a noun, as in 'Swimming is fun' or 'I enjoy reading.' Verbs like enjoy, finish, and stop take a gerund rather than a to-infinitive.

Forms used to compare things. Short adjectives add -er and -est (taller, tallest); longer ones use more and most (more beautiful, most beautiful). 'Than' follows a comparative.

A helping verb such as can, may, must, should, or will that adds meanings like ability, permission, obligation, or advice. It is followed by the base form and never takes -s or -ed.

A question placed inside another sentence with statement word order: 'Do you know where he lives?' not 'where does he live'. Polite requests and reported questions use this pattern.

A verb joined to a particle such as up, off, or in, producing a new meaning: give up, look after, turn on. Learn the whole phrase, because the meaning cannot be guessed from the parts.

A group of words built from one root but with different endings, such as decide, decision, and decisive. Recognising the family helps you fill a blank when only the part of speech is clear.

A hint in the sentences around an unknown word, such as a definition, example, contrast, or result, that lets you guess its meaning without opening a dictionary.

The single point that a paragraph or passage is mostly about. It may be stated in a topic sentence or left implied, and the other sentences support it.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main point and controls what the following sentences explain. Later sentences give examples, reasons, or details.

A conclusion you reach from clues in a passage rather than from a stated fact. From 'Yuki opened her umbrella' you can infer that it was raining.

Reading quickly to locate one specific item, such as a time, a name, or a price, while ignoring the rest of the text. Unlike close reading, it does not aim at full understanding.

A word or phrase such as however, therefore, or for example that shows how two ideas are related. It signals contrast, result, addition, or example and helps you follow a passage's logic.

The noun or idea that a pronoun such as it, they, or this points back to. Questions often ask what 'this' means, so trace it to the nearest sensible earlier word.

Listening to catch the overall situation and purpose - who is speaking, where they are, and what they want - without trying to understand every single word.

Listening with the question in mind so you catch particular facts: numbers, times, places, or reasons. Words that do not answer that question can be ignored.

Writing short keywords, numbers, or symbols while the audio plays so you can answer afterwards. Writing full sentences makes you miss what comes next.

The rise and fall of the voice during speech. A rising ending often marks a yes/no question or surprise, while a falling ending marks a statement or a wh-question.

Two words that differ by only one sound, such as light and right, or ship and sheep. Listening items often check whether you can hear that single difference.

Writing down exactly the words you hear. It tests spelling, word boundaries, and small grammar words such as articles and prepositions, which are easy to miss in fast speech.

A short plan made before writing that lists the main points in order. It keeps a composition organised and stops you from repeating ideas or leaving out a required point.

Listing ideas quickly on a topic without judging them, then choosing the useful ones. It is a planning step that helps you find content before you begin writing sentences.

Writing a full first version, then reading it again to improve the content, order, grammar, and spelling. Checking the task requirements - length and points to include - belongs to this step.

The number of words in your composition. Tasks often set a minimum or a range, so count roughly, then add a sentence with a reason or example, or cut repetition.

Reading your own writing slowly to catch mistakes in tense, subject-verb agreement, spelling, capital letters, and punctuation before you hand it in.

Opening a conversation and keeping it light - greetings, weather, weekend plans - before coming to the main topic. Short dialogue items often begin this way.

Asking someone politely to do something, using frames like 'Could you ...?', 'Would you mind ...?', or 'May I ...?'. The politeness level must match who you are speaking to.

Saying sorry and then explaining, or offering to repair the problem: 'I'm sorry I'm late. The bus was delayed.' A bare 'Sorry' is rarely a complete answer.

Saying that you did not understand and asking the speaker to repeat or explain: 'Could you say that again?' or 'What do you mean by ...?'. It keeps a conversation moving.

The way speakers share a conversation, one finishing before the other responds, with short reactions like 'I see' or 'Right' showing that you are still listening.

Saying what you think and supporting it with a reason or example, using frames such as 'I think that ... because ...'. An answer of only 'I agree' earns few marks.

Choosing the sentence that fits a short setting, such as a shop, a school office, or a station. Who is speaking to whom decides the polite and useful answer.

A clause giving a condition, time, or reason, such as 'if it rains' or 'when I was ten'. After if and when referring to the future, English uses the present tense.

The fixed order of an English sentence: subject, verb, object, then place and time. The verb must not move to the end; word-rearrangement questions test exactly this.