NY Court Officer flashcards

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

Main idea

The central point the passage is mostly about; it is usually stated in the first or last sentence and is supported by all the details.

Supported inference

A conclusion that necessarily follows from facts stated in the passage; a statement that is merely plausible but never implied is not supported.

Contrast transition

Words such as however, but, although, and yet that signal the next idea reverses or qualifies the idea just presented.

Active voice

Sentence construction in which the subject performs the action, as in 'The officer wrote the report'; it is shorter and clearer than passive voice.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match the true subject and ignore phrases between them, as in 'The box of files is ready' rather than 'are ready'.

Topic sentence

The sentence that states a paragraph's controlling idea; every other sentence in the paragraph should support or explain it.

Fact versus opinion

Facts can be verified by observation or record; opinions contain judgment words such as should, best, too, or unfair.

Percent of a number

Convert the percent to a decimal and multiply: 15% of 80 is 0.15 times 80, which equals 12.

Average formula

Average equals the sum of all values divided by the number of values; rearranged, the sum equals the average multiplied by the count.

Percent change

Subtract the old value from the new value, divide that difference by the old value, then multiply by 100.

Ratio parts

In a ratio a to b, the total is split into a plus b equal parts, so each part equals the total divided by that sum.

Distance formula

Distance equals rate multiplied by time; rearranged, rate equals distance divided by time and time equals distance divided by rate.

Order of operations

Parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.

Unit rate

The amount per single unit, calculated by dividing the total quantity by the number of units it covers.

Contrapositive

From 'if P then Q' the valid inference is 'if not Q then not P'; the converse 'if Q then P' is not valid.

Sufficient condition

A condition whose presence guarantees the outcome; a necessary condition must hold but does not by itself guarantee the outcome.

Valid syllogism

If all A are B and all B are C, then all A are C; the conclusion follows from the form of the premises.

Weakening an argument

Introducing evidence that the stated support does not actually lead to the conclusion, such as an alternative explanation or an unrepresentative sample.

Unstated assumption

A premise the argument needs but never states; if the premise is false, the conclusion no longer follows.

Number series strategy

Test differences between terms first, then ratios, then alternating or squared patterns, and extend the discovered rule to the next term.

Chain of command

Matters beyond your authority are referred to the next supervisor in line; levels are not bypassed except in emergencies.

Objective documentation

Recording what was seen, heard, and done, including times, while excluding conclusions about a person's motives or character.

Need-to-know sharing

Disclosing confidential information only to people who require it to carry out their assigned duties.

De-escalation basics

Lowering voice volume, keeping a safe distance, listening without interruption, and offering lawful choices to reduce tension.

Behavior-focused correction

Addressing the specific conduct and its impact on others rather than labeling or judging the person who acted.

Ambiguous order

An instruction whose scope or intent is unclear; ask a clarifying question before acting on it.

Nothing before something

In alphabetical filing, a shorter name precedes a longer name sharing the same letters, so Bell is filed before Bella.

Transposition error

Two characters recorded in swapped order, such as 4,517 entered as 4,571; digit-by-digit comparison detects it.

Leading zeros

Zeros at the beginning of a number or code are significant in record matching and must be copied exactly.

Chronological filing

Ordering records by year, then month, then day, earliest first unless a specific rule calls for most recent first.

Cross-footing

Verifying a total by adding the same figures again in a different direction or grouping to confirm the result.

Source verification

Comparing each entry character by character against the original document before approving, filing, or releasing it.