Wakayama Prefectural Public High School Entrance Examination - English key terms

The person, thing, or idea that performs the action of a verb or about which a statement is made. In English it usually comes before the verb and controls agreement, as in 'My brother plays tennis.'

A word that expresses an action, event, or state, such as run, become, or know. Every complete English sentence needs at least one finite verb, which changes form for tense and person.

The noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb or follows a preposition. In 'She wrote a letter,' the letter is the object of wrote; in 'in the box,' box is the object of the preposition.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person. A singular subject takes a singular verb ('He goes'), while plural subjects take plural forms ('They go').

The form of a verb that shows when an action happens: present, past, or future, and whether it is simple, progressive, or perfect. Japanese students must choose the correct tense from context clues like yesterday or now.

A helping verb such as be, have, do, will, can, or must that combines with a main verb to form questions, negatives, tenses, or modal meanings. For example, 'Do you like music?' uses do as an auxiliary.

A helping verb like can, may, must, should, or will that adds meanings such as ability, permission, obligation, or possibility. It is followed by the base form of the verb, as in 'You should rest.'

The base form of a verb, usually with 'to,' as in 'to swim.' Infinitives can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, and many verbs and adjectives are followed by them, as in 'I want to go.'

The -ing form of a verb used as a noun, as in 'Swimming is fun' or 'I enjoy reading.' Some verbs take a gerund rather than an infinitive after them, so the choice must be memorized.

A verb form used as an adjective or in compound tenses. The present participle ends in -ing ('a crying baby'), and the past participle is the third form ('a broken window'), also used in perfect and passive forms.

A sentence pattern in which the subject receives the action rather than doing it, formed with be plus the past participle, as in 'This bridge was built in 1990.' The doer may be left out when unknown or unimportant.

A sentence pattern in which the subject performs the action, as in 'Ken broke the window.' It is usually clearer and more direct than the passive, so writing tasks often prefer it.

A word such as who, which, or that that introduces a clause describing a noun, as in 'the girl who won.' It joins two ideas and replaces a repeated noun, a common target in sentence-reordering tasks.

A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses, such as and, but, because, although, or when. Choosing the right conjunction depends on the logical link between the two ideas being joined.

A group of words containing a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, while a dependent clause such as 'because it rained' needs a main clause to complete the meaning.

A word such as in, on, at, for, with, or by that shows the relationship between a noun and another part of the sentence. English preposition choice is idiomatic and must often be learned in phrases.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition that creates a new meaning, such as 'give up' (quit) or 'look after' (care for). The meaning cannot usually be guessed from the separate words.

A fixed expression whose meaning differs from the literal words, such as 'once in a while' or 'take part in.' Idioms appear in dialogues and reading passages, so recognizing them aids comprehension.

A natural word partnership that native-like English prefers, such as 'make a decision' rather than 'do a decision.' Learning common collocations helps in fill-in-the-blank grammar and vocabulary items.

The arrangement of words in a sentence. English normally follows subject-verb-object order, and in reordering tasks candidates must rebuild a sentence using grammar clues such as question forms and adverb placement.

The central point that a whole passage is about, often stated in a topic sentence or implied. Questions may ask you to choose the best title or summarize what the writer most wants to say.

A sentence, usually near the beginning of a paragraph, that states its main point. Identifying it quickly helps readers predict what the rest of the paragraph will explain or support.

A fact, example, or reason that explains or proves the main idea of a paragraph or passage. Detail questions ask you to find specific information such as names, numbers, or causes.

A conclusion a reader draws from clues in the text rather than from an explicit statement. Inference questions ask what is suggested or what probably happened next, so answers must be supported by the passage.

Information in the surrounding words that helps you guess the meaning of an unknown word. Examples, definitions, and contrasts nearby often reveal meaning without a dictionary.

To express the same meaning using different words. In meaning-transfer items, the correct English answer often paraphrases the Japanese rather than translating it word for word.

Changing text from one language into another while keeping the meaning. Japanese-to-English items test whether you can express the idea in natural English grammar rather than matching Japanese word order.

Reading quickly to find specific information such as a date, price, or name without reading every word. It is useful for notices, schedules, and other information-retrieval texts in the exam.

Reading quickly to get the general idea of a text, for example by looking at titles, first sentences, and headings. It helps you decide what a passage is about before answering detailed questions.

Finding particular facts inside a longer text such as a poster, email, or timetable. The task requires matching the question to the right section and ignoring irrelevant details.

Listening to catch the overall meaning of a conversation or announcement without understanding every word. It helps you answer questions about the situation, speakers' purpose, or main point.

Listening with attention to specific pieces of information such as times, places, prices, or reasons. Numbers and names are often the key, so noting them while listening is a useful strategy.

The purpose behind what a speaker says, such as asking a favor, inviting someone, apologizing, or warning. Listening questions often ask why a person says something or what they will do next.

A conversation between two or more people, shown in the exam with speaker labels and often with a blank to complete. Paying attention to the question-and-answer flow helps you predict the missing line.

Writing a short English composition on a given topic, such as your school life or a memory, without a model to copy. Clear structure, correct tense, and simple linked sentences earn marks.

A group of sentences about one idea, starting on a new line. In composition tasks, a short passage with a clear opening, supporting sentences, and a closing sentence reads more coherently.