ORT English flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central point that the whole passage supports. It must be broad enough to cover every paragraph and narrow enough to exclude details that appear in only one section.

Inference

A conclusion the text logically forces without stating it directly. A valid inference cannot be contradicted by the passage and does not depend on outside knowledge.

Not Given

A True/False/Not Given option used when the passage neither confirms nor denies the statement. Missing information is not the same as a contradiction.

Reference word

A pronoun or phrase such as it, they, this or the former that points back to an earlier noun phrase. It must agree in number and produce a logical sentence.

Topic sentence

The sentence that states a paragraph's controlling idea, usually placed first. The remaining sentences support, illustrate or qualify it.

Paraphrase recognition

Identifying an answer choice that restates the passage in different words. Correct options rarely reuse the exact wording of the text.

Tone

The writer's attitude toward the subject, revealed by evaluative adjectives, adverbs and modals rather than by the topic itself.

Sequence markers

Words such as then, after, once and by the time that establish the order of events. They are the evidence used to answer order-of-events questions.

Correction cue

A phrase such as actually, sorry or rather that signals the speaker is replacing an earlier figure or name. The later value is the one to record.

Signpost language

Discourse markers like firstly, moving on and to sum up that announce the structure of a talk and mark where each sub-answer begins.

Distractor

An option that is plausible or even true in the recording but does not answer the exact question asked, often because it concerns a different person or time.

Note completion constraint

The grammar of the gap limits the answer: word class, singular or plural, and article must fit the surrounding sentence, so an ungrammatical answer is wrong.

Contrast signal

Words like but, however and although that introduce a reversal. The tested information usually follows the contrast rather than the opening statement.

Directional language

Phrases such as opposite, adjacent, beyond and at the far end used to locate places on a map or diagram while listening.

Number capture

Writing figures, dates and prices as digits the moment they are heard, since similar-sounding numbers are the most frequently misrecorded items.

Present perfect use

Have or has plus a past participle, used for a past action with present relevance. It pairs with for and since but not with finished time expressions.

Second conditional

If plus past simple, then would plus base verb, expressing an unreal or unlikely present situation. Formal usage prefers were for all persons.

Third conditional

If plus past perfect, then would have plus past participle, describing an unreal past situation and its imagined result.

Reported speech shift

When reporting, the tense moves back one step and time or place words change, for example now to then and tomorrow to the next day.

Passive formation

The verb be in the correct tense plus a past participle. Only transitive verbs can be made passive, and the agent is omitted when unknown.

Uncountable nouns

Nouns with no plural form that take a singular verb and no a or an, such as information, advice, furniture, news and research.

Defining relative clause

A clause identifying which person or thing is meant. It takes no commas and may use that in place of which or who.

Non-defining relative clause

A clause adding extra information about something already identified. It is set off by commas and never uses that as the relative pronoun.

Collocation

The conventional word partnership native users expect, such as make a decision, do research, heavy rain or strong wind. It overrides simple synonym choice.

Task response

The criterion measuring whether every part of the prompt is addressed and developed. A missed bullet limits the score regardless of grammatical accuracy.

Cohesion

The use of linkers and referencing to connect ideas across sentences. Correct use raises the score, while misused linkers lower it more than omission.

Formal register

A style avoiding contractions, slang, rhetorical questions and direct address with you, required in academic and report writing tasks.

Trend verb plus adverb

The pattern for describing data: a change verb such as rose or fell with an adverb such as sharply or steadily, rather than a list of bare figures.

Sentence variety

Mixing simple, compound and complex structures within a text. A sequence of short simple sentences signals limited grammatical range.

AREA pattern

A structure for extended spoken answers: Answer directly, give a Reason, add an Example, then offer an Alternative or closing comment to reach full length.

Fluency

Continuity and pace of speech, judged separately from accent. Occasional self-correction is acceptable provided the flow of meaning is not broken.

Speculative language

Modals and hedges such as might, probably and I suppose, used to discuss hypothetical or abstract prompts without overstating certainty.

Intelligibility

The pronunciation criterion: how easily a listener understands the speaker. Word and sentence stress affect it more than individual sounds.