NSSCO English Second Language 6109 cheat sheet

Skimming identifies the gist and text structure; scanning locates specific details such as names, dates, figures, or keywords.

In many comprehension papers, questions follow the order of the passage; confirm each answer by locating the relevant paragraph rather than relying on memory.

An inference is valid only when the passage supplies evidence plus a logical link; personal knowledge alone is insufficient.

For true/false/not given items, 'not given' means the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement; absence of evidence is not contradiction.

Signal words organise meaning: however, although, and nevertheless signal contrast; therefore, thus, and as a result signal consequence; for example signals illustration.

Pronoun reference is checked by substituting the candidate noun phrase into the sentence and testing grammatical number and sense.

A fact is verifiable; an opinion contains judgement, belief, or evaluation and often carries evaluative adjectives or modal verbs.

Topic sentences usually state a paragraph's main idea; supporting sentences provide examples, reasons, or data.

When retrieving information for a table or notes, match the exact category requested and preserve the original meaning; do not add unsupported details.

A discursive essay normally uses an introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences and evidence, and a conclusion that restates the position.

A formal letter includes sender address, date, recipient address, salutation, subject line, body paragraphs, complimentary close, and full signature; contractions and slang are avoided.

An article needs a headline and an engaging introduction; longer articles use subheadings to guide readers and a conclusion that returns to the headline's angle.

A report typically contains title, terms of reference, procedure, findings, conclusion, and recommendations; numbered headings improve clarity.

A speech opening addresses the audience and states the topic and purpose; rhetorical questions, direct address, repetition, and triples are common persuasive devices.

Paragraph unity requires one controlling idea per paragraph; coherence is created by linking words, consistent pronouns, and logical order.

Register is determined by audience and purpose: formal writing avoids contractions, slang, and vague language; informal writing may use personal pronouns and contractions.

A 300–350 word composition can be planned as roughly 10% introduction, 80% body, and 10% conclusion, but the exact split depends on the task.

Direct speech uses quotation marks around the spoken words, a comma before the reporting clause, and a new paragraph for each new speaker.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the grammatical subject, not with a noun in a prepositional phrase (The list of items is on the desk).

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; repair it with a full stop, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

A semicolon separates closely related independent clauses or complex list items; a colon introduces an explanation, list, or quotation after a complete clause.

The apostrophe marks omission (don't, it's) or possession (the student's book, the students' books); 'its' is possessive, while 'it's' means 'it is' or 'it has'.

Active voice places the actor in the subject position; passive voice uses be plus past participle and is useful when the actor is unknown or unimportant.

Tense consistency requires one dominant tense unless a time marker or viewpoint shift justifies a change; reported speech often shifts tense back one step.

Articles: 'a/an' introduces a non-specific singular countable noun; 'the' marks a specific or previously mentioned noun; zero article is common with plural and uncountable generalisations.

Common collocations are fixed partnerships (make a decision, take a risk, heavy rain); wrong partners produce unnatural English even when grammar is correct.

Spelling rules: drop final silent e before a vowel suffix (make→making), change y to i after a consonant (carry→carried), and double the final consonant in stressed CVC patterns (begin→beginning).

Directed writing changes the format, role, audience, and purpose of source material while retaining the relevant content and adapting tone.

A summary selects main points, omits examples and repetition, paraphrases in own words, and stays within the word limit; copied strings are usually not credited.

Information transfer requires matching each item to the exact category in a table, form, or chart and preserving the original meaning.

Summary points should be complete propositions, not single words; each point must be understandable without the original passage.

Report findings state what was discovered; recommendations state what should be done, often using modal verbs such as should, could, or must.

When reducing a passage, remove illustrations, statistics that merely support a point, and rhetorical repetition; keep definitions, causes, effects, and conclusions.

Word limits are usually strict: going far over can lose marks, and answers below the lower limit may not cover enough points.

Listening for gist means identifying the main idea and speaker purpose; listening for detail means capturing specific names, numbers, reasons, or instructions.

Note-taking during listening uses abbreviations, symbols, and headings; notes should record relationships such as cause, contrast, and sequence.

Rising intonation commonly marks yes/no questions and unfinished lists; falling intonation commonly marks statements, wh-questions, and completed lists.

Turn-taking is signalled by pauses, intonation, and phrases such as 'Could I just say...' or 'Sorry to interrupt'; speakers use these cues to avoid overlap.

An oral presentation normally opens with an address and purpose, signposts sections with firstly, moving on, and to conclude, and ends with a summary or call to action.

Stress changes meaning in English: contrastive stress highlights the corrected information (I said the blue one, not the red one).

Functional language for discussion includes agreeing, disagreeing politely, asking for clarification, and checking understanding; each function has conventional phrases.