TEAS English flashcards
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- Subject-Verb Agreement
- A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb; intervening phrases do not change the subject's number.
- Compound Subject Agreement
- Subjects joined by 'and' usually take a plural verb, while subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor' take a verb matching the nearer subject.
- Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
- A pronoun must match its antecedent in number, gender, and person; singular indefinite pronouns such as everyone traditionally take singular pronouns.
- Comma with Coordinating Conjunction
- Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when it joins two independent clauses, but not when it joins a compound predicate or short phrase.
- Semicolon Use
- A semicolon can join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction; it can also separate items in a complex list.
- Colon Use
- A colon follows a complete independent clause and introduces a list, an explanation, or a quotation; it should not separate a verb from its object.
- Apostrophe Possessive
- Add apostrophe plus s to a singular noun to show possession; for a plural noun ending in s, add only an apostrophe after the s.
- Its vs It's
- 'Its' is a possessive pronoun showing ownership, while 'it's' is a contraction meaning 'it is' or 'it has'; they are not interchangeable.
- Dangling Modifier
- A modifier must clearly attach to the word it describes; a dangling modifier occurs when the intended noun is missing or misplaced in the sentence.
- Parallel Structure
- Items in a list, comparison, or pair must share the same grammatical form, such as all nouns, all verbs, or all infinitive phrases.
- Comma Splice
- A comma splice incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma; repair it with a period, semicolon, or comma plus coordinating conjunction.
- Transitional Words
- Transition words signal relationships such as addition, contrast, cause-effect, example, or sequence; choose the transition that matches the logical connection between ideas.
- Active Voice
- In active voice the subject performs the action, while in passive voice the subject receives it; active voice is usually clearer and more concise.
- Conciseness
- Concise writing removes unnecessary words and redundancy while preserving meaning; replace wordy phrases with direct equivalents whenever possible.
- Formal Tone
- Formal academic writing avoids slang, contractions, and overly casual language; it uses precise vocabulary and complete sentences suited to the audience and purpose.
- Paragraph Unity
- A unified paragraph develops one main idea: the topic sentence states it, and each supporting sentence explains or illustrates that same idea.
- Clear Pronoun Reference
- A pronoun should refer unmistakably to one antecedent; repeat the noun or revise the sentence when 'this' or 'it' could point to multiple ideas.
- Sentence Combining
- Combine short, related sentences to show relationships and improve flow; use coordination for equal ideas and subordination for less important ideas.
- Precise Word Choice
- Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning, while connotation is its implied emotional association; choose words that fit both meaning and tone.
- Audience Awareness
- The audience and purpose determine tone, vocabulary, and amount of explanation; adjust formality and detail to meet readers' needs and expectations.
- Logical Organization
- Organize ideas in a clear order such as chronological, spatial, cause-effect, or order of importance; each paragraph should follow logically from the previous one.
- Context Clues
- Context clues are nearby words, phrases, or sentence structures that help a reader infer an unfamiliar word's meaning, including definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and examples.
- Prefix Definition
- A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes its meaning, such as 'un-' meaning not or 're-' meaning again.
- Suffix Definition
- A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or part of speech, such as '-less' or '-tion'.
- Root Words
- A root is the core meaning-bearing part of a word; knowing common roots such as 'bio' (life) or 'spect' (see) helps decode unfamiliar words.
- Denotation and Connotation
- Denotation is the literal dictionary meaning of a word; connotation is the emotional or cultural association it carries, which can affect tone.
- Homophones
- Homophones are words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings, such as 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're'; context determines the correct choice.
- Synonym and Antonym
- A synonym is a word with a similar meaning to another word, while an antonym is a word with an opposite meaning; both relationships help clarify vocabulary.
- Analogy Relationships
- Analogies compare pairs of words by relationships such as part to whole, cause to effect, or synonym; identify the relationship in the first pair before choosing the second.
- Simile and Metaphor
- A simile compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' while a metaphor states that one thing is another without using those comparison words.
- Personification
- Personification gives human qualities or actions to nonhuman things, animals, or abstract ideas, often creating vivid imagery or emotional effect in writing.
- Multiple-Meaning Words
- A multiple-meaning word has more than one dictionary definition; sentence context and grammatical role indicate which meaning the author intends.