GED: The Language of the Test: The Language of the Test, 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 the GED Test.

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 GED Reasoning Through Language Arts 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. On the GED Test, option is a word that will likely show up in the test directions. On multiple choice and drop-down questions, you will 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.