GED: The Language of the Test: The Language of the Test, List 5

Clarify means "to make clear." A writer might include examples to help clarify a point. Language that is used to clarify is usually easy to understand and explanatory in tone.

To disagree is to have a different opinion than someone else. People can disagree about a particular issue and passages disagree when they come to opposite conclusions.

To introduce is to present something for the first time. This word may refer to the first few paragraphs of a passage, where the main ideas are introduced for the first time, establishing what the passage is about. Over the course of a passage, new ideas or characters may be introduced. The way things are introduced can be a clue as to how the author feels about them.

When something is accurate, it is correct. Accurate data is important when performing scientific experiments, accurate calculations are required to complete math problems, and accurate statements reflect true facts.

When you approximate something, you make an educated guess about its size or amount. An approximate number is one that is close to the real value, but may not be exact. On standardized tests, especially on math or science tests, you may be asked to give approximate answers, which means you will be expected to round. A question might ask something like "Approximately how many times greater is quantity X than quantity Y?"

When something doesn't stay the same, we say that it varies. To vary is to change. In a scientific experiment, the quantity that varies, or changes, is called a variable.

Likely is one of those words test writers love to use. It usually shows up in the expression most likely. For example, you may see a question like "On which of the following points would the authors of both passages most likely agree?" You can't talk to the authors and definitely find out the answer, so you are expected to make an educated guess based on the evidence in the passages.

A paragraph is a few sentences about one particular aspect of the general topic in a reading passage. You can easily spot a paragraph, because it is usually indented. Questions on the GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Test may refer to a particular paragraph in a passage or ask you to look at specific lines within a paragraph.

When you include something, you incorporate it into a larger something. You may be asked why an author most likely chose to include certain details in his or her argument; it will be your job to infer why that decision was made. The opposite of include is exclude, which means "rule out" or "prevent from joining."

An example is something used to prove a point. When making arguments, authors typically use examples to support their claims.

Some questions on the GED may ask you about how two different things relate to or interact with each other. For example, a question could ask: "Which statement best describes the relationship between the passages?"

A phrase is a bit of text that is made up of more than one word. A phrase can be as short as two words or it can be much longer. A question could begin, "The author most likely uses the phrase 'X Y Z' in order to...?" You will most likely see this word in questions that quote the phrase you are being asked to analyze.

A description uses language to illustrate the characteristics of a person or thing. Descriptions in literary texts can paint a picture in a reader's mind of what something looks or feels like. Descriptions usually include adjectives or adverbs.