NLN NEX Verbal cheat sheet

Main idea test: the correct main idea covers the whole passage; a detail answer restates one sentence, and a too-broad answer extends beyond the passage's scope.

Passage organization questions ask how ideas are arranged (cause-effect, chronological, comparison-contrast, problem-solution); identify the signal words that mark the pattern, such as because, first, however, therefore.

Inference must follow necessarily from stated evidence; if an answer needs outside knowledge or a guess, it is not a valid inference.

Tone and purpose words: inform, persuade, entertain, describe, criticize. Tone choices include objective, skeptical, enthusiastic, nostalgic, critical, neutral.

Context-clue types: definition (restatement after a comma or dash), contrast (but, unlike, however), example (for instance, such as), and cause-effect (therefore, as a result).

Vocabulary strategy: substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one that preserves both the sentence's logic and its tone.

Pronoun-reference items: the antecedent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes logical sense; test by substituting the noun for the pronoun.

Sequence questions: locate time markers (before, after, meanwhile, later, finally) and order events by those markers, not by the order in which they are mentioned.

Subject-verb agreement: a subject joined by and takes a plural verb; subjects joined by or/nor agree with the nearer subject; each, either, neither, everyone, and everybody are singular.

A phrase set off by commas between a subject and its verb does not change the number of the subject: 'The box of tools is heavy' takes a singular verb.

Pronoun case: use subject pronouns (I, he, she, they, who) for subjects and predicate nominatives; use object pronouns (me, him, her, them, whom) after prepositions and as direct objects.

Who refers to people and serves as a subject; whom serves as an object. Which refers to things; that can refer to people or things in restrictive clauses.

Comma splice: two independent clauses joined only by a comma is an error; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet).

Dangling modifier: an introductory participial phrase must describe the subject of the main clause; 'Walking to school, she saw...' is correct, 'Walking to school, the rain began' is not.

Parallel structure: items in a series and elements joined by and, or, not only...but also must share the same grammatical form.

Its is possessive; it's means it is. Their is possessive; there indicates place; they're means they are. Your is possessive; you're means you are.

Comparative forms: use -er/more for two items and -est/most for three or more; never combine both (avoid 'more better').