Praxis Core flashcards
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31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Main idea
- The central claim or point a whole passage supports. Every paragraph should relate to it, and it is broader than any single supporting detail.
- Supporting detail
- A specific fact, example, or statistic that backs up a larger claim. It answers a who, what, when, or how question rather than stating the passage's overall point.
- Valid inference
- A conclusion that must follow from stated evidence plus common knowledge. If alternate explanations remain plausible, the inference is not supported by the passage.
- Author's tone
- The attitude the writer conveys through word choice, such as critical, admiring, skeptical, or neutral. Tone is signaled by connotation rather than by the topic alone.
- Context vocabulary
- The meaning of a word as fixed by surrounding sentences, not its most common dictionary sense. Test choices by substituting each into the original sentence.
- Cause versus correlation
- Two events occurring together or in sequence does not prove one caused the other. A causal claim requires evidence ruling out coincidence or a third factor.
- Author's purpose
- The reason a text was written: to inform, persuade, explain, or entertain. Purpose concerns the writer's aim, while main idea concerns the content delivered.
- Passage comparison
- An approach to paired texts that first identifies shared assumptions, then locates the specific point where the authors' claims or evidence diverge.
- Sentence fragment
- A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a finite verb, or an independent clause. Dependent clauses beginning with words like 'because' are common fragments.
- Comma splice
- Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. Repair it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.
- Run-on sentence
- Two or more independent clauses fused without adequate punctuation or a conjunction. Unlike a fragment, it contains complete clauses but joins them incorrectly.
- Restrictive clause
- A clause essential to identifying the noun it modifies, so it takes no commas. Removing it would change which person or thing is meant.
- Nonrestrictive clause
- A clause adding extra, nonessential information about an already identified noun. It is set off by commas, dashes, or parentheses.
- Subject-verb agreement
- The verb must match its head noun in number. Intervening phrases such as 'along with' or 'of the students' do not change the subject's number.
- Dangling modifier
- An introductory phrase whose implied subject does not match the sentence's actual subject. It creates an illogical statement and must be repositioned or rewritten.
- Parallel structure
- Items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form, such as all gerunds or all infinitives. Mixed forms break the sentence's rhythm and clarity.
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement
- A pronoun must match its antecedent in number and gender. Collective nouns and indefinite pronouns like 'each' or 'everyone' are singular.
- Comma with conjunction
- A comma precedes a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so) only when it joins two independent clauses, not when joining a single compound element.
- Concise revision
- The best revision removes redundancy and wordiness while keeping the original meaning intact. Correct grammar alone does not make an answer the best choice.
- Percent change
- Divide the amount of change by the original value, then multiply by 100. Increases and decreases of equal percent do not cancel out.
- Dividing fractions
- Multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second. Invert the divisor, then multiply numerators together and denominators together before simplifying.
- Slope of a line
- The change in y divided by the change in x between two points. Parallel lines have equal slopes; perpendicular slopes are negative reciprocals.
- Circle area
- Area equals pi times the radius squared. Circumference equals two times pi times the radius, so double the radius to get the diameter.
- Triangle area
- One-half times base times height, where height is perpendicular to the chosen base. Any side may serve as the base if the matching height is used.
- Mean
- The sum of all data values divided by the number of values. It is sensitive to outliers, which pull it toward extreme values.
- Median
- The middle value when data are ordered from least to greatest. With an even count, average the two middle values; outliers affect it far less than the mean.
- Probability of independent events
- Multiply the probabilities of each event to find the chance all occur. For 'at least one' success, subtract the probability of no successes from one.
- Setting up a proportion
- Write two ratios as equal fractions with matching units in matching positions, then cross-multiply. Mismatched unit placement is the most common error.
- Order of operations
- Evaluate parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, and finally addition and subtraction left to right.
- Solving linear equations
- Isolate the variable by applying inverse operations to both sides. Undo addition and subtraction before multiplication and division, keeping the equation balanced.
- Unit rate
- A rate expressed per single unit of the second quantity, found by dividing the first quantity by the second. It allows direct comparison of different-sized offers.