Helpful Hints

20 TERMS EVERY TEST TAKER SHOULD KNOW

1. Cause/Effect The reason something happened / What happened as a result
2. Compare/Contrast To find ways things are alike / To find ways things are different
3. Conclusion A decision made about information you are given
4. Content Information that makes up the passage
5. Describe To tell or write about
6. Evaluate To decide the value or amount of something, to judge
7. Explain To make clear or understandable
8. Fact/Opinion A truth / A belief or idea that a person has
9. Illustrate To give examples, to make clear
10. Infer To draw a conclusion after reading all information given, to predict what will happen
11. Main Idea The most important thing the passage is about
12. Mood (or Tone) The feeling that the author expresses in the passage
13. Outline A list of the main points you plan to include in a written answer
14. Persuade To try to get another person to think or feel the same way you do
15. Problem/Solution A question that needs solving/The answer to a problem
16. Purpose The reason something is done
17. Sequence The following of one thing after another
18. Summarize To give the main points of the passage
19. Support To give examples that help prove an answer
20. Structure The way that something is organized

12 POWERFUL WORDS

WORD	SHORT STUDENT FRIENDLY PHRASES

1.Trace	Follow, track outline, list in steps
2.Analyze	Think through, break apart, break into pieces
3.Infer	Figure out, read between the lines, predict, what are they trying to say
4.Evaluate	Judge, value of, meaning, examine, solve, test for the truth of, tell one good and one bad
5.Formulate	Come up with, make a plan, develop, make, create
6.Describe	Tell about, show me, list details
7.Support	Provide reasons, tell reasons, give examples, back it up
8.Explain	Tell all about, tell what and why, tell how, teach to someone else
9.Summarize	Tell main parts, bottom line, main ideas
10.Compare	List sames, all the ways they are alike
11.Contrast	List differences, all the ways they are different
12.Predict	Educated guess, tell what could or may happen, look into the future