NBT AQL key terms

A conclusion a reader draws from clues in a text rather than from a directly stated fact. The reader connects evidence, context and background knowledge to work out what the writer implies.

The central point a passage makes, usually stated in a general sentence that the supporting details explain, illustrate or develop. Everything else in the text should relate back to it.

A line of reasoning in which a writer states a position and supports it with reasons and evidence, aiming to persuade the reader that the position is sound.

A statement offered as a supporting reason in an argument. Premises are the starting points from which the conclusion is meant to follow.

The claim an argument sets out to establish. It should follow logically from the reasons given, and it is what the writer wants the reader to accept.

An unstated belief that an argument relies on. The reasoning only works if the assumption is true, so spotting it lets a reader test the argument's strength.

A slant or preference that shapes how information is chosen, emphasised or presented, so that the picture a reader receives may be one-sided or distorted.

The attitude a writer conveys towards the subject or the reader, shown through word choice, sentence structure and level of formality, for example ironic, neutral or urgent.

The level of formality in language suited to a particular purpose, audience and setting. Academic writing usually requires a more formal register than everyday conversation.

The way sentences and paragraphs are tied together using linking words, pronouns and repeated key terms, so that a text reads as a connected whole.

To restate another person's idea in your own words and sentence structure while keeping the meaning, with acknowledgement of the source.

Presenting someone else's words, ideas or data as your own without proper acknowledgement. It is treated as a serious academic offence, even when the copying was accidental.

A reference that shows where an idea, quotation or statistic came from, usually giving the author's name and the date or page so the reader can find the source.

A sentence, usually near the beginning of an essay, that states the main claim the writer will develop and defend in the paragraphs that follow.

An opposing viewpoint that a writer acknowledges and then answers, showing awareness of other positions and strengthening the credibility of the writer's own claim.

A common fault in reasoning, such as attacking a person rather than their argument, that makes a conclusion unreliable even when the wording sounds convincing.

The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning, which can influence how a reader responds to a phrase.

To combine information from two or more sources into a single, integrated account, showing how the ideas relate rather than simply listing them one after another.

A comparison of two quantities by division, showing how many times one amount contains or relates to another, for example a ratio of three to one.

A statement that two ratios are equal, used to solve problems in which quantities scale up or down together at the same rate.

A fraction or ratio expressed as a number out of one hundred, useful for comparing parts of a whole or amounts of different sizes.

The size of an increase or decrease written as a percentage of the original amount, calculated by dividing the change by the original value.

The arithmetic average, found by adding all the values in a data set and dividing by the number of values. It is sensitive to unusually high or low figures.

The middle value when a data set is arranged in order; if there are two middle values, their average is taken. It is less affected by extreme values than the mean.

The value that appears most often in a data set. A set may have no mode or more than one, depending on whether any value repeats most frequently.

A ratio comparing quantities measured in different units, such as kilometres per hour or rand per kilogram, describing how one quantity changes with another.

Changing a measurement from one unit to another, such as from metres to kilometres or minutes to hours, using the correct conversion factor.

The fixed relationship between a length on a map, plan or drawing and the real distance or size it represents, often written as a ratio.

A pattern in which two variables tend to move together, either in the same direction or in opposite directions, without showing that one causes the other.

The relationship in which a change in one variable actually produces a change in another. It requires more than a correlation between the two.

A number between zero and one showing how likely an event is, often calculated as the number of favourable outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes.

Finding an approximate answer by rounding numbers or using convenient values, which is useful for checking whether an exact calculation looks reasonable.

Using a trend seen in existing data to predict values beyond the range covered by that data, a step that becomes less reliable the further it goes.

A value that lies far away from the rest of the data. It can pull an average away from the typical value and should be examined before conclusions are drawn.

Interest worked out on the original amount plus any interest already added, so the balance grows by a larger amount each period.

Interest calculated only on the original amount for each period, so the balance rises by the same amount every time.

An average in which some values count more than others, found by multiplying each value by its weight, adding the results and dividing by the total weight.