The Language of Standardized Tests: List 1

When you see the word suggest on a standardized test, it usually means "to imply or to indirectly say something." You'll see this commonly used in questions about what a passage or author most strongly suggests.

To define a word is to give its meaning. Define can also mean to make something that is confusing a little clearer.

When you describe something, you are using language to create a representation in the mind of your reader. You could describe an apple as "round" or "red," and you could describe a character's emotional state as "amused" or "angry."

When something is relevant, it relates to the issue that you are discussing. Its opposite is irrelevant, "not important; not related to the topic at hand." Relevant details help support an argument, while irrelevant information is simply distracting.

Context refers to the surrounding textual "environment" where something (usually a word or phrase) is found. You can use context to figure out what a word means in a particular sentence or passage. You can also use context clues to make judgments about a character or event in a work of literature.

Psychics claim to predict the future, which means they say they can tell you what is going to happen in advance, before it actually happens. We predict that you will see the word predict on many standardized tests.

When you examine the similarities and differences between two ideas or two passages, you compare them.

Your perspective is your point of view; it's how you see something. On the reading comprehension portion of a standardized test, you may be asked to interpret a writer's perspective (or a narrator's perspective) on an issue.

When you have to choose between several things, we say that you have a bunch of options. Option is a word that will likely show up in test directions that ask you to select an answer from several options.

Information refers to the facts and data we have on a topic. Information is not limited to words or descriptions, but can also be taken from statistics, graphs, and charts.

A fact is a piece of information about something that actually took place. Facts can be used to support a theory about something in the world, as a type of evidence.

An explanation seeks to take an idea and make it easier to understand. An explanation can start with things you know your reader understands, and relate those ideas to the difficult ones you are trying to explain.

To indicate is to give a sign of something occurring. Large dark clouds can indicate that a rainstorm will start soon. Images of dark, threatening clouds and barren landscapes in a work of fiction may indicate the author is trying to create a threatening or eerie mood. Words related to indicate include signify, mean, and imply.

Even though you can see the word character inside characterize, this verb does not just apply to how an author describes or builds a fictional character. A writer could characterize anything. One writer might characterize a theory as outdated, for example, while another might characterize her childhood as happy and carefree.

To summarize is to briefly retell something without interpreting it. If you are asked to identify the statement that best summarizes a passage, choose the one that captures the main ideas without adding personal opinions or irrelevant details.

In Latin contra means "against" so think of that when you see contradict. To contradict means to go against or oppose another opinion. If one passage contradicts another, then they offer opposing points of view.

When you are asked to analyze a reading passage, you are doing more than just trying to figure out what it is saying on the surface level. Analyzing requires figuring out how the different parts of the passage relate to its overall message and how the passage might affect a reader.

The word purpose shows up often on standardized tests. When you are being asked about purpose, you are trying to get inside a writer's head — trying to figure out why he or she made certain decisions during the writing process. You are sometimes asked to identify a reading passage's overall purpose, or you could also be asked about the purpose of a single paragraph or word choice.

Think of a magnifying glass enlarging an image. That's what a writer does for a reader when he or she focuses on a particular idea; that idea takes on particular importance.

On standardized tests, you will most likely see the word central before the word claim or the word idea. Central in this context means "main." If you are asked to identify an argument's central claim, then you are trying to figure out the main point or main idea the writer is trying to get across.

If you flip point of view around and take out of, you get viewpoint. Your point of view is your viewpoint, your perspective, the way you see things either physically or mentally. An author's point of view is their stance on a particular issue.

To emphasize is to stress or call attention to something. Writers use a variety of techniques to emphasize certain ideas.

To highlight is to emphasize. Think of when you use a highlighter to make certain words stand out in color. Writers highlight ideas without highlighters; they use language.

Although the word address might make you think of your street address, when you see address on a standardized test, it is most likely being used in the sense of "to discuss a topic or issue." For example, a reading passage might address the effects of automobiles on air pollution.

On standardized tests, you'll see refer a lot, especially in questions that read, "The author refers to X primarily to suggest..." In this context, refers to means "brings up." You might also see the noun form reference used in a similar way.