WEST-B cheat sheet
WEST-B · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Reading
Main idea = the central claim the passage supports; supporting details explain, illustrate, or prove it.
An inference is a conclusion drawn from stated evidence plus general knowledge; it is not stated directly.
Author's purpose is usually to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain; purpose shapes word choice and structure.
Text structures include cause-effect, compare-contrast, chronological, problem-solution, and description; signal words reveal the structure.
Context clues include definition, example, contrast, and inference clues; use surrounding sentences to determine an unfamiliar word's meaning.
A fact can be verified; an opinion expresses a belief, value, or judgment and often contains evaluative adjectives.
Bias is a one-sided preference; detect it through loaded language, omitted counterarguments, and selective evidence.
A good summary states the main idea and key supports in neutral, concise language without new opinions.
Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; it is conveyed through diction, imagery, and sentence structure.
Writing
A complete sentence needs a subject, a verb, and a complete thought; a fragment lacks one of these.
A run-on joins two independent clauses without correct punctuation; fix with a period, semicolon, or comma plus coordinating conjunction.
Subject-verb agreement: singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs; ignore intervening phrases.
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender; singular antecedents take singular pronouns.
Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) joining two independent clauses, but not when joining a single subject to a compound predicate.
Commas set off nonessential clauses, introductory elements, and items in a series; do not use a comma to separate subject and verb.
Parallel structure requires items in a list or comparison to use the same grammatical form.
A modifier must be placed next to the word it describes; a dangling modifier lacks a clear word to modify.
Apostrophes show possession (singular: -'s; plural: -s') and contractions; do not use apostrophes for simple plurals.
Mathematics
Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division left to right, addition/subtraction left to right.
To add or subtract fractions, use a common denominator; to multiply, multiply numerators and denominators; to divide, multiply by the reciprocal.
Percent equation: part = percent × whole; convert percent to decimal by dividing by 100.
A proportion states two ratios are equal; solve by cross-multiplying: a/b = c/d implies ad = bc.
Slope of a line through (x1,y1) and (x2,y2): m = (y2 − y1)/(x2 − x1).
Area formulas: rectangle A = lw; triangle A = ½bh; circle A = πr²; circumference C = 2πr.
Mean = sum of values ÷ number of values; median = middle value of ordered data; mode = most frequent value.
Probability of an event = number of favorable outcomes ÷ total number of equally likely outcomes.
Product rule for exponents: a^m × a^n = a^(m+n); quotient rule: a^m ÷ a^n = a^(m−n).