Oxford ELLT key terms

The main point or overall meaning of a spoken or written text, as opposed to specific details. Questions often ask you to choose the best summary of what a speaker or writer is saying.

A listening or reading item that asks for one specific piece of information, such as a time, price, name, or reason, rather than the general message of the text.

An answer option or piece of text that looks correct but is wrong, often because it repeats a word from the recording while changing the meaning. Recognising distractors is a core listening skill.

Saying the same idea with different words. Exam answers rarely repeat the recording word for word, so you must match a synonym or reworded phrase to what you hear.

Words and phrases that show how a talk is organised, such as 'firstly', 'however', 'to sum up' or 'moving on'. They help you predict what comes next and follow the structure of a lecture.

A listening task where you fill gaps in a set of notes or a table while the recording plays. Answers usually must fit a word limit and match the grammar of the surrounding text.

The way words blend together in natural speech, through linking, weak forms and elision, so that 'a lot of' may sound like 'a lotta'. Unfamiliarity with this makes fast recordings hard to follow.

The pronunciation pattern of a speaker's region or social group. Recordings may feature British, American, Australian or other varieties, so exposure to different accents improves comprehension.

Working out meaning that is suggested but not stated directly, for example a speaker's attitude or a likely outcome. Inference questions reward careful listening to tone and word choice.

A speaker's feeling or opinion about something, shown through tone, stress and choice of words. Questions may ask whether a speaker is enthusiastic, doubtful, annoyed or neutral.

Reading quickly to get the general idea or to decide whether a text is relevant, without reading every word. It is useful for previewing passages and locating the right section before answering.

Moving your eyes quickly over a text to find a specific item, such as a date, name or number, without reading everything. It works well for matching and short-answer questions.

The sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that states its main idea. Identifying topic sentences helps you map a passage and answer matching-heading questions.

A word with a similar meaning to another, such as 'purchase' and 'buy'. Reading questions often test whether you can link a word in the question to a different word in the passage.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked so a text reads as a whole, using referencing words, conjunctions and repeated ideas. Cohesion clues help you place sentences in gap-fill tasks.

The quality that makes a text logically organised and easy to follow, with ideas in a sensible order. In writing, coherence is shown by clear paragraphing and a consistent line of argument.

A word such as 'this', 'they' or 'the former' that points back or forward to something already mentioned. Tracking reference words prevents confusion in long sentences and gap-fill tasks.

Reading a passage quickly to match paragraphs with headings that summarise their main idea. The heading must cover the whole paragraph, not just one detail or example inside it.

A reading task where you decide whether a statement agrees with the passage, contradicts it, or is not mentioned at all. 'Not Given' means the text provides no information either way.

The kind of writing a passage is, such as an article, advertisement, notice, report or extract from a book. Recognising the text type helps you predict its purpose, tone and layout.

The maximum number of words allowed in a written answer or task. Exceeding it can lose marks, and answers over the limit are sometimes not marked at all.

How fully and relevantly a piece of writing answers the set question, including covering all parts of the prompt and supporting ideas with reasons or examples. It is a major marking criterion.

Dividing writing into paragraphs, each with one clear central idea and a linking sentence to the next. Good paragraphing signals organisation to the reader and supports the coherence score.

A word or phrase such as 'however', 'therefore' or 'in addition' that shows the relationship between ideas. Used well, they guide the reader; overused or misused, they confuse.

The level of formality in language, ranging from casual spoken style to formal academic style. Academic writing generally requires a formal register, avoiding slang and contractions.

Using cautious language such as 'may', 'tends to' or 'it appears that' to avoid overstating a claim. Hedging is common in academic writing where evidence is limited or debated.

The set of words and phrases related to a particular subject, such as environment, education or technology. Precise topic vocabulary raises your lexical resource score more than rare words used wrongly.

A natural pairing of words, such as 'make a decision' or 'heavy rain'. Using correct collocations makes writing and speech sound fluent and is rewarded by examiners.

The reader or listener a text or talk is aimed at. Adjusting tone, vocabulary and amount of explanation to suit the audience is part of effective communication in writing and speaking.

Checking a finished piece of writing for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and word choice. Leaving a few minutes to proofread catches mistakes that cost marks.

The ability to speak at a steady pace with few long pauses, without excessive self-correction. Fluency does not mean speaking fast; it means keeping communication going smoothly.

How clearly and accurately you produce sounds, stress and intonation. Problems here can make otherwise good answers hard to follow and lower the speaking score.

The rise and fall of the voice across a sentence, used to show meaning, emphasis and emotion. Flat intonation can make a speaker sound uninterested or hard to understand.

A prompt in the speaking test giving a topic and points to cover, usually with one minute to prepare and one to two minutes to speak. You are expected to address every bullet point.

A task where you speak alone on a topic for an extended time without interruption. It tests your ability to organise ideas and keep going when you have no partner to respond to.

A short question asked after your long turn or in a discussion, testing whether you can respond spontaneously and develop a point. Answers should be more than one word where possible.

The exchange of ideas between you and the examiner or another speaker, including turn-taking, listening and responding. It is assessed in discussion tasks, not just in long turns.

Noticing and fixing your own mistake while speaking. Occasional repair is natural, but frequent restarting breaks fluency and should be practised away.

Restating a question or idea in your own words when you cannot recall a word or when you want to show range. It keeps you talking and demonstrates vocabulary flexibility to the examiner.