SQU English Exit key terms

The most important point a text or talk makes, usually stated or implied in one or two sentences; everything else supports it.

A fact, example, reason, or description that explains or proves the main idea; details answer who, what, when, where, why, or how.

A conclusion a reader or listener draws from clues in the text or speech plus background knowledge, even when the point is not stated directly.

A word, phrase, or sentence around an unfamiliar word that helps you guess its meaning, such as a definition, example, contrast, or cause.

To read quickly to get the general idea or structure of a text, looking at headings, first sentences, and keywords rather than every word.

To move your eyes quickly through a text looking for specific information such as a name, date, number, or keyword, ignoring unrelated parts.

The reason a writer produces a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, explain, or describe; purpose shapes tone and organization.

To state the main points of a text or talk briefly in your own words, leaving out details and examples.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's main point and controls what the rest of the paragraph discusses.

A sentence, usually in the introduction of an essay, that states the central claim or position and previews the main supporting points.

A group of related sentences focused on one main idea, usually beginning with a topic sentence and ending with a concluding or linking sentence.

The quality of a text that makes it easy to follow because ideas are arranged in a logical order and clearly connected.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked through pronouns, repeated words, and transitions so the text reads as one smooth whole.

A word, phrase, or sentence in a text that shows the relationship between ideas, such as addition, contrast, cause, example, or sequence.

A plan that lists main ideas and supporting points in order before writing, helping you organize an essay or paragraph.

To improve a draft by reconsidering content, organization, and wording, not just correcting spelling and punctuation; revision may involve adding, cutting, or reordering ideas.

To restate a text or speech in your own words while keeping the original meaning, often used to show understanding or to support a summary.

The grammar rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, for example 'she writes' but 'they write'.

A group of words that contains a subject and a finite verb; an independent clause can stand alone, while a dependent clause cannot.

A group of words that works as a unit but lacks a subject and verb pair, such as 'in the morning' or 'very tired'.

An incomplete sentence that lacks a subject, a verb, or a complete thought, often a dependent clause or phrase punctuated as a sentence.

Two or more independent clauses joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction, making the sentence hard to follow or unclear for the reader.

A specific run-on error in which a comma alone joins two independent clauses in a sentence without a conjunction or stronger punctuation.

A word such as 'and', 'but', 'because', or 'although' that joins words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence and shows their relationship.

A dependent clause introduced by a pronoun such as 'who', 'which', or 'that' that describes a noun in the main clause.

A sentence pattern in which the subject receives the action, formed with 'be' plus a past participle, often used when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

Using the same grammatical form for items in a list or comparison, such as 'reading, writing, and speaking' rather than mixing forms.

A word, phrase, or clause that describes or limits another word; a misplaced modifier is placed too far from the word it describes.

A word that has a similar meaning to another word in a particular context, such as 'big' and 'large' in many sentences.

A word that means the opposite of another word, such as 'hot' and 'cold'; antonyms help show contrast in texts and questions.

A natural word partnership that native speakers commonly use, such as 'make a decision' or 'heavy rain', rather than a grammatically possible but unnatural combination.

A letter group added to the beginning of a word that changes its meaning, such as 'un-' in 'unhappy' or 're-' in 'rewrite'.

A letter group added to the end of a word that often changes its part of speech, such as '-ness' in 'happiness' or '-ly' in 'quickly'.

The feeling or attitude a word suggests beyond its literal meaning, which can be positive, negative, or neutral, such as 'cheap' versus 'inexpensive'.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the individual words, such as 'break the ice' or 'in the long run'.

The general meaning or main point of a spoken passage, which you can often catch even without understanding every word.

A spoken word or phrase such as 'first', 'however', or 'in conclusion' that signals how the speaker is organizing ideas.

Writing short keywords, symbols, or abbreviations while listening so you can remember main points and details without trying to record every word.

An answer option or detail that sounds relevant but is wrong or not supported, designed to test careful listening or reading.