NUST Mature Age Entry flashcards

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

Percentage increase formula

Change divided by the original value, multiplied by 100. A rise from 80 to 100 is a 25 percent increase; the original value is always the denominator, never the new value.

Ratio part value

Divide the total by the sum of ratio parts to get one part. For a ratio of 2 to 3 with a total of 50, one part equals 10, giving 20 and 30.

Combined work rate

Add individual rates as reciprocals of completion times. If one worker needs 4 hours and another 12, together they need 3 hours because one quarter plus one twelfth equals one third.

Average speed equal distances

Use the harmonic mean, twice the product divided by the sum. Speeds of 30 and 60 kilometres per hour over equal distances average 40, not 45 kilometres per hour.

Simple versus compound interest

Simple interest is principal times rate times time. Compound interest applies interest to accumulated interest, so it exceeds simple interest after the first period when the rate is positive.

Independent event probability

For independent events, multiply probabilities to find both occurring. Two fair coins both showing heads has probability one quarter, or 0.25.

Pythagorean triples

Whole-number right-triangle sides such as 3-4-5, 5-12-13 and 8-15-17. Any multiple of a triple, such as 6-8-10, is also a right triangle.

Valid deductive conclusion

A conclusion is valid only when no case satisfies the premises while falsifying it. One counterexample defeats any claim using all, every, or must.

Trapezium area

Half the sum of the parallel sides multiplied by the perpendicular height. Parallel sides of 6 and 10 with height 4 give an area of 32 square units.

Circle circumference and area

Circumference equals two pi r; area equals pi r squared. A circle of radius 7 has circumference about 44 and area about 154 using pi as 22 over 7.

Speed distance time

Speed equals distance divided by time; distance equals speed times time. Convert minutes to hours before dividing, so 90 minutes at 60 kilometres per hour covers 90 kilometres.

Percentage of a quantity

Convert the percentage to a decimal and multiply. Fifteen percent of 240 is 0.15 times 240, which equals 36; reversing asks for the whole given a part.

Consecutive number problems

Represent consecutive integers as n, n plus 1, n plus 2. Their sum equals three n plus 3, so a stated sum must leave a remainder of zero when 3 is subtracted.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb matches the head noun, ignoring intervening phrases. In the sentence about a box of pens, the singular box takes the singular verb form.

Past perfect tense use

Formed with had plus past participle, it marks the earlier of two past actions. By the time we arrived, the film had started shows the start came first.

Present perfect with since

Use present perfect for an action beginning in the past and continuing now. She has worked here since 2019 means she still works there.

Third conditional form

If plus past perfect in the condition, would have plus past participle in the result. It describes an unreal past situation and its imagined outcome.

Second conditional form

If plus simple past in the condition, would plus base verb in the result. It expresses an unlikely or hypothetical present situation, as in if I were rich.

Relative pronoun choice

Who refers to people, which to things, whose to possession, and that to defining clauses. Non-defining clauses take commas and never use that.

Misplaced modifier

An introductory participle phrase must describe the subject of the main clause. Dangling versions attach the action to the wrong noun and produce illogical sentences.

Comma splice error

Two independent clauses joined only by a comma form a comma splice. Repair it with a full stop, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.

Semicolon versus colon

A semicolon links two closely related independent clauses. A colon introduces an explanation, example, or list and must follow a complete clause.

Parallel structure rule

Items joined by and, or, or correlative pairs must share grammatical form. Mixing infinitives, gerunds, and nouns in one list breaks parallelism and reads awkwardly.

Active versus passive voice

Active voice makes the doer the subject; passive makes the receiver the subject with a form of be plus past participle. Passive suits unknown or unimportant doers.

Countable and uncountable quantifiers

Use many and few with countable plurals; use much and little with uncountable nouns. A number of takes a plural verb, while the amount of takes a singular verb.

Context clue inference

Use contrast signals such as however and although, or cause signals such as therefore, to deduce an unfamiliar word's meaning from the surrounding sentence.

Main idea identification

The main idea is the claim the whole passage supports, usually stated in the first or last sentence. Supporting details illustrate it but do not replace it.

Inference in reading

A valid inference follows necessarily from stated evidence. Options requiring outside facts, or only loosely suggested by a single word, are incorrect.

Tone and attitude words

Tone questions ask how the writer feels: critical, neutral, enthusiastic, sceptical. Judge from evaluative adjectives and adverbs rather than from the topic alone.

Reference word tracking

Pronouns such as it, they, and this point to a nearby noun or clause. Substitute the candidate referent into the sentence to confirm grammatical and logical fit.

Commonly confused word pairs

Affect is usually a verb and effect a noun; advice is the noun and advise the verb; practice is the noun and practise the verb in British usage.